First and foremost, the cover of this novel is beautiful. The clever use of colour symbolised for me the discrepancy between how Ashleigh feels, and how she believes she is meant to feel.
I can’t say whether this is a realistic exploration of coming to terms with your sexuality, but it was certainly a sensitive exploration of a character experiencing an awful lot of turmoil.
Ashleigh was not, initially, a character I felt much empathy with, She was, as her friend points out, incredibly self-centred and I could not believe just how casually she got into the relationship with Dylan. Her refusal to engage with her parents was, however, pretty realistically portrayed.
As the novel progressed I was interested to see how the writer used the characters around Ashleigh to help chart her development. I personally felt a little uncomfortable initially with the focus on the relationship between the teacher and Ashleigh, but there is no hint of anything other than compassion and understanding on Miss Murray’s part.
Thanks to NetGalley for the digital copy of the novel.