Blythe and Fox hit it off with what seems to be a fairy tale of a relationship. They are swiftly married and welcome their baby girl, Violet, into their new family of three. Blythe so desperately wants to be a better mom to her newborn than her mother or grandmother were before her. So why is it so hard? Fox has taken up the role of perfect dad while Blythe seems to be floundering. Is it her fault completely? Or is something wrong with Violet.

I haven't been able to get this novel out of my head since I finished. This was a super fast read that kept me sucked in until the end. Audrain's writing style lets the reader dig into every nook and cranny of Blythe's mind and even then, I was unsure if she was the problem or if there were other forces at play. The events that occurred that made Blythe question her daughter's sociopathic tendencies were timed perfectly, not too much happening and not too little, leaving just enough wiggle room for Blythe to question her own beliefs. Fox was infuriating. His refusal to even entertain his wife and the coolness he showed her, eventually turning into full blown disrespect and indifference was super depressing to watch unfold within the chapters. My heart ached for Blythe during these times, and the evident undermining of Blythe to Violet was so toxic it made my head spin. The ending of the book couldn't have been better, I am obsessed with the ~closure but AH AH AH not too much closure~ that was provided in the conclusion. Story lines that involve children being psychopaths are truly terrifying to me, and Audrain executed this perfectly. Big recommend.