| Love & Romance |
| Physical & Emotional Abuse |
| Social Themes |
| Depression & Mental Illness |
| Juvenile Fiction |
Summary
Summary
The closest he will ever come to happiness is when he's hurting her. Will she let him? A beautiful and twisted story of first love and innocence lost -- written when the author was just eighteen.Sphinxie and Cadence. Promised to each other in childhood. Drawn together again as teens. Sphinxie is sweet, compassionate, and plain. Cadence is brilliant, charismatic. Damaged. And diseased. When they were kids, he scarred her with a knife. Now, as his illness progresses, he becomes increasingly demanding. She wants to be loyal -- but fears for her life. Only the ultimate sacrifice will give this love an ending.
Author Notes
M. Anjelais was eighteen years old when her novel was shortlisted for the LONDON TIMES Children's Fiction Competition. Now twenty, she has postponed college to pursue her career as a writer. She lives at home in Nesco, New Jersey. Follow her on Twitter @Anjelais.
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-The childhood dreams of two women who have been friends since they were little girls have mostly come true. One has a boy named Cadence and the other has a girl named Sphinx. The young mothers planned for their offspring to marry each other, and when brilliant, handsome Cadence and sensitive but plain Sphinxie are teens, the pair seem to be following that path. However, the older Cadence gets, the clearer it becomes that he has serious emotional issues that prevent him from actually connecting with another person. But Sphinxie and all who meet him are drawn to the young man, even when he physically and psychologically threatens and hurts those who love him. This is a suspenseful and well-written exploration of mental illness and how it affects friendships, families, and relationships. The private moments between the two teens will leave readers worried, agitated, and eager to keep reading. This is a story designed to make its audience uncomfortable and question the actions of its characters. For fans of Stephanie Kuehn's Complicit (St. Martin's, 2014).-Sarah Jones, Clinton-Macomb Public Library, MI (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A young woman is inexplicably compelled to stay with her terminally ill childhood best friend during his last days, despite years of estrangement that resulted after he sliced open her cheek with a switchblade.Cadence and Sphinx's relationship was preordained by their mothers, also long-standing best friends, who fantasized as young girls that they would grow up to have children who'd marry as adults. Though Sphinx is drawn to Cadence's intelligence and creativity, she is also increasingly aware that he has a personality disorder. After he cuts Sphinx, he is moved away to England, and it's only when he's diagnosed with leukemia as a teenager that Sphinx and her mother travel to see him again and unbelievably, Sphinx persuades her mother to let her stay. Cadence is frequently described as "shining," but it may be hard for readers to understand his power over Sphinxtheir interactions are notable for his cruel outbursts rather than any charisma. Sphinx is likewise underdeveloped; she seems to exist mainly in reaction to Cadence and routinely dismisses herself: "Empathy, perhaps, was my only talentI never showed very much promise in any other areas."In the end, this sensational and troubling story about a young woman's relationship with a sociopath lacks emotional resonance. (Fiction. 14-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
From the time their mothers were children, they had the plan: they would be blood sisters forever; one would have a son named Cadence, and the other a daughter called Sphinx, who would grow up, marry, and provide their mothers grandchildren. The plan begins to feel shaky when brilliant, unpredictable Cadence, at age seven, slices Sphinx's cheek with a switchblade. Nine years later, Cadence is diagnosed with leukemia, and the pair is reunited, but Cadence's physical and emotional bullying escalates until he demands Sphinx's ultimate sacrifice. Only 18 when she wrote this story, Anjelais has crafted a beautifully written, even poetic narrative of young love destined for tragedy. Her carefully chosen words, her artfully described settings, and Sphinx's intricate, disturbing rationalizations to see Cadence's life to its end belie her years, while the book's drama and angst underscore her youthful perspective. The theme of teens facing life and death invites The Fault in Our Stars (2012) comparisons, but the similarity ends there, with this exploring the damage mental illness exacts from love.--Bradburn, Frances Copyright 2014 Booklist
