Best book I've read this year so far. I have a feeling this one is going to be really hard to top. 
 This book was very haeartbreaking and emotional but it really opened my eyes to the issues of child neglect. The main character Mallory is a victim of child abuse from her foster home. And she discovered that whenever she made a sound, that's when the beatings would happen. So as she grew older, she kept quiet, convinced that speaking would bring harm to her as she went through PTSD. And then when she decides to enter public school her senior year, she reunites with Rider, a boy who shared the same foster home with her and acted as her protecter. As heart wrenching as the plot was, I loved it so much. Every single page made me feel things whether the main plot was being followed or a subplot. 
 Mallory is the most relatable character I've ever come across. I feel like Jennifer L Armentrout took me and put me into this character. Her timid and shy nature really made me see myself in her as I also struggle with opening up to people and finding my voice. Even though Mallory stays quiet for different reasons, I still related to her in every way. Her character development was beautiful as she was eventually able to find her voice and change in a way that brought her joy. I admired that she took herself out of her comfort zone as she didn't want to hide forever. 
 Rider was easily lovable. I liked how he was very protective of Mallory but also gave her space. With this kind of character personality, it'd be easy for him to be overbearing and more controlling than protective and I was glad he rather respected Mallory to make her decisions but was also there if she was in trouble. Rider had more problems than Mallory had, to my surprise. And he found it hard to get over the issues from his past. It was beautiful to see him overcome his fears eventually and Mallory really helped him through that. He was an easy character to get emotionally invested in. My only teeny problem is that I wished we could have had a scene where he had a breakdown and see the more really emotional side to him. 
 One of the best romances ever. And friendship as well. I really truly believed in Mallory and Rider's bond and it felt so real. There's something about best friend to lovers relationships that just really touch me. Especially after they had reunited. It was just an easy romance to swoon over. I love how Mallory started to realize her feelings for Rider when she had never fallen in love before. This book really clearly showed what falling in love is like and I loved that. It really made me want to fall in love, being the hopeless romantic that I am lol. 
 Mallory's relationship with her current foster parents was beautiful. Her parents were so respectful of her and understood her past and her completely. It just goes to show that even parents who don't have a biological child can still love an adopted child and claim them as their own. 
 I've seen a lot of negativity surrounding the writing in this book but I actually really liked it. It was perfect for bringing out the emotion in the story. Yes, some of it was repetitive but I looked past that. 
 Easy 5 stars. This book definitely changed my life. I cried after finishing it because I loved the theme that everyone deserves to be wanted and loved. No one deserves neglect and abuse. And I love how Mallory and Rider overcame their past and moved on. I'll never forget their story.