Welcome to Litsy!

This book is told in two POV: Sparrow, a teenage ballet dancer and Lucas, her friend and dance partner. Sparrow enters a toxic relationship with Tristan, a good looking, popular, high school athlete. It becomes apparent to Sparrow's friends that Tristan is abusive. Tristan brutally assaults Sparrow when she tries to break up. This book addresses the important issue of abuse in teenage relationships. It was a difficult but very important read.

Four stars!

Oh Lord, where to even begin with this? There are parts that are so repetitive and mundane and then there are parts that have made me literally bawl my eyes out. I‘ll weigh in again when I‘ve finished. #releaseday #arc #sparrow

I had really high hopes for this book, but it fell short.

It's obvious this is a debut author. While the plot is good, the time jumps are a bit jarring, and the occasional flowery language doesn't fit with the rest of the text. My two big complaints are that everyone has at least two nicknames... and the fact that the dialog feels very stiff, and as though an older person is writing what they think hip kid sound like. It also needed more ballet.

The idea behind the story is a good one, but the execution is poorly done. Sparrow's character is a Mary-Sue with a billion nicknames, the abuse never feels that bad because it's mostly off screen, as is most of the story that would actually invest the reader into the character's lives. The switch in POV to Sparrow's friend zoned dance partner is both jarring and unnecessary. The cover is lovely, and I'm sure the author will get better in time.

This book is excellent. It is heartbreaking and poetic and beautifully written. It is a story about abuse and loss and how to find yourself again when you have suffered greatly. I loved the altering points of view in this book and the two strong main characters who show the pain of growing up through tragedy and heartbreak. This book is a must read. Trigger warnings for abuse and loss for anyone that may have trouble with these themes.