I have such mixed feelings about this book. It's very well written, but I disagree with it being labeled as a YA book. It makes it hard to rate for me because of that. Still, the book is done well. I was hooked from the beginning. ( )

“You don’t apologize… Not when it comes to the choices made in order to survive.”

I'm not huge on westerns... honestly I think this was the first one that I've really read. I really enjoyed this one because it felt very empowering. The main character is a tough female who is good at doing what it takes to survive. She is quick on her feet and reads people really well. She uses this skill to help her survive. I loved that the book really focused on the independence and autonomy that Theo and Brody had, in a world that was vastly out of control.

It took me a little bit to get into the story but I really enjoyed all the action and plot twists the author threw into the story. I struggled a bit with the way the author would randomly write a past event in like it was a present one. It was done so that the author could showcase an important moment that she had previously left us unaware of, but sometimes it just felt so out of place. The book also throws in some heavy topics of domestic and sexual abuse briefly towards the end that I feel like the story didn't necessarily require. The story would have worked the same without them.

I really loved the focus on resourcefulness and taking control in a world that doesn't typically allow control. I really enjoyed that the main character, the toughest of the bunch honestly, was a female. I think the book did an amazing job of showcasing the ruthlessness of life and the ways people choose to survive and heal. Overall, the book was very positive and enjoyable. ( )