omg i am in awe at how much i loved this book!

it touched on deep topics while blending in flawed but endearing characters trying to forge new relationships. there was an interesting parallel between mika stepping into her daughters life and helping her get her life together at 16 while she was also trying to get her own shit together. and i actually believed the closeness that mika and her daughter’s father, thomas, form. i was scared it would get cringey but i loved their chemistry. they understood what each other was going through in a way no one else in their lives could understand. i also adored mika as a character - flawed, but she owned that shit! she wasn’t afraid to admit her faults and apologize when she was in the wrong. we love a self-aware queen.

i loved that this focused on getting through the different directions life takes you in a messy way and appreciated that it ended realistically!! there wasn’t a cliche happy ending with mika’s life being put back together perfectly or with mika undergoing this huge transformation and suddenly having everything figured out. instead, it just depicted the way mika pivots certain aspects of her life in the direction she finds it taking her and beginning a new journey. loved loved loved this!