Reviewed by: Lily
Olivia has spent her whole life struggling to escape her dead mother’s shadow. But when her father can’t even look at her because Olivia reminds him of her mother, and her grandmother mistakenly calls her “Lillian,” shaking a reputation she didn’t ask for is next to impossible. Olivia is used to leaning on her best friend, Jamie; her handsome but hot-tempered boyfriend, Max; and their wild-child friend, Maggie, for the reality check that her small Louisiana town can’t provide. But when a terrible fight between Jamie and his father turns deadly, all Olivia can think to do is grab her friends and run.
In a flash, Olivia, Jamie, Max, and Maggie become fugitives on the back roads of Louisiana. They’re headed to New Orleans, where they hope to find a solution to an unfixable problem. But with their faces displayed on all the news stations, their journey becomes a harrowing game of hide-and-seek from the police—and so-called allies, who just might be the real enemy.
Shalanda Stanley’s breathtaking debut novel explores the deep ties between legacy, loyalty, and love, even as it asks the question: How far would you go to save a friend?
Damn. This novel (by Shalanda Stanley) was compelling, page-turning, breathtakingly written and to be honest, sad. Everything moves so quickly, and you can feel the character’s confusion and panic as things quickly get more and more out of control. They are kids, teenagers, but everything is falling apart as they try to save each other.
Also, how wonderful is to see strong platonic girl-boy friendships? Despite the fact that this is everyday in real life, it is hardly represented in books/television/etc. It’s really refreshing and the friendship between Olivia and Jamie was beautifully written. The other two main characters, their friend Maggie and Olivia’s boyfriend Max were strong, fully formed characters. The four of them interacted realistically and those interactions furthered the plot. And family wasn’t forgotten either, something else that is often absent in YA novels.
The novel had an almost….otherworld feel. It was firmly set in our world, but the storytelling style and theme of Olivia constantly confused with her passed mother and the details of the town, St. Francisville, made it seem like a story being told by someone long ago, in a Shakespeare play, or folklore tale. A great deal of these can be attributed to Stanley’s writing style.
Feminism Rating: 9/10 – all female characters are strong and fully formed. The absent/tragic mother trope is a little old, but Stanley spun in a new, interesting way. Also, the main female character had a platonic relationship with a boy–again, this is incredibly rare in novels. There wasn’t any mention of POC or LGBTQ characters, which has lowered its overall feminism score (to get a full one, a book needs to be intersectional).
Triggers (highlight to see as they contain vague spoilers): Drug abuse by parent, tense situations, death of side character, slightly suicidal thoughts, big emphasis on suicide of MC’s mother.
Notable Quotes:
“I learned while you were talking.” He studied my palms. “Your scars cross over the lines in your hands, like you have two lives… One to mess up and one to get right.”
“If I had my way, Jamie could have gone to sleep somewhere in the corners of his mind, and I’d wear his body like a suit.”
Sisterlution 