My Whole Truth

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Pub Date 02 Oct 2018 | Archive Date 17 Sep 2018

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Description

Seventeen-year-old Seelie Stanton never wanted to kill someone. She never wanted to be invisible in her own family, she never wanted to crush on her best friend Alyssa, and she definitely never wanted to know how effectively a mallet could destroy someone's head. 

But the universe doesn't care what she wants. Shane Mayfield doesn't care what Seelie wants either. When the former high school basketball star attacks her, she has no choice but to defend herself. She saved her own life, but she can't bring herself to talk about what happened that night. Not all of it. Not even when she's arrested for murder.

Seventeen-year-old Seelie Stanton never wanted to kill someone. She never wanted to be invisible in her own family, she never wanted to crush on her best friend Alyssa, and she definitely never...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781635830248
PRICE $11.99 (USD)

Average rating from 135 members


Featured Reviews

Oh my...this book...this one will stay with you for a while. There were times I wanted to throw this book down and not go back to it. So many things made me furious....the way things were handled. Seelie deserved more.

What I loved: The writing in this. It pulls you in. This line was by far my favorite of the whole book: "Minutes as long as days and as short as heartbeats slip by."
What I liked: I was pretty certain I knew the whole truth, but I liked the way it unraveled.
What I hated: Ugh... the Mom character. I know, I wasn't supposed to like her. I was supposed to not have much feeling for her, and I sure didn't. I just wanted more for Seelie...but she had her tribe, her faction.
Actual stars....4.5.

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I read this soooo fast! The first sentence just grabs you until the end...and as much as I wanted to shake the main character a few times, the book ended really well.

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A very enjoyable read and I was captivated all the way through by this page turner. I love Thraces writing and I can't wait to read more from this author, I would highly recommend it.

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***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of MY WHOLE TRUTH by Mischa Thrace in exchange for my honest review.***

4.5 STARS

Seelie kills Travis to save her life. Too bad his father is a judge, because now she’s charged with murder. Her friends believe in and support her; her lawyer is great. Seelie’s widowed mom, not so much.

Debut writer Mischa Thrace hits a home run in her first at bat. Throughout reading MY WHOLE TRUTH, I had the same curiosity and interest in the pit of my stomach as I did reading Eileen Cook’s WITH MALICE and Abigail Haas’s DANGEROUS GIRLS with an imperfect narrator I wasn’t certain I could trust. Seelie misses her dad and resents her mother. Even when her mom tries to reach out and be helpful, Seelie is downright mean. I wish their relationship has been explored further. Seelie keeps a lot of secrets, to her own detriment often choosing secrecy over friendship. I loved attorney Cara and best friend Lyssa and her two dads.

Thrace gave Seelie a compelling voice with a balance of positive and negative attributes. At times I wanted to shake her. MY WHOLE TRUTH read like a fast paced thriller never letting up on the hold-your-breath feeling. I can’t wait to see what Thrace writes next.

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*Thank you to Netgalley for sending me a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!*
Release date: October 2nd

More like a 4.5*

This book was really raw and emotional. When I read it, I kept thinking that it couldnt go worse for our main character, but it kept getting worse, and surprising me.

My whole truth is the story about Seelie Shanton, who one October afternoon gets attacked while working, by a guy named Shane. He tried to kill her and hurt her deeply, and in an act of self-defense Seelie kills Shane.
Now she is being charged with murder, and as the story continues, we discover new secrets and new twists.

This was phenomenal. It brought up some very important themes and I think that when this book gets released, it will create debate, which is good.

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This book is an absolutely powerful one, an obvious page-turner with a gripping plot and narrative. It took me 5 hours to read this book, and trust me, I read it with so much enthusiasm and anticipation. The story is not brand-new, but stories like this must be portrayed every now and then.

The book is about a teenager, Cecilia (Seelie) Stanton who calls 911 from the horse barn she has locked herself in and reports that Shane Mayfield has attacked her (cut her face, and stabbed her leg, to be precise) and she has hit him on the head with a mallet. She is rescued by the paramedics and treated at the hospital, but it turns out that Shane Mayfield is dead. What follows is a trial against Seelie, while she is physically and mentally scarred by Shane.

What I loved about the book:
The Writing: The book is narrated with Seelie’s point of view, and let me tell you, the writing is really smooth and engaging. ‘The air was dead with the stench of blood.’
Wouldn’t you grip the plot with a starting line like this? The first chapter is convincing enough for you to keep reading the book to know what happens next.

The Friendship: Seelie has a group of friends, who call themselves as ‘the faction’. When there was nobody on Seelie’s side, the faction was. They were there, no matter what. They stood up to the people who tried to bully Seelie, vandalize her belongings or called her a murderer. This makes me think that the quantity of friends doesn’t matter. The Quality does.

The Subplots: Along with the main plot revolving around Seelie, there are subplots relating to the faction’s background, which makes the characters relatable and familiar.

The portrayal of teenage agony: Teenage is an embarrassing stage of most people’s lives, and occasional mood swings and peer pressure makes things harder. When most of the students are worrying about what to wear in the Winter Gala, Seelie had to deal with being called a murderer and getting through with an investigation a trial. This shows how you cannot judge a person without knowing them. You may never know what is going on with someone’s life, till you be in their place.

The Revelation: This book is named “My Whole Truth” for a reason. It turns out that Seelie did not tell the cops or her friends ‘her whole truth’. The readers know the truth before anyone else, and it is quite predictable but really dark.
What I did not like about the book:

Underdeveloped characters: I think there should have been more depth to the characters, especially the protagonist and her friends. The book would’ve been catchier that it is, with deep, and explained characters.

The Relationship between the protagonist and her mother: I know we aren’t supposed to like the protagonist’s mother, but I was disappointed that the author didn’t explain ‘why?’. I really hoped to have a backstory on the bitterness of this mother-daughter relationship.

There was a hint of LGBTQ in the book, but it did not turn out to be a major part of the book.

Overall, this book was really good, as it has an incredible message for the teenagers about how to deal with depression, and how sometimes you have to be your own hero.

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Seelie Stanton got the short end of the stick in life. Her mom is too busy at the restaurant to notice (or care) what's going on in her daughter's life, and when she does, it's an act for the Martyr Mom Show. The kids at school notice too much, making fun of her brutally. The only ones she can count on are her Faction: Alyssa, Ashlyn, and Finn. And she's going to need them now more than ever.

Because Seelie is in trouble. She's been branded a murderer. Never mind that she *had* to kill that boy to survive. Never mind that she was left bleeding and broken in the aftermath of a terrifying attack. It's not enough that she has to struggle with the images of what she did to him, with what he did to *her*. Now she's got to justify fighting back, making sure he couldn't get up and finish the job.

This book... was amazing. It jumped right into the action, and kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering what was going to happen to this poor kid. Left me seething at the injustice in the world, and at parents who are clueless and thoughtless. The plot was, at times, hard to stomach, but was well written, and well executed. I really only have one complaint, and that's (view spoiler)

I'm honestly not sure how true to life the legal aspects are, but they *seem* well researched, and realistic. I'm just not committing to saying it for sure, because I'm not in the know on such things.

Really, really well done book. Cannot recommend it enough if you like a bit of mystery, a good fight (not physical, although... I guess that's technically there, too), and friends who mean the world.

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ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A solid 4/5 stars for My Whole Truth.. I started reading this to break myself out of a reading slump, and I liked it a whole lot more than I thought I would. I devoured this book in less than 24 hours. I skipped dinner and breakfast, left laundry undone, and ignored the outside world all morning just so I could finish it. To me, that is the true indication of a good book. MILD SPOILERS MAY BE BELOW.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Sexual assault/rape, violence, victim blaming, bulling.

WHAT I LOVED:
-The hook. "The air was dead with the stench of blood." I mean, holy cow. If that first sentence does not leave you wanting more, then I don't know what will. And this book definitely kept you hanging on to every word all the way through. There was a moment where I was getting slightly less engaged...but then they yanked you right back in with another twist. This book was a total page turner and a quick read.
-The representation. POC, LGBTQ, and one of the friends is of Japanese descent. Not to mention that our heroine is heavier set and never once described as beautiful (a rarity in YA novels). While these representations definitely could have been more fleshed out and brought more to the forefront, I appreciate any book that includes these reps.
-The message(s). While a little heavy handed at time, My Whole Truth was definitely not lacking messages, which I appreciated. Without giving too much away, the two heavy hitters were: when it comes to friends, quality is definitely better than quantity, and sometimes you have to save yourself.

WHAT I DIDN'T:
-The mom. I know we weren't supposed to like her, but I found this slightly unrealistic. Any mother that works as hard and as much as she does to support herself and her daughter definitely cares about her daughter. I was disappointed that the author never chose to bring this to light, or to develop Seelie's character arc enough to reach a place where the mother-daughter relationship was less strained. Seelie's mother was pretty much absent for entirety of the novel, except to swoop in like the Wicked Witch of the West on occasion. I would have liked to have seen a little bit more growth on Seelie's part, instead of just a sullen teenager who never learns to get along with her mom.
-The character development: I already kind of touched on this, but the character development wasn't great. I liked Lys, would have liked to have seen more insight to Finn, and I definitely connected with Seelie, but it all felt a little bit underdeveloped. In the case of Ashlyn (whose name I literally just had to look up because she was so forgettable), her only purpose seems to be to offer the pro-life view in one scene halfway through the book.
-The book was fairly predictable. While I was engaged and absorbed throughout, I definitely guessed pretty much everything that came my way.
-The cops and doctors were so unrealistic that I wanted to bang my head against a wall. NO ONE asked this girl if she was sexually assaulted, even though there were red flags everywhere, and that is just not realistic in the slightest. Not to mention, the cops going to such extreme lengths to protect Shane was also slightly unrealistic. This aspect of things really could have done better.

All in all, 4/5 stars for My Whole Truth, mainly because I truly enjoyed the read. It was super engaging and really sucked you in, even if the writing was somewhat juvenile and predictable at times. I'm looking forward to future work from Thrace.

My Whole Truth releases on October 2nd, 2018.

My review is already posted on my Goodreads account (https://www.goodreads.com/pinotandpages) and will be posted on my Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/pinotandpages247/) and my book blog (https://pinotandpages247.wordpress.com) later this week (no later than May 1st). I will post the review on Amazon as soon is the book is released.

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My Whole Truth – Mischa Thrace
Release Date – 2 October 2018

Rating: 4/5 stars

** I received an eArc from Netgalley. This in no way impacts my review**


My Whole Truth is a YA novel centring on a seventeen-year-old girl, Cecilia (Seelie) Stanton, who has committed an act of self-defence – she has murdered a twenty year old man who attacked her at the stables where she works and rides.
What follows is an intense story about how she fights for her freedom and innocence, while also dealing with the fall out at school.
The plot is weaved intricately, with a number of small subplots such as Seelie’s growing feelings for one of her best friends, one of her other friends dealing drugs (which impacts the impending trial).
It’s woven so eloquently and I couldn’t tear my eyes away.
I loved the friendship group in this book. They are always there for each other and have each other’s backs no matter what. They have unwavering support for each other and this was great to see.
This story chronicles the events leading up to and including Seelie’s trial. It shows the bullying that results from the murder of Shane Mayfield, with students at her school even going as far as to vandalize Seelie’s car.
We also see Seelie’s relationship with her mother and I’m going to admit right now that she is very self-absorbed and an awful person. Seelie deserves so much better and every scene that has her mother in, I just want to punch her. It was great to see how accepting Lyssa’s parents are of Seelie though.

The pacing of this book was great and the writing easy to follow. I’ll definitely be buying a physical copy when it’s released. I’d recommend this to anyone wanting to try the crime genre in a YA setting.

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Holy crap this read.. Nothing short of a rollercoaster, Seelie is taking us on one bumpy ride through one of the most hellish things that could happen to someone.
My Whole Truth is a story about that; uncovering the truth, even though it’s difficult. And one about unending friendships.

If you’re looking for a book that takes you by your reader-balls and doesn’t let go until the very last page.. this book is for you!

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This book was a very fast read. It kept me on my toes and was everything I needed in a book. It’s the teenage book I’ve needed since I was a teen. The characters are super easy to love also.

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I loved this book. It was a fast paced read and I felt like I was right there with her as she went thru all the struggles. I feel like this is something that could have happened in real life which mad it even more instresting to me.

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<b>My Whole Truth</b> Mischa Thrace is Young Adult mystery novel that tells the story of Seelie (Cecilia) Stanton, a teenaged girl who is attacked by Shane, the older brother of a classmate. Seelie fights for her life and kills Shane Mayfield, seemingly a perfect case of self-defense. Seelie is questioned by a detective devoid of empathy. The teen has bruises on her neck and her leg and face have been ripped open by a knife but she is treated as a liar from the get-go. Seelie is rattled and embarrassed and omits some details of the attack. Add in Shane’s family (his father is a prominent judge) and Seelie finds herself charged with murder.
The book details the aftereffects of the attack on Seelie, and her ensuing trial. Seelie’s mother is a coldh workaholic and Seelie is lucky to have a core group of friends, Finn, Ashlyn, and Lyssa. Lyssa has two dads who are better parents to Seelie than her own mother. Seelie also has a wonderful attorney named Cara who decides to defend the teen <i>pro bono</i>. Thrace is a talented writer, especially when writing the characters in the book. <b>My Whole Truth</b> is suspenseful with several unexpected turns. At times Seelie drove me insane, keeping information to herself that would only have bolstered her side of the story. But this is a YA novel and it’s been a long time since I thought like a teenager.
Thank you to NetGalley, Flux and Ms. Thrace for the ARC copy of this book.

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Wow.

I feel like I just spent the past few days binge watching a Nextflix show called “My whole truth: the Cecilia Stanton story” <-- (I would totally watch that!!)

This book was captivating. From the first chapter, I wanted to do nothing else but to keep reading to find out what happens.

Here are some things that I liked about this book:

- Strong female protagonist - Seelie had strong ideas about her self and her values. I liked that she wasn't looking for approval or easily influenced - especially in a time when social media is so relevant and self-value might be measured by popular opinion.

- The importance of having good friends that you can trust – quality vs quantity! yes!

- Being able to have a choice.

- The woman who answered the phone. (loc 2779 - at 71% of the book) She was amazing and she didn't even know it. She deserves recognition.

-The image of a tattoo of an open book with “there are other worlds than these” flying from the pages. Amazing. I want one!

- The truth. Even though I think it should have come out sooner, I appreciate the fact that it did. It will set you free.

The one thing that I didn't completely understand was the relationship (or absence of) between Seelie and her mom. Maybe that can be addressed in season 2...

I enjoyed reading this book. It was like a YA crime drama! I liked how the events unfolded as I got to know the characters better. I would recommend it!

“Too often we teach stories that have no connection to real life, especially for high schoolers. But literature is supposed to make us feel something, even something unpleasant. It’s a sign of life.”

Thank you to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book.

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The book begins with Seelie calling 911. She has locked herself in the tack room of a horse barn. Her leg is bleeding badly, and she can barely see. Her attacker is up in the loft of the barn, which she tells the 911 operator. When emergency personnel arrive on the scene, they have to break down the door because Seelie can't get up to let them in.

Seelie's friends surround her with support at the hospital. Her self-centered mother keeps remarking on the inconvenience of Seelie's situation, and it's several days before Seelie finds out that her attacker is dead. Seelie must then deal with the guilt of killing her attacker and the reactions of her peers.

This beautifully written story will appeal to a wide variety of teen readers. Although a tad predictable, Seelie's message is so timely and important. I will definitely be promoting this one with my students.

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The story of Seelie Stanton is one that has stayed with me since I had finished it. The author, Mischa Thrace, was successful in making me feel the pain, and grief, that Seelie is suffering with after surviving a violent attack that leaves her assailant, a boy from a popular family, dead.
Seelie's story is one that speaks of the aftermath of what she is dealing with when the people of her community believe that she used excessive force in what she says is self defense. Seelie has an amazing support system within her friend group as they help her heal and get through the legal side of her case. Her mother is one that is unsupportive and selfish to her daughter which makes her a villianlike figure that drives Seelie to seek the comfort from her friends. There are different pieces to the puzzle of that night that are revealed throughout the story and with each reveal the plot gets darker as the harsh reality surrounding that night comes into the light.
Thrace was capable of bringing up many topics that aren't usually addressed in YA fiction and doing so in a way to let the reader connect and sympathize with Seelie's experiences which I think was a huge success for this novel. Seelie's whole truth is one that should be read and shared by many. I really enjoyed reading this novel and the events in the plot have stayed with me as I have been in awe at how wonderful this novel is.

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From the very first page, I was captured. The author does a fantastic job of gaining your attention and not letting up until the very end. I usually do not gravitate towards books like this but I’m so glad I read this one!

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Warning: Book contains elements of sexual abuse, murder and bullying. If you get triggered by these subjects, there are plenty of other books out there.

On that note, let me begin. Don't let the YA label fool you. If anything it's more than YA. If I'm being honest, this was a difficult book for me to read, mostly because the bullying is intense and the subjects are hard to deal with.

The story begins off with the protagonist, Cecilia Stanton running away from her attacker and calling 911. She's bleeding and barely manages to alert authorities about her state. It's then a progression to an hospital, and then between court rooms and a crappy school as we are taken through the ordeal of the girl as she struggles with the law and schoolmates who are nothing but assholes.

Cecilia has completely shut out and doesn't wanna discuss the events that occurred with anyone, not even with her lawyer. So it's to be seen if she is jailed or proclaimed a hero.

When I read the blurb for the first time I didn't think it would be this serious. There are a lot of subplots happening there and the author has touched upon a lot of issues, but it doesn't shift the focus from the main story.

I loved that atleast one person stuck with her through the story. Her mom is mostly absent so her entire circle revolves around 3 friends - Alyssa, Finn and Ashlyn. The love and support these people have for her is applaudable. I loved how Lyssa always tried to protect her and everyone needs a friend/partner like her. The lawyer who took up her case pro bono was also brilliant. She had a backstory of her own and it just breaks your heart. in fact this entire story breaks your heart.

Stop whateber you're doing and pick this book up. The author has done a tremendous job of dealing with a sensitive aubject. The writing is amazing and it makes the experience of reading this book even better.

Read this book, if not for the message it gives, atleast for the writing and the plot which are so perfect it makes you cry.

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Loved the LGBT rep, discussion of an important topic, portrayal of close, mostly healthy friendships and a gripping plot. There was a spoiler subplot that didn't resonate with me, but that might be because it was a bit too close to home, and sometimes we project our own expectations of representation onto one book that isn't able to tell everyone's story at once, so I'm not letting that affect my overall rating. Recommend!

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I thank Netgalley and the publishers for sending me this book.
I must say, the story was touching and emotionally charged on all levels. I am really happy that I read this book. Honestly, I was sitting in an airport waiting for the flight to arrive while I sat on one of the many waiting chairs as I got lost in the pages of this book. I couldn’t stop reading. Believe me when I say that the chair was extremely uncomfortable and yet I was fixated on my iPad reading this book. I was reading as if my life depended on it. If you had seen me, while I was reading this book, well, you would think I was crazy. I kept on reading until my head was throbbing and my limbs felt frail. Finally I finished the book after 4.5 hours. I closed my iPad and just sat there staring at nothing in particular. It was that wonderful.

I cannot stress enough on how good it felt after I read the ending. A flood of emotions took me by surprise but I am happy by the way the book ended. I wouldn’t say that this book is character driven. There was much importance to the plot and how everything unravels as the story progressed. I was much engrossed in unknowing whether Seelie would be charged for murder or not. Sure every plot needs good characters but this book’s main goal is to establish Seelie innocence.

The story is quite simple and the ending was what anyone would expect. The unique thing about this book is how Seelie saw everything. She was traumatized, attacked, assaulted, labeled as murderer, and was arrested. Amidst all this she found happiness in the smallest of things, like eating chocolate yogurt or talking to lyssa and the faction or bitching about her mom. She tried to be normal when her situation begs her to be anything but normal. I really liked Seelie, her reaction to what happened is unique. She fought like a brave women she is and got out of the situation with many scars which can be easily taken for scars of the war. Damn, it was a war for her, a struggle to prove her innocence and a struggle to get back on her feet both literally and metaphorically.

Her friends Alyssa, Ashlyn and Finn were beautiful addition to the already beautiful story. The faction really lighted the things up. I observed that Seelie and the faction opted to laugh things out rather than be broody and upset about whatever the situation was. The wit and humour in the writing style really impressed me.

The court room scene scores a big A. The conversations in the room were very real and the closing and ending arguments were compelling. It really did feel like a real court room. The realistic conversations actually applies to the whole book.

At some places, the hurt and sadness is so intense that it suffocated me. The hate, anger, sadness and hurt just ripped my heart out. A very powerful, emotionally charged book is what My Whole Truth turned out to be. I liked it so much and I can’t say enough good things about this book. Though this book reminded me of a Hindi movie, Pink, this book was much better on all accounts.

Things I didn’t like: (Mild Spoilers Ahead!)
I wouldn’t say the book is perfect. Nothing is perfect. My Whole Truth is a beautiful story written in a smart and humours way. It was like really reading a seventeen year old girls brain. The confusion, panic and the urge to do the stupidest things are what defines a teenager. Seelie was exactly that and some more. The character development was lacking. All the characters seemed under-developed. Most of them are just there for the sake of it. It was understood that the mother is not caring but why she was acting the way she did is still a mystery.

I am deeply disappointed in the way the police department acted. I still can’t understand why the female officer didn’t ask Seelie if she was sexually assaulted. That should be the first question. At least the nurse who got scolded my Seelie for touching her while taking out the tube from her body should have known. Seelie repeatedly asked many characters not to touch her. I right away understood that she was sexually assaulted. On multiple occasions I totally predicted the story. I am usually not good at that sort of thing. If I can predict the story that means anyone can predict it.

She was still a confused teenager deciding what to do at the end. Though that unfortunate night changed many things in Seelie’s life, what she understood at the end was it is very important to trust your friends. They are called friends for a reason right? The thing she dreaded to tell her friend Lyssa turned out to be the last piece in their relationship. When she finally told the whole truth, it only brought them closer.

I thought that since Seelie belongs to LGBTQ community, I thought there would be some sort of disagreement or agreement from her mother or friends. However, no one ever talks about her sexuality. I don’t understand why that was not one of the major plot outliner.

Mrs. Stanton was an awful mother and I would have liked to see change of heart from her about Seelie. May be after everything that happened, Mrs. Stanton should have changed, but she did not.

To sum everything up in the discussion, I would say that the book is extremely wonderful and incredibly beautiful. The story will forever be with me. It was a brave attempt to write story about such a hard topic. Well, I guess if I tell you what that hard topic is I would be spoiling the story for you. Anyways, this is a great book and you should definitely try this one.

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the last time I had this hard of a time getting thru a book due to the intense nature was "13 Reasons why"
There does need to be a trigger warning for sexual abuse, murder, bullying etc.
This is truly hard for me to rate. It was a very good book and probably one of the best books I read on this sensitive subject.
I had heard that there was a lesbian side story, but it was so subtle that I would not recommend this book as a LGBT book at all, nor is it truly a thriller. It is a heart breaking work of art. Calling it a thriller is an injustice to the book as it should be marketed as Fiction. I don't even think it qualifies as YA. I'm can't desribe why I can't get this book out of my head.

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Wow, that was quite the ride! The book opens pretty much in the middle of the scene and kept me hooked all the way through.

While the plot was totally engaging, it was Seelie’s connection with her three best friends and their ups and downs through everything that I enjoyed the most.

The writing was solid and the author had ways of describing things that just left me gutted. I look forward to reading more from her.

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Gripping and devourable as an episode of Law & Order, covering lots of dark and thorny territory in a quick and compelling read.

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My Whole Truth by Mischa Thrace is a darker, YA contemporary set for release early October 2018. I apologise for reading this so early but I could not help myself, it was that good! Anyway, this story focuses on a young woman named Seelie who must defend herself after being attacked, and in doing so kills the perpetrator in self-defence. Next thing you know she's getting trialled for murder and this story focuses towards determining whether she's guilty or not.

I'm not going to lie, this book was difficult to read. The themes is this book were quite heavy and I'd suggest to be in a good head space / cautious when picking this up, especially if you have experienced sexual assault. This book went quite in depth into the themes mentioned above and described them quite vividly.

Saying that, I appreciate this novel bringing these uncomfortable, yet poignant themes to light as they are important in today's society. I loved the complexity of this novel, with great pacing and shocking plot twists thoughout. I must say though, I would of loved to see the ending more fleshed out and I believe it ended a bit too conveniently.

A great debut and I would not hesitate to read this author's future work.

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This was my first time reading one of Mischa Thrace's books and I must say that it is a good read and it kept my attention, but it also frustrated me to no end. While I enjoyed reading this book that began in the present and backtracked to a traumatic day (October 21st) for Cecelia "Seelie" Stanton throughout the story, at times I became so irritated with her I could scream. I understand why the book is entitled, "My Whole Truth", but Seelie really should have just told the truth from the beginning which would have saved her a whole lot of trouble in the end. As she lay in the hospital bed, it was totally obviously to me what her attacker, Shane, had done to her and that surprise after a 20 minute trip to Walmart later on in the story really wasn't much of a surprise at all to me because it was obvious what had happened. I have so many mixed emotions pertaining to this book right now. While it's a good story, I am sitting her typing out this review feeling frustrated that I even read the book in it's entirety because she should have just told the truth. I'm really steaming hot mad at her. Like, seriously. I haven't been this frustrated with a fictional book character in a very long time. I would suggest reading this story only if you have patience to deal with a 17 year olds version of untruths which will eventually lead up to her "whole truth". I almost want to pull my hair out, I am so irritated right now and not in a good way.

However, emotions and feelings set aside, this book was well written and flowed well. The author does a great job at telling the story and is really detailed about the character's emotions, feelings, and fears. The author also did a great job in writing the judicial aspect of the book. I did enjoy reading about Seelie's feelings for one of her friend's in the "Faction", but I had guessed early on it the story she felt that way before it was revealed. If you are looking for a drama filled YA book, then this one is definitely for you. If you end up as nearly as frustrated as I am, don't say that I didn't warn you ahead of time.

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Very heartbreaking story. I wished through the whole book she would find her voice, and she finally did! Great read!

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What a deft hand this author has in exploring difficult subjects. Subtle yet searing, this is a heartbreaking yet beautiful read.

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This was a good read. Seelie is a well developed character in a terrible situation. This book is great for young teens and adults.

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My Whole Truth is a YA/Teen book that covers some dark subjects. Told first person from the view of 17 year old Seelie, the book starts with her calling 911 after being attacked by, and subsequently killing, a 20 year old former classmate. Without doubt, a great suspenseful beginning but that's where the novelty of this story ended for me. The main character is grossly undeveloped as is the story in general. Seelie has a turbulent relationship with her mother, which is a recurring theme in this story, however the author offers no explanation for it. Alot of the book is implausible and felt rushed.

I was provided an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Wow, this book is nothing short of amazing. I couldn't put it down and read it in a day. Seelie is a complex protagonist, one I was eager to follow, and the other characters are beautifully drawn as well, especially her friends. The friendship and high school struggles create interesting conflicts that underlie the drama, high stakes, and suspense of the main plot line. Beautifully written and kept me on the edge of my seat. A must read.

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My Whole Truth was a young adult novel that touches on some heavy topics, such a death, violence, substance abuse and sexual assault. The author creates a gripping story about a 17 year old girl who is violently assaulted by a classmate and is forced to fight back in self defense or lose her life. She fights back and her attacker and just when she thought her nigthmare was over, turns out to be just the beginning. Cecilia has killed the son of a powerful judge who wants nothing more than to see her locked away for murder. The corrupt justice system does her no favors and what is supposed to be " innocent until proven guilty" begins to feel more like " Guilty until proven innocent".
This book was pretty intense. I knew it was going to go to some darker places but i wasn't expecting such violence and sadness in a young adult book. I think the author did a fantastic job on portraying a rough but all too real perspective. Our main character was more than a victim, she was a survivor who was plagued by confusion, guilt and anger at the events that happened to her.
The characters were realistic and had their own strengths and faults just like most teens do. I feel this book will be very relatable to some teens and highly recommend it but maybe there should be a content/trigger warning for those who have suffered similar traumas or abuse.

Overall this was a great novel from begining to end. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title!!

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My Whole Truth takes us on a journey with trauma survivor Seelie Stanton. After being attacked, Seelie contends with disfiguring injuries and post-traumatic stress. She also has to deal with some classic YA struggles such as a selfish mom who doesn’t understand her at all and fissures within her closest friendships. On top of all of this, Seelie faces a possible conviction and life-sentence for the murder of her attacker.
The guilt Seelie grapples with makes her a sympathetic and realistic character who you can’t help but cheer on.

One of the best aspects of the storyline are Seelie’s relationships. Seelie desperately needs her friends and family to help her through this tragedy, but these bonds are constantly put to the test. She and her mother have never seen eye to eye but her mother fails to support her even during the most difficult point of her life. She and one of her closest friends have an unrequited love that hangs in the balance while another member of their friendship circle may have had a hand in events leading up to the attack.

This novel’s plot is well paced as Seelie’s “whole truth” unfolds. There is an element of suspense and urgency as Seelie’s prolonged secrecy affects not only court proceedings and relationships with the people she loves, but also impedes her own recovery.

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"My Whole Truth" is an intense novel dealing with a difficult subject: How far are you allowed to go to protect yourself?

I liked Seeley as a protagonist because her reasonings and decisions felt really human and understandable. The impact the events have on her are depicted very well, I liked how she managed to reclaim control of the situation by the end of the novel, and I really enjoyed her relationship dynamics with her friends, especially Lyssa.

I didn't really like that some issues between the characters were just glossed over by the end of the novel, and Seeley's mom remains rather one-dimensional, but I felt that Seeley's development as a character made up for those flaws.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this novel. It is intense, well-written, and features a great protagonist.

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I always enjoy reading an authors debut novel.....thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book I’m exchange for an honest review. This was a fantastic book. Very easy to get into and a real page turner! Looking forward to seeing what Mischa Thrace comes up with next!!

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"The air is dead with the stench of blood.
Mine.
His."

When a book starts with a paragraph like that, I know I am in trouble because I am SOLD!!

My Whole Truth is a YA suspense novel about a 17-year- old Seelie who is brutally attacked by a 21-year-old Shane and kills him in self-defence. Or at least that's what it seems until she is arrested for murder.

Seelie does not have many friends but she has three very close ones - Lyssa, Finn and Ashlyn. The foursome looks to be unseparable at first but as new facts come to life, little cracks in their friendship start to appear.

The main premise of the book is a murder story but my heart went out to the relationships between the four characters. I was intrigued to discover their stories and secrets. And secrets there were! This book pulled me in and didn't let go until the last page. I will definitely watch out for the next Mischa Thrace novel.

4.5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Flux for providing me with a free e-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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I absolutely loved the premise of this story! It selves into places that the world tries to ignore and I am so happy that Netgalley and Flux gave me the opportunity with this DRC. The writing style was easy to follow and was a very heavy read that I was able flow through quite easily.

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This book made me realize that I've never read an F/F Romance book. Sure I've read books with side characters that were lesbians, but never one about them, which is a tragedy in itself because seriously, I read an unhealthy amount of their male counterpart- M/M Romance.

That literally had nothing to do with the book in itself, but I just thought I'd mention it because why the hell not?

Anyways, since we are on the topic of a lesbian romance, I feel like I should mention that the romance took a second seat in this story.. or maybe third.. or fourth. Wait a minute, let me do a rerun-
• The murder trial
• Friendship
• Mommy issues
• Romance

See? It takes the fourth seat.

Okay moving on.. this story focused on 17 year old Seelie- a normal highschooler who had been attacked by her senior, and she ended up murdering him in self-defense. Turns out the murdered guy was the son of a very powerful judge who then drags her to court to get her a life-sentence or something like that. That seems to be the center plot of the story- the how's and why's and when's of how she moves on and stuff like that.

Thrown into the mix is one ultra-melodramatic mother, one drug dealing friend, one suuuuper religious friend in love with aforementioned drug dealer, and one artistic, dangerous and honestly kind of unstable love interest.

Talk about drama!

Although with all that there's still an HEA, it somehow feels inconclusive to me. Definitely there was a lot that could still be resolved with more that just one sentence- like the whole situation with her narcissistic mother, who I have a really tough time believing that she even existed because seriously, there's impossible, and there's IMPOSSIBLE. Guess which category mommy dearest fell into? And the whole thing with Lyssa felt like an afterthought. I wish there was a little more build to their story other that Seelie just loving her from before the book began, and Lyssa being weirdly overprotective of her.

And despite all that, I liked this book. It was really fast paced, and there were moments where you generally feel for the girl because life just kept shitting and shitting and shitting on her. Mischa's writing has a good tone to it- it fits right in with the genre she initially intended it for- YA and LGBTQ.

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This book was a great, shortish read. It really gripped me and I read it in one sitting. The characters were realistic and had a good amount of depth as well as personality. I found the last couple of chapters slightly rushed and I would have welcomed more details on the court case but as this is a book aimed at younger readers, this was appropriate and understandable. By the end of the booking I was firmly rooting for Seelie and I loved the ending!

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This was an intense story that had me turning the pages as fast as I could. I read it in a day! The story begins with a violent crime that Seelie gets charged with, even though she was acting in self defense. It happens at the stables she works at, with the basketball star from her school.

Seelie is a tough, independent seventeen year old, just trying to survive high school when this turns her entire world upside down. With all that she is going through in the story I kept thinking, I would not be able to be as strong.

I really admired her strength in the story and the relationship she had with her three friends. Seelie isn’t the popular girl in school, but instead has a small group of friends that are basically her entire support system.

Once she is released on bail with an ankle bracelet she has to continue attending her small town high school where she is anything but popular. High school is hard enough, but when your charged with murdering the basketball star from your school? It’s beyond imaginable.

This was a powerful story and a quick YA read, I definitely enjoyed it!

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My Whole Truth by Mischa Thrace

This is a story about a young girl named Seelie Stanton who called 911 from a horse barn and informed the police that she had been attacked by Shane Mayfield. She stated that she hit him with a mallet also. The issue now is Shane is found dead and his father is a judge. So now Seelie is accused of murder. Seelie has a group of friends that call themselves the faction and they are with her through everything. The only thing is, did Seelie tell the whole truth? The reader will find out the answer and it is not exactly what you expected. The writer does a great job with the characters and the flaws that make them real. You will want to beat Seelie by the time it is through but she is a teenager. I recommend this book highly.

Thank you to netgalley as well as the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

5 stars ⭐️ out of 5

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Woah. I completely loved this. What a FANTASTIC and unique contemporary book.

Seelie, the main character, is attacked by boy and in her defense kills him. This book follows the aftermath of that and the following trial against her.

Personally, what made me love this book SO much was the fact that the main character had a fear of throwing up. I have never in my life heard of someone else, let alone read about, someone who is AFRAID to throw up to the point where it affects the decisions you make. Honestly, I know this is nowhere near the main plot of the story but it was a little detail that meant so much to me.

Other than that, this story was highly engaging. It's one where you will get angry reading but finishing it feels like such an accomplishment. Also, there is a minor f/f relationship that I really appreciated and enjoyed.

This book is not perfect. I think there should have been more expansion on scenes with he friend group ass well as Seelie's mother so I could get a better dynamic between them all. Nonetheless, I still love this book and I recommend you checking it out!

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Okay this book was awesome! This is actually the first book that I have read (and I have many) that had me glued from the first page until the last. The only thing that turned of off about thus book was the abuse and bullying. I love how the three friends ALyssa, finn and ashlyn showed their loyatly and they were always their for cecila. Overall! Good book!

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I had pretty low expectations going into this one, but I ended up LOVING it. It's always super refreshing to see a queer relationship (or a queer person at all) in a non contemporary book, especially it being F/F. This book was extraordinary thrilling as we followed the trail following the main character's attack, and give a perspective not often brought to light.

I am going to give this 4 stars though because I had issues with how the love interest crossed a few boundaries towards the end.

This is definitely a book that I won't forget in the near future.

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My Whole Truth is absolutely stunning. The novel drops you right into it’s premise, as it follows Seelie, a 17 year old girl who is attacked by a boy who goes to her school. It’s completely gripping, even more so when it develops into a victim who is demonised for her actions caused by her instinct to survive.

It’s a tough book, there are no two ways about it, especially when Seelie is bullied by almost everyone in her life as a cause of what someone else has done to her. It’s not all doom and gloom though, as My Whole Truth showcases a wonderful central friendship that is able to tough out everything that is thrown at it.

I really felt for Seelie and she was a wonderful protagonist. The only qualm I have is that the trial section was unbelievably short and somewhat rushed, but the journey there made this almost worth it.

My Whole True is an excellent book and I urge anyone and everyone to read it.

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I enjoy reading a really good YA book every now and then and this book did not disappoint. Cecelia "Seelie" Stanton was attacked in the hayloft of the barn where she was taking care of the horses. Seelie ended up killing Shane Mayfield, a known drug user and a bully. Seelie received serious injuries during the attack and was subsequently arrested and charged with murder. Seeley and her 3 friends who refer to themselves as "The Faction" and are a very strange bunch of characters. All of the characters with the exception of Cara, Seeley's lawyer, are very unlikable. Even with all the unlikable characters, this was a fast-paced easy read and I really enjoyed. At the end of the book, I still did not like any of the characters except for Cara.

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I really enjoyed this YA novel written about a 17 year old girl who was attacked and killed her attacker. Given the status of her attacker (popular kid) and his dad is a Judge, we see Seelie put through the ringer as she is tried for murder as opposed to self defence, what an emotional rollercoaster, fast paced full of twists and turns, I’m still thinking about it.

Many thanks to Netgalley and North Star Editions for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Featuring themes of physical violence, sexual assault, victim blaming, absentee parenting, crooked politicians/cops, and more, this book is a difficult and emotional read. But it is absolutely true to this day in age, and I could see everything that happened happening right now. A teen is attacked, and in defending herself, kills her attacker. The only problem is that her attacker happened to be the son of a prominent local judge. Her troubles get worse from there as she's arrested for murder and the whole town seems to turn on her. Thrace is a excellent writer, weaving twists and turns into the story. Highly recommended if you can handle the frustration and details of the assault and the attack.

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I finished this book in one day. So hard to put down with all the twists! The characters were great. This author quickly became a favorite for me.
Thank you to netgalley for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Holy crap!!!! I read this book in 3 hours, I could not put it down. And the unexpected twist at the end was the perfect thing to add to the story. All the characters were written flawlessly, kept to their character, and the story and plot flowed really well. I would buy this book for sure. I’m adding this author to my list of favorite authors.

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My Whole Truth Read like an episode of a law show - we got to see all sides of a case, and see justice be fought for a survivor. I really enjoyed this young adult novel, a solid story about a girl who did all she could to protect herself from a boy that was attacking her. There were a few small surprises along the way, but the book ended pretty much like I’d predicted. I appreciate the diversity of these characters and I loved the faction group of friends - that tight-knit group of teens that protect each other, judgments aside. I really enjoyed this read, and recommend for anyone that loves a good case of law and order.

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Loved this book, even when I was not reading it I kept thinking about it and couldn’t wait to pick it up again, hence I finished it in a day. Would definitely recommend to others and can’t wait to read other titles from this author.

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In this story we follow Seelie as her story unravels after a guy attacks her and she kills him. It follows her facing criticism from the public, the assaulters family and his friends.
It also includes the very grey area of self defence and when it's allowed and not.

I totally loved this book, the aspects and views it took were fantastic and I couldn't stop reading it.

As more things uncover in this story, you start to feel things and have certain opinions and a book that makes you think is one of the best books

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Thank you Mischa Thrace and Netgalley for a copy of this title.
I honestly cannot tell you why I wanted to read this book - I simply cannot remember., but Boy I am so very glad I did. From the first page I was so hooked I blocked the entire world out to hear Seelies story. I loved the style, the characters, the feeling of the story., the twists and turns. This book really had ALL my feelings on high alert. The very last shock in this book was the acknowledgements page where I saw it was YA!!. I read a bit of YA and enjoy the rawness of this genre but I feel this could easily fit into AF as well
I haven't had the pleasure of being WOWED by many books this year but today I did. "My Whole Truth" is my #1 book of 2018 by far.
Read this book.

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Being teacher, I try hard to read fiction that would appeal to my students. Not always sdo I meet that goal, but with this book I was transported to my students world. I loved the storyline. I loved the relationship between the main character and her friends; especially the love interest. I thought the murder was explained clearly and the courtroom scenes were fun to read.

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I enjoyed this young adult book. The opening had me hooked, then the story did seem to lull a bit. Some characters were believable, some had surprising issues, & some seemed pointless. Overall though I do recommend this book to someone who can keep an open mind

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This book was an emotional journey of frustration, strength, bravery, and truth. The main character is attacked and kills her attacker (a popular boy with a judge father). She claims self-defense, but is tried for murder.
The novel chronicles her experiences through the justice system and aftermath of being attacked.
I loved the portrayal of friendship in this book and it also had good representation. I will be thinking of it for awhile to come. Highly recommended.

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I fell in love with this book at the first page! I became invested in the characters, wanting to know more and more as the book went on. I feel like it was very well written and really enjoyed the writing style. I really felt that I needed to know the whole truth that Seelie was keeping from us and towards the end what I thought was going to happen, did. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

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First things first, it was truly refreshing to see a gay protagonist without it being a major focus of the plot - it was something she simply was. Another thing I loved was Seelie's relationships - with her mother, her friends, her lawyer - which were portrayed in a realistic and complex way. While I found the plot twists predictable and court scenes unrealistic, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from the author.

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Super fast read. Read in under 24 hours! I enjoyed the pacing of this book as well as the story. The mom’s attitude and reactions didn’t feel believable, but it seemed to be written that way to emphasize the friendships and how important they were. I never understood why she called her small group of friends “the faction” and kept waiting for some sort of explanation. It never came. What happened to her was somewhat predictable but that didn’t detract from the story.

Imagine killing a classmate. Imagine it was self-defense. Now imagine going to trial over it and being accused of his murder. That’s this story in a nutshell, but there’s so much more to it. I can’t say much more without giving things away.... suffice it to say you may or may not be surprised at what comes to light.

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WOW. What a ride.

This story will put you in your feels. There is seriously no other way to put it. You will be so sad and so infuriated and if you don't feel these emotions throughout this, then I'm just gonna go ahead and let you know that your heart is either nonexistent or has transformed into a cold, dark, black lump of coal and you really need to get that checked out.

Right off the bat, I loved that this started out after Seelie is attacked. This kind of leaves readers relying on Seelie's version of what happened, but keeps you feeling like there are still things left to be told (an accurate feeling, i'll add). Though we do get details later throughout the story about what happened in the barn, readers don't have to read the attack taking place, which I felt like was rather appropriate, considering there are no trigger warnings preceding this (there should be).

While the story focuses largely on Seelie's impending doom of prison time and a murder charge, it also spends time on other things, like the people in her life and the relationships she has with them, however weak and flimsy some of them may be. This really helped to make the story feel more realistic to me. While of course being charged with murder when you were merely defending yourself against an attacker would certainly take over anyone's life, a lot of this story has to do with the other things going on in Seelie's life as well.

The character's in this book felt really well planned out and written to me. The relationships between Seelie and her friends are real and raw and I won't spoil this, because it's definitely worth reading, but they go through shit, just like anyone else (albeit the murder charge). Seelie's mother is a rather upsetting character who is just as absent as she is a nuisance, and the fact that she finds Seelie responsible for what happened in the barn shows the reality that not everyone you love will always be on your side. The characters in this really made this story.

Well, them and the plot. Once again, I don't want to ruin anything, but this is a worthwhile read. From the synopsis alone, readers already get the gist of things, but the little details and plot bombs (they really didn't feel like twists, more like random spurts of information) really build what is going on here.

Overall... well let's just say I don't give five stars very often. This is a great story and I can't wait for it to be released so that everyone can have the chance to read it.

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