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This dual POV novel follows Sarah in her teens and in her 40s. At first, present-day Sarah comes across as confident and put-together, but as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that she is deeply insecure and clinging to the past. Meanwhile, teen Sarah is incredibly well-written—her perspective feels like reading a real teenage diary. However, she is also quite deluded, and those delusions set her on an unstable path in life.

One of the book’s most thought-provoking themes is how some people use sex as a coping mechanism, reducing their bodies to mere “machines�� for pleasure. It’s an intriguing and sometimes unsettling exploration of self-worth and trauma.

I wish Juliette had been more present throughout the story, as I was invested in her character and would have liked to see where her journey led. The build-up to Sarah’s teacher storyline kept me turning the pages, but I found the plot twists in the present-day sections underwhelming. The pacing also had some issues—some chapters were unnecessarily long, which made it difficult to stay engaged at times. However, once I reached about 40%, I really started enjoying the book.

Unfortunately, the ending fell flat for me. I was hoping for a different reveal regarding the band member, which left me feeling a bit disappointed.

Overall, this was a nice, easy read with engaging themes, but it had some flaws that held it back. A solid 3-star read.