rio is a genius and that’s not because i was so convinced by this novella. actually, i thought the novella was okay. a good piece of literature.

it was interesting to observe and follow these strange, quizzical and unpredictable characters through a spooky and hallucinogenic night. i liked the apocalyptic vibe, and the whole concept and revelation were chilling and took me by surprise no doubt.
this story definitely has the feeling of something groundbreaking and new; something you’d find in area 51 maybe. 
but it wasn’t quite for me. i’m not a huge fan of spooky things, nor am i incredibly keen on mysteries.

and still i think that rio is a genius. because reading that essay at the end of the book was like looking in a distorted mirror. i saw in it something of myself, though not quite. the fabric of my soul put into incredibly eloquent and thoughtful prose. sentences that were so beautiful, they made me smile.
it reminds me so distinctly of If We Were Villains and how much i loved it because it reminded me so passionately and violently of why i love words and language and literature and writing so much.

m. l. rio’s got a voice that appeals to me on such a profound level, because it captures the essence of my sense of self like no other author has done before. 
she captures in words what i failed to communicate all my life.

I really enjoyed M.L. Rio’s ability to write such strong character. I honestly wish there was more of an ending because the first few chapters were really strong but almost as soon as

Kinnan was interrogated by Hannah

the plot just sort of… Ended?
There didn’t feel like there was a satisfying conclusion to the story but overall as a Novella I loved it.

Finally a Novella I actually loved! I feel like Novellas struggle in the story development and character development department, but this one did not at all. 

The characters were all flawed with issues and it made them all interesting and relatable. I felt like they were actually real people that would all meet in a graveyard to have their nightly smoke. The plot was wild enough but easily believed with only 100 pages of plot and explanation. 

The end!! I love how everyone wrapped up except Edie. I also loved the little cliffhanger with Hannah. I would have loved it longer, but it was really good as short as it is.