We have all sinned; now its time to unravel the secrets within. As the new girl at school Sofia befriends two girls, Brooklyn and Riley who play on two different ends of a holy spectrum only to find out that they are one in the same. In the novel Merciless by Danielle Vega, we get to see a new perspective on Mean Girls, a more deadly and lethal perspective that involves murder, suicide, alcohol, drugs, and religion of sorts. This story is not for the frail at heart; it is gruesome and shows a side of high school that I hope no one will have to endure.
Sofia is always the new girl due to her mom’s work in the military; their family is constantly moved from city to city. New school, new friends, new first day of school outfit every single time. Of course, some schools are better than others; while this one isn’t about being better or worse, it is just about sticking it out without falling into the wrong crowd that chooses to do exorcisms rather than drinking and partying all in the name of god. The girls Sofia gets involved with throw her into some really odd rituals that she feels uncomfortable about. Things only get worse when Brooklyn, a girl Riley thinks plays for the devil and Sofia thinks is borderline crazy and cool, is suggested to have sinned too much and is forcefully taken by Sofia and her gang of friends.
While all this chaos about hurting Brooklyn until she admits her sins is a fun game for Riley; Sofia is sick to her stomach, but as she is locked in she can’t do anything except try to help Brooklyn escape which only puts Sofia into more trouble than she could have ever imagined. This story is about escaping a locked house with girls who have more secrets than anyone could conjure up and are not afraid to beat and torture each other until all the truths are revealed.
As we get closer to the ending of this story, we realize that Sofia is not safe from either Riley or Brooklyn, since she has her own inner demons she needs to gain control over. Sofia never murdered anyone but some secrets are just as bad especially the ones that are hidden away, locked up, and only replayed every night before bed. Everyone has sinned; it’s about the consequences you endure after you have sinned that teach you from good and bad even though those lines are extremely blurred in this novel.
Rating: 6.5/10
Source: Netgalley
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