I was intrigued by the synopsis and eager to dive into this book. The concept of following a woman in the 1600s, navigating harrowing experiences while engaging in a taboo relationship, had me hooked. However, the writing style—primarily composed of sentence fragments—made it difficult for me to fully connect with Ellis as a character. I’m unsure if this was a deliberate choice by Bruzas, but it left me feeling detached. The collapse of the colony and the desperate measures taken were compelling, yet the focus seemed more on a stifled love story than fully exploring these fascinating themes. That said, if you enjoy this style of writing and are curious about the struggles faced by early colonists, this book could be a good starting point.

*Thank you to Alena Bruzas, PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Rocky Pond Books and Netgalley for the ARC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.