ARC, 376 pagesRelease Date: February 12, 2019Published by: Balzer + Bray
Read from: February 15-17, 2019Stand-aloneSource: Edelweiss (I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss and the Publisher in exchange for a just and honest review. This did nothing to influence my review.)TW: Rape, Assault, Assault MentionFor fans of: Contemporary, Thrillers, Gothic, YA, Diversity, POC MC, Favorite Friendships
ROSES ARE RED, VIOLETS ARE BLUE. IF YOU HURT US, WE’RE COMING FOR YOU.
Moxie meets Female of the Species in this powerful, thrilling, and deeply resonant novel about a secret society of girls who plot revenge on the men who hurt them.
The enigmatic Black Coats have been exacting vengeance on men who have hurt girls and women for years. The killer of Thea's cousin went free, and Thea has just received an invitation to join the Black Coats' balancings—acts of revenge meant to teach a lesson. Justice for Natalie has never felt so close.
But as the balancings escalate in brutality, Thea’s clear-cut mission begins to unravel and she must decide just how far she is willing to go for justice.
Because when the line between justice and revenge is paper thin, it’s hard not to get cut.
*MY THOUGHTS*
I'm going to be honest here and say I almost didn't read this. I read Oakes' debut and let me just tell you, it wasn't my favorite. I added this one to my TBR just because I really liked the cover. I ended up picking it up because I found out it was set in my home state. And the rest is history.
"We're in the business of righting the wrongs done to women."pg. 31
Thea's cousin was the victim of a terrible crime and Thea can't seem to let go of her grief. Soon she gets an invitation to join something called the Black Coats, which is said to teach men a lesson for the wrong doings they do to women. But as Thea carries out the Balancings given by the Black Coats, she quickly realizes that the line between justice and harm is a lot more blurry than she thought.
"Rise women of vengeance.' And rise you will."pg. 58
Just like with her debut, the writing style is the really the only thing that bothered me here. It starts out in much of the same way, 3rd person POV with lots of unnecessary details. But as it went on, it got stronger. The sentences were now only filled with pertinent information and I realized I had stopped rolling my eyes after some things. And by then I was sucked into the story and didn't want to stop.
"Sometimes its a smell or a song or perhaps a memory that shakes its way loose at the worst possible time. You can't predict it, and if you could , you still couldn't control it. Grief is fighting an invisible tidal wave."pg. 83
This story was INTENSE. I have never read anything like this and I'm pretty sure I won't again. I'm amazed that this story came about from a random mixture of things. And I am in awe of the result. There's only a handful of times when I read a book and I'm like I could NEVER write something like this and I'm so thankful there's someone out there that can. Because I get to read it lol
"[...] That is very black or white." "Justice must be; otherwise, it becomes impossible."pg. 109
As for the characters, I LOVED Thea and her team. They completed each other and they were there for each other. I have to admit, at some times I was reminded of me and my sorority sisters. Their bond was so real and it was so nice to see them helping each other and then seeing what they can all bring to the organization.
"Yes, we're all whores when we call you out on your bad behavior."pg. 147
I was not expecting to love this like I did. I guess that goes to show me, don't use your past reading experiences to judge what you want to read now. You may miss out on something good. I'm glad I didn't miss out on this. I'm still trying to figure out why more people aren't talking about it! This book is definitely something that all need to read. Right now its more relevant than ever and needs to be talked about.
Overall, I give this
