As a person who does my best to avoid all hype wherever possible, I did a good job with this book in that I had no idea what it was about before I started reading it. It's about racism, classism, LGBTQIA+ issues, domestic violence... big stuff. But to be honest I felt like it never really went anywhere. It didn't really explore any of the issues, any of the motivations behind the characters actions. It felt to me a bit hesitant, a bit scared. I found myself disliking a lot of the characters especially Stella. I know she was traumatised from her past. I know the village she grew up in was weird and super racist and all kinds of messed up but she just abandoned her family to run off with a man and never really showed any remorse for doing it.

I wasn't bored during this book but I felt unsatisfied and I don't think I would hurry to read more by this writer.