Willa’s story begins like an ideal family.   With a blended family from two separate economical situations, her stepfather Jack and his ex-wife seemed to want to ‘do what’s best for the girls’ – the ‘girls’ being Willa’s two stepsisters. Willa, the main character, slowly explains the real story.

Willa lives with her mother, stepfather, and two stepsisters. Always feeling left out, Willa cuts herself to relieve the stress she feels in her home. Willa’s mother has worked hard to give her a good family life, but her past comes back to haunt her. Willa’s biological father murders his current wife and their children and is coming for Willa, but he is caught and killed by the police. The horrible deaths of her family shakes Willa’s world and she is not sure who she is anymore.  With this the family explodes going separate ways.

Willa goes in search of herself when she travels to Texas to attend the funeral of her sisters and there she meets her brother.  During this story Willa learns heartache and truths about her family.  She learns to be thankful for what she has but also how to stand up for what she needs.  The story ended in a good place and made the reader feel like Willa would go on to be a well-rounded person because of her experiences.  It made me think it could be real.

– review by Jodie T.