Black Iris

This book began with a bang; so to speak and for the first five hours or so it seemed to be destined for a five star rating. Then the highly depressing, hard to empathize with protagonists (more or less) began to become more than a little tiresome. The plot was stretched too thin and the whole structure collapsed. I won't go into the details here. Perhaps if you're a young out of control late teens or early twenties female then it is easy to relate to. Though for your sake as well as that of the citizenry; I hope not.

This novel is one part psychological thriller, one part emotional manipulation, and one part rooting for the villain. This story is dark, told through the eyes of an unreliable narrator, and flips back and forth through time weaving the pieces of the story together for the reader. There are many themes: love, desire, hate, revenge, forgiveness, addiction, hope/hopelessness, acceptance, choices, etc.

Aside from getting lost in the back and forth of time jumps, I found myself fascinated with the story, the characters, and how it was going to end. The writing is impeccable. And I found myself highlighting so many impactful quotes. This is a read that I would highly recommend.

"Strength is not in the body, it’s in the mind. It doesn’t lie in flexing your muscles and crushing those who oppose you. It lies in being the last one standing. By any means. At any cost."