RaveNPRI instantly took to the main character, Paloma. She\'s unlikeable from the start—impatient, frustrated, and entirely disinterested in making a good impression on the reader or anyone else around her. Her simmering anger instantly spoke to me, because it\'s something that many Asian American people can understand: exhaustion from having to play the part of the model minority ... a well-written psychological thriller that kept me hooked from beginning to end (no small feat right now, as my attention span is severely limited, thanks to world events). It\'s also surprisingly funny—Jayatissa has a great sense of humor that serves Paloma well as she slowly reveals her full self to the reader. But the exploration of Paloma\'s identity and character is what really drew me to this book and has me thinking about it long after I turned the final page ... It\'s thoughtful and engaging, but also quite profound. It\'s hard to believe this novel is a debut, but it makes me incredibly excited to see what Jayatissa does next, as she has a bright future ahead of her.
