Uncomfortably realistic.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
The blurb
What you see isn't always what you get.
Stevie never meant for things to go this far. When she and Dee--defiant, bold, indestructible Dee--started all this, there was a purpose to their acts of vengeance: to put the bullies of Woepine High School back in their place. And three months ago, Stevie believed they deserved it. Once her best friend turned on her, the rest of the school followed. Stevie was alone and unprotected with a target on her back. Online, it was worse.
It was Dee's idea to get them all back with a few clever pranks, signing each act Love, Heather--an homage to her favorite 80's revenge flick. Despite herself, Stevie can't help getting caught up in the payback, reveling in every minute of suffering. And for a while, it works: it seems the meek have inherited the school.
But when anonymous students begin joining in, punishing perceived slights with increasingly violent ferocity, the line between villain and vigilante begins to blur. As friends turn on each other and the administration scrambles to regain control, it becomes clear: whatever Dee and Stevie started has gained a mind--and teeth--of its own. And when it finally swallows them whole, one will reemerge changed, with a plan for one final, terrifying act of revenge.
The Review
I loved Petrou's previous novel, Sister of Mine and was so excited to read this, her new offering. It's definitely much more of a Young Adult book, and very different to Sister of Mine. What SoM does in a slow burn kinda way, this new book does in a more 'quick punch in the face' method. So yeah, it's less subtle than SoM, but no less impactful.
What Petrou is great at, and I was relieved to see, still maintains in Love, Heather - is how realistically she depicts relationships. Much like the sibling relationship in SoM, in Love, Heather the friendships are so cleverly depicted. It made me anxious to remember similar friendships from my teenage years. How everything could hinge on a look, a misplaced text, a subtle shift in dynamics. How you could just turn around and find yourself ostracized by people you called friends only days before. She is just brilliant at capturing the transient nature of teenage friendships.
I really enjoyed this book and think Petrou is incredibly talented. My one criticism is that the climactic ending comes very quickly, and is over all of a sudden. For a book with so much build up, it just felt like the ending was a tad rushed. There didn't feel like there was time to reflect on how hideously events unfold, as everything is then wrapped up so quickly.
There is something about this book though that is really clever, and when it happens you are left scratching your head - worth it just for that moment alone!
Love, Heather was released on 8th October 2019 by Crooked Lane Books.
Big thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.