How Crap. Leverage opened with such a graphic bang that honestly, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue reading. But the main character, Beth, kept me flipping the pages. I wanted so badly to see how she was going to overcome her situation… only to find that her life gets twisted up in so many knots it was impossible to see what was going to come next.

The characters are believably disturbed. I picked this book up in the morning and I couldn’t stop reading all day, each turn of events creeping me out and drawing me in.

The use of animals (rats in a cage, hungry snakes) was a brilliant way to mirror the characters’ relationships with each other. I also loved the two houses that were in the story. Labeling the one as the “big house” was a brilliant way to describe it – both as its size and its function.

I love that the backstory was dripped in between lies and truths and a little bit of investigation of a secondary character. And while I was rooting for one ending, the way the author chose to write it was impactful enough to stick with me for a long time.

I will absolutely be reading more from Ms Black as her writing has left a lasting impression!