I found this book difficult to read. I avoid young adult dystopian literature in general. However, I do not believe this book is a traditional dystopian novel. There is a vague mention of an economic breakdown and gangs are in control of certain areas. For the most part the novel is full of guilt, shame and self-loathing, with no closure for the main character (maybe there will be a sequel?). I found the twist at the end to be unusual and ultimately spiritually confusing.

The main character is an impoverished teenager who discovers she is pregnant at the beginning of the story. She is recently employed at an abortion clinic and is already struggling with her part in assisting her grandfather in killing himself. She is also full of self-loathing for having sex with a young man that she thought loved her. She has the abortion because she is too poor to take care of herself or her child. She is a broken shell. There are a number of plot twists that keep the story interesting and the writing is excellent.

The subject matter is a difficult topic and I think the author is brave to address abortion in today’s society. I struggled to get through the book but only because it brought back painful memories of a friend who aborted her child. I think without that personal experience I would have enjoyed the book a little more. If you are interested in the topic, the book is an interesting read. The ending is unique and I do not want to give it away. However, if you have had an abortion I think parts of this book would be horribly triggering.

I received a copy of this book from the author ( Thank you!!) via FlyByBloggers in exchange for a fair and honest review.