I have conflicted feelings about this book. I understand why it became a global phenomenon. It’s an easy-to-read thriller with some twists that can be compelling to a broad audience. It reminds me a lot of Wattpad thrillers from a decade ago, and I don’t mean that as a bad thing—I think there was some great storytelling there. It’s just a little messier, maybe less planned, like it was written from start to finish without much preparation for what was going to happen. I’m more used to other kinds of literature, but this feels closer to TV or movie writing (I have high hopes for the adaptation, although I haven’t seen it yet), which can be more appealing to an audience less used to reading, and that’s a fantastic thing. There’s a big turn about halfway through the story, with a change in perspective that I liked a lot. It’s a breath of fresh air in a story that was starting to feel a little monotonous, and from that point on, the second half is much better. The ending is packed with deus ex machina moments to reach a “happy” ending. I don’t think it’s a bad ending—a good plot twist is nothing more than a well-prepared deus ex machina—but I think it’s a little too convenient. That said, I enjoyed the book. I devoured it in two days and couldn’t stop, even when I noticed aspects that I didn’t think were that well executed. The plot really is that addictive.