“I would lie awake in the same single bed that I had slept in since I was a child, staring at the blank ceiling, wondering where the stars had gone.”

I sped through this in roughly 48 hours. It managed to suck me in instantly and the emotionally shattering second half had me absolutely enthralled. Readers should certainly be aware of the trigger warnings (including transphobic slurs and mentions of eating disorders); I was also about to cry while reading this which is notable because I’m emotionally numb (✌🏻🤠) and rarely cry when appropriate. I really appreciate the author’s approach of making the protagonist “unlikeable” as it raised considerations about what we expect from victims. I think anyone who really liked My Dark Vanessa would really like Asking For It.