With no family to lean on, Nikki is newly 18 and mixed up with Dee. Blinded by love she makes an irreversible mistake and lands in the middle of a homicide investigation. When police start putting pressure on her only friend, Bird, Nikki knows it's time to start talking. Speaking to the police, she doesn't confess the events of August 24th, not exactly. But the police have information that she doesn't know.
It is uncomfortable hearing Nikki beg Dee for attention or to call her because one can remember desperate pleas made in youth. But right there is where McVoy hooks you. Everyone remembers mistakes they made and bad influences they hung around. We all learned a few lessons "the hard way." Luckily, most of us are able to shake these people off and move on. Maybe have a few crazy stories to tell later. But Nikki is in some Real.Deep.Trouble. She realizes "I'd helped him with the entire plot, even if I hadn't known it."
McVoy integrates Atlanta landmarks into the storyline such as Lenox Mall or the "purple" movie theater on Shallowford as well as the numerous QTs. She also applies the southern urban vernacular perfectly. There is no strain or overkill when it is employed. It's as smooth as Duke's mayo. (See what I did there.)
This story will take you out of your comfort zone and into the raw, gritty reality of a girl struggling to become an adult in an environment that considers her disposable. It tells the hard lessons learned in the truth of actions, lies of lovers, and the consequences of both.
** I received an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review **
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