I like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

This book is interesting, and I feel if you're a drama kid / Shakespeare / dystopian fan you'd enjoy this. It's just... edgy, raw, with purpose. There is a lot of references to now and the possible future.

Lets give a run-down. Like the movie Sunset Boulevard, our main character is dead. He died at one point in the story. So were are seeing things from his eyes in the afterlife, doomed / stranded to watch his friends put the pieces of his death together amidst a totalitarian regime that began as one guy wanting to run for presidency in the 80s'... and then... never leave. In return, he twisted and made the world into a never aging, never advancing American Dream* gone wrong.

Rock and Roll stopped at the 80's and never went forward, same with Rap, same with any sort of music that gives a viewpoint that isn't aligned with wholesome and pure. Sure, people know of the music that was before the wholesome and pure times, but it's a problematic thing if you were to listen to it.

Like 1984, people rat on others, take them away for not following the code / law / supporting the ideals. Our main character got trapped in that all and that's why he died. He made a mistake, but the mistake cost him. So now he is forced to watch his best friend either doom herself or somehow make it through performing a play of Henry the IV.

The Henry the IV play was iconic. You have women playing men, interpreting the dialogue and its visuals in new ways, a gritty sort of tongue and cheek nod to the world they're living in now. I thought that was the best thing about the book. Like, the book itself felt like a play within a play within a play.

Ugh. A lot of rambling and feelings, but the author posted a list of books about living in communist or controlling societies (some I've read) which helped influence her. She also posted a playlist too that follows the book in terms of songs mentioned during certain scenes.

It's a good book, it might be too good for some, but I really recommend it as a raw, edgy read if you enjoyed all the above.

I really loved this book. I might be biased because Henry IV is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays so anything involving that I am here for. The topics touched on in this book are engaging and thought-provoking and I love how Lariviere doesn't shy away from any of it. The writing is fast and snappy, which keeps you engaged, and you are rooting for these characters to win. The cover is stunning, and that grungy and rebellious feeling comes into the book while mixing it with the Shakespearean themes. It was a wonderful read