I was sucked in by Amber, disgusted but intrigued. I wanted to see if she could pull it off, if this completely unsympathetic character could win in the end. Amber is a hard woman that uses people to her own ends, with hints at a dark past that she is running from. Not something that was done to her, but something she did to other innocent people. You desperately want her to fail, but continue to be interested as she pushes past obstacles. Part II switches to the perspective of Daphne, and what you have started to suspect about her perfect life is confirmed, but more tragically than you could ever have imagined. You begin to change your thinking about everything that came before, and how you want this book to end. Daphne is a very sympathetic character. A woman who lost her sister at a young ago to cystic fibrosis, and then lost her father to heart failure. Her back story is tragic. She may be rich, but she started life in the middle class, with a philanthropic heart. She met her husband, Jackson, while working for the charity Save the Children. She was swept off her feet, and he quickly cemented his place in her life by saving her father. He also helped Daphne to fund and create Julie's Smile, an organization, named after her sister, which helps people diagnosed with CF and their families. Daphne is trusting and easily manipulated, she tries her hardest to save others and that is what leads to the life she is now living. However, she is also smart and resourceful, she uses her advantages and secret knowledge to gain the upper hand. I love this character. I rooted for her the whole book, for her to make sure those who deserved punishment received it in full force. Part III was a back and forth between Amber and Daphne. These chapters doled out the conclusions to both their stories, both endings being equally satisfying. A well crafted book, with unique perspectives, a scary dynamic of psychopaths, and an ending that is gripping. A lot of the book I felt horror and disgust swirling in the put of my stomach, thinking 'there are people in this world that are probably just like these awful characters.' I cringed. This book also illuminates that sometimes what may seem like the perfect life is anything but, that being rich does not exclude one from the horrors of the world. Often times, wealth helps to mask terrible situations. As Daphne wonders near the end of the novel, what secrets are hidden behind the pristine doors of the sweeping mansions she passes.
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