This book was exhilarating. I was wary going into it because of all the negative reviews, but that just goes to show that you should make the call yourself rather than disregard something because of what others have said. 
 I'm so glad I decided to read this book. 
 This is definitely a psychological thriller that had me enraptured from the beginning. I read it in one sitting, I was that engrossed. I will admit, there was a bit of confusion for me in the middle, trying to figure out everything that was going on that made up all the pieces of this giant puzzle. But the idea behind this story is brilliant and utterly terrifying in the best way possible. The author has woven two separate stories together, one from the perspective of Anouk in modern 2016, and the other from the perspective of Aurelie in in 1789, right in the middle of the French Revolution. The way that these two girls are tied together is really interesting to find out, and I loved how the author was able to transition between the two perspectives from chapter to chapter. It heightened the action and made the story even more chilling. 
 Anouk is definitely a memorable character. I'm not sure if I found her general hatred for people amusing or off-putting, but seeing the horrors through her eyes was an experience. The other characters I thought could have been more dimensional; I didn't connect with them that well. I wasn't able to infer anything about any of them; everything I knew was told to me by the author, and I think some more indirect characterization would have been great, but that by no means took away from the story. 
 THE SETTING. That is where this book had me hooked. An underground palace reminiscent of Versailles? Two words: HELL and YES. Each room was described in lush detail, and the creepy factor of the plot mixed in with this centuries old palace filled with secrets and horrific "people" made this book so memorable. It's dark, it's twisted, and completely insane. I loved it. 
 Don't let the negative reviews steer you away from this book. I am SO glad I didn't. Read it for yourself and form your opinion, but I would go as far to 
 say that as far as the premise and story itself go, this is one of the best books I've read so far this year!!