This book was trending toward a solid 4 stars until slowly throughout the second half, right up to the ending, I was having so many visceral reactions to the content that I couldn’t NOT give it a 4.5 rounded up to 5.

This was messed up. Like jaw dropped “I can’t believe that just happened” kind of messed up. I was gasping. I had a look of disgust on my face so often that my husband asked me if I was okay… obviously I was (not).

It was a religious orphanage wrought with demonic evil. But it became a story of resilience for the young boys surviving the night against such evil. And wow the depth of this was so insane.

Spoiler free list of the scenes that had me SHOOK:
- Basil
- The horses
- Johnson vs the hole
- Johnson vs the sack
- Jonathan in the dorm room with the cross
- THE ENDING