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Love hurts... but should it hurt this much? Reeling from her mum's sudden departure, Anna finds the comfort she needs in her blossoming relationship with Will. He's handsome and loving, everything Anna has always dreamed of. He's also moody and unpredictable, pushing her away from her friends and her music.
He wants her to be his and his alone. He wants her to be perfect. Anna's world is closing in. But threatening everything is a dark secret that not even Will can control.
An exploration of love at its most powerful, addictive and destructive.
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Review by: shellcruise (Shelley)
Dated: 23rd of September, 2016
Personally I think this book needs to made compulsory reading for every teenage girl. It is fantastically written and shows just how easy it is to fall victim to abuse and how how the female can feel like it is completely her fault and that she deserved it. How the best looking guy in the school can make you feel weak and pathetic and that all you need is his love to survive and no one or nothing else matters. How if he gets mad it is all your fault and that you need to start considering his feelings more. It is a mind twister. You know your reading a good book when sleep doesn't matter and time just escapes you.
The story is primarily told from Anna's point of view and as she is having trouble at home, she thrives on the attention that Will showers on her. How slowly he manipulates her into the girl he wants from the way she wears her hair down to who she can speak to and when. Finally it all comes crushing down around her and she realises that this is not real love.
At first I was a tad confused by the diary entries at the end of the chapters. I thought it could be song lyrics but then I realised that it had been written by Will. Then the mystery deepend as I tried to figure out who is was writing too. I found that I could not wait for the next chapter to finish as a little more was revealed. It became obvious it was either to a brother or his father and thru elimination the answers are revealed. Then, the mystery changed to was he dead or still alive.
I found I flew thru the chapters dying to see what would happen next. The writing is nice and simple and definitely aimed at the younger audience. It is told in such a way that leaves you questioning things and although you can see things are not right, you still want everything to work out for them. Definitely a book I will be giving to my daughters to read. It is fascinating to see how easy it is to change someone with those three little words as they can change everything. You never knew what he was capable of and how far she would let him push her. Love really can be dangerous. A compelling read.
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