I mostly loved this, honestly. I loved the voice and the characters, the tension about a something that haunts the town and believes driving kids to their deaths is a way of saving them for their own good.
So why the 1 star off? Because there were several instances in which Isa and Mason were confronted by adults in power who were trying to force them to comply to their way of life. Comply in the sense that the "angel" choosing certain kids meant they were expendable if it kept the rest of them in line.
But why? How much did they know about the creature that their ruling family ended up creating in their quest for expanding their power and reach in the mountains? How could they turn a blind eye and make up a lie like an "angel" that went after these children and made them hurt themselves or worse? How did the parents that lost kids keep in line with the town when their kids suffered such horrible fates?
Isa and Mason had run-ins with the ruling family of the town, the pastor of the church, and the chief of police, all of which demonstrated some understanding of what was going after them. Every time they said something like Isa and Mason weren't as much of an adult than they believed they were, it came off as a threat because the "angel" only went after anyone younger than what? Early 20s? Because Trish was also driven to hurt herself. And how does that tie in with the plot?
I loved the story. I feel like the "adults" should have forgotten what terrorized their town unless they'd personally suffered like Isa's Mom had. Adults ignoring and hiding the truth does not fit without more information to link them in about how they helped spread the lie and how it helped them personally. At this point, I guess it's just because, as I finished the book in 2 days and I have all these questions still about why they went along with it. Survival of the fittest?
Maybe they should have been left out completely, it would not have taken anything away from Isa and Mason and Otto and Trish as they worked hard to save the kids of their town. It had a bittersweet quality, watching them confront their pain and their past while trying to save themselves and each other.
Put me down for Wen-yi Lee's next book. I bought this one after reading it from the library first. I'm ready for more dark, tragic kids and their ghosts.
Rating: 8.5 Stars
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