If your kid is already deep into the Shatter Me series, they’ve probably already read this or are begging for it. It’s not a standalone story, so don’t bother unless they’ve read book one.

It’s dark, it’s moody, and it’s very 'YA dystopian'—meaning there's a lot of staring into mirrors and thinking about forbidden love. It’s safe for teens, but the psychological intensity and the 'villain-as-protagonist' angle make it a bit much for the middle-school crowd. It’s high-quality angst, not brain rot.