It’s a bit strange to call a story as dark as this one good, but it is. Samantha Kolesnik takes on an examination of abuse and the breaking of the human spirit in gorgeous form, writing both with and of a stripped-down brutality that constantly shocks. Even despite that, I found myself wishing for the protagonists’ redemption, for an end to the abuse and pain both of them suffer from. It’s a difficult novel in that regard, but a rewarding one, as Kolesnik never takes the easy road or lets up on the message that there are monsters, and monsters who came before them. Truly a terrific book, and narrated well to boot.