Black Iris

by Leah Raeder, Elliot Wake

The next dark and sexy romantic suspense novel from the USA Today bestselling author of Unteachable.

It only took one moment of weakness for Laney Keating’s world to fall apart. One stupid gesture for a hopeless crush. Then the rumors began. Slut, they called her. Queer. Psycho. Mentally ill, messed up, so messed up even her own mother decided she wasn't worth sticking around for.

If Laney could erase that whole year, she would. College is her chance to start with a clean slate.

She's not looking for new friends, but they find her: charming, handsome Armin, the only guy patient enough to work through her thorny defenses—and fiery, filterless Blythe, the bad girl and partner in crime who has thorns of her own.

But Laney knows nothing good ever lasts. When a ghost from her past resurfaces—the bully who broke her down completely—she decides it's time to live up to her own legend. And Armin and Blythe are going to help.

Which was the plan all along.

Because the rumors are true. Every single one. And Laney is going to show them just how true.

She's going to show them all.

Genres: Romance, New Adult, Contemporary, LGBT, Queer, Lesbian, Thriller

371 pages, Paperback

First published April 28, 2015

About the author

LEAH RAEDER is a writer and unabashed nerd. Aside from reading her brains out, she enjoys graphic design, video games, fine whiskey, and the art of self-deprecation. She lives with her very own manic pixie dream boy in Chicago.

(And she still writes pretentiously lyrical fiction.)

Reviews

[Emily May · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two girls, cherry-mouthed, glitter-lashed, our skin luminous with moonlight and sweat, making out beneath pennants that still shivered with the afternoon’s boy bravado.
If only you bastards could see me now.

You want to know the bad thing about this book? I must have spent hours trying to single out the quotes I wanted to use from all this BLOODY PERFECT writing. It's like Leah Raeder thinks about every single word - simultaneously telling a story AND writing poetry. It's after books like this that my words seem inadequate, but I have to review this somehow... I'll try my best to do it justice.

For a start, this book is nothing like Unteachable; in fact, it's just a completely different animal. The pretty writing style is still there, but this book is much darker, more painful and more, um... important, I guess. It's nasty and there are no heroes and villains, just some majorly screwed up, complex and way too relatable characters.

I have gone on and on about the author's writing in my review of Unteachable and in the little pre-review I wrote for this book, but I have to reiterate again that her books are nothing short of intoxicating. That's the perfect word for it. You close the book after the last page and it's like coming down from some kind of crazy high/blood rush. So I have to take that feeling and try to sum up in a few mediocre sentences what is so amazing about Black Iris.

Atmospheric. That was a word I used for her first novel and I'm going to bring it up again. Though this book spans many months (in non-linear form), I especially love the way Leah Raeder captures that late summer feeling: it's still warm, not quite as bright, the days are fading into darkness earlier and the happy memories of summer are behind you. It's my favourite time of year but it also carries something melancholy about it. In Unteachable, I thought this was shown perfectly in the heady descriptions of the carnival. In Black Iris, summer becomes even more of a metaphor. Laney tells us:

The whole summer was inside of us.

And then later:

Leaves drifted from a tree. Everything was coming undone, tearing itself into little piles of red and gold. The slow disintegration of summer. The slow disintegration of my body as she pushed my legs apart, exhaled against me. I closed my eyes.

This book turned out to be a lot of things I wasn't expecting. It's a suspense novel that looks at the dark depths of the human mind; it's also a contemporary that explores mental illness, intense female friendhsips, being gay, and not quite being able to fit yourself under any sexual label; and it's also a love story, woven with references to poets and philosophers. There was never a dull moment.

As with Maise in Unteachable, Ms Raeder has crafted yet another unconventional (HELL YEAH) narrator who takes drugs, sleeps around, is easy to dislike at times, and still earned my sympathy. I like it when the heroine is a bit of a villain. I wonder what that says about me.

Girls get under each other’s skin. We get too close, too attached, too crazy, and then we can’t let go. Our claws sink too deep. When we separate, we tear each other apart.

I think it's fascinating the way the lines between friendship and love are blurred in Black Iris. When I was growing up, the few female friendships I had tended to be intense. I think a lot of girls experience this, especially as teenagers. We're very touchy-feely, we trust each other with our secrets and desires and it's like hell has been unleashed on earth when we fall out. It was interesting, exciting and captivating to watch the relationship dynamic between Laney and Blythe. And I think I was a little bit in love with the latter too.

I haven't said too much about the plot because you can read what the blurb tells you and I want to avoid spoilers. Also, I'm starting to realise that LR's books are the kind that you remember most because of the way they made you feel, so I will just say that this book made me feel sad, angry, worried, excited, breathless, intrigued and thankful. Thankful that there are NA writers like Leah Raeder.

I never wanted to be saved. I wanted someone to follow me down into the darkness.

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....................................

Disclaimer: I didn't have a damn clue while reading this book or typing the above review that I had been mentioned in the acknowledgements so it did not affect my rating. But... OH MY GOD, LEAH, I LOVE YOU. Kept that one quiet, didn't you, you sexy minx.

____________________________________
Pre-review

Reason #8,572,231 why I need Leah Raeder's new book: http://www.leahraeder.com/2014/02/15/...


Here's a gif to give you some idea what Leah's writing does to me:

[Navessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gather the above words close to your heart and hold them tightly, for this is not a story about redemption or growth. This is not about forgiveness.

Only vengeance.

This book is dark, guttural. It speaks to that side of yourself you keep hidden from the rest of the world. That reptilian part of your brain that never evolved past fuck, kill, conquer. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Take away our modern conveniences and we’re nothing but savages slaughtering each other in the primordial swamp.

Laney Keating, our anti-hero, is the embodiment of that. She’s what happens when you back someone into a corner and strip them of everything that connects them to the rest of humanity.

In the very first pages you witness her world crumble around her, and the resulting downward spiral can only be described as spectacular. Then one night she meets a pair of charismatic strangers. They make her feel alive, electric. You begin to see glimpses of comprehension through her drug-muddled mind, sparks of personality returning to drive away the shadows. Perhaps there’s hope for redemption after all. Perhaps these newfound friends will save her from herself.

You fool. You utter fool. You know nothing. She’s not the one who needs saving.

You see, this book is one hell of a mindfuck. Told through the delicate interleaving of past and present, you’re given mere glimpses into moments, witnessing just enough to keep you questioning everything and everyone.

Reading this was like being caught up in a fever dream. The lyrical prose and heavy-hitting imagery combined to weave a tale of love and betrayal that stole my breath away and left me hungry for more. The moment I set it down, I wanted to pick it up and start all over again.

In case it isn’t perfectly clear, I fucking loved this book. I know the year just started, but I'll be shocked if something comes along that bumps this from being my Favorite Book of 2015. If you’re a fan of beautiful writing, flawless characterization and intricate plot twists that you’ll never see coming, I suggest you move this to the top of your “To Read” list.

Oh yeah, and there are girls kissing each other in here too. Get the fuck over it.

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[Elle (ellexamines on TT & Substack) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Why did you marry [Mom]?" I asked suddenly.
"I loved her fire," he said from far away. "I didn't know I would burn."

It has been a month since I read this book and I still have no freaking clue what to say about this. There is something very deeply twisted about this book, and Elliot Wake owns it.

Black Iris follows Laney, a revenge-focused college freshman, and her two newest friends, Blythe and Armin. All three of them are terrible people and all three of them know it and all three of them are sort of in love with each other. But little do they know [dramatic intro] that Laney is about to involve them in her revenge plot.

Listen, with a summary like that, I think this book could have really easily been kind of overdramatic and forgettable. But it is so not. The reasons are as follows: Elliot Wake’s writing is so freaking amazing, and more importantly, this book feels so real . This whole book is so incredibly engaging, so hard to get out of your head. You never feel like you can trust Laney, the narrator, or Blythe, or anyone else. They’re all unreliable and they’re all doing their best. Better yet, this whole book is kind of a mindfuck.

I never wanted to be saved. I wanted someone to follow me down into the darkness.

And then… there’s this kind of twisted and somehow-still-my-favorite-ever romance. Blythe and Laney have this super angsty dynamic that I… love. And maybe that will make a nice segue into the topic of the amazing fucking rep. This story is one about outing, and homophobia, and so many other topics, and it is genuinely done as close to perfect as can be. I honestly don't know what more I can say about it without spoilers, but watching Laney's journey was so compelling and perfect.

The other thing about this book that I find really really brilliant is it occasionally doesn’t take itself too seriously and breaks the fourth wall to lowkey make fun of romance tropes. It gives the whole book this meta feel, as if you’re maybe not even reading the correct story. And better yet, there's a story hidden beneath this.

In a typical college romance novel, he'd be a gorgeous but troubled sex god who'd cure all my deep-seated psych issues with a good hard fuck. I'd smell his misogyny and abusive tendencies from miles off but my brain would turn to hormone soup because abs. That's the formula. Broken girl + bad boy = sexual healing. All you need to fix that tragic past is a six-pack. More problems? Add abs.


It's Magic Dick Lit.

[THIS SOUNDS LIKE DRUNK ME.] Or there’s this iconic tidbit of true literature:

I was staring at that rose-lipped mouth, then up at his eyes, a clear reddish-brown like carnelian, speckled with tiny flaws of amber and copper where the light caught.

Fuck. They're brown. His eyes are fucking brown, okay? Stop being a terrible writer, Laney.

Listen, all funny quotes aside, this book is really twisted, and I want to make that clear that y’all should be fully prepared to read this. Trigger warnings for sexual assault, bipolar, suicide, a lot of drug use, homophobic bullying, outing, and other things I’m probably forgetting. But I think this was so worth reading. This book gives off total Elle vibes and I love it.

And also, this is the wildest fucking ending. Like, you know, this whole book, that some shit has to go down, but the actual twist is AMAZING. I am in shock over the sheer power of this twist and what it means for the themes of the novel. God bless.

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[Leah]

Update: April 28, 2015

It's live! And I wrote a kinda personal blog post about it: Happy book birthday, Black Iris.

I'm feeling all sorts of weird things right now, but the main one is: gratitude. Thanks for letting me publish a dark, fucked up, queer-ass book, Atria. And thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed it.

It only gets gayer from here, kids. <3









I'm giving away a bunch of signed copies and other goodies on social media. Follow me for a chance to snag something purple and pretty:

• Twitter
• Raeder Readers — Facebook Fangroup
• Facebook Author Page

[Baba · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. Full review posted February 8, 2015






My first five-star rating of the year goes to Leah Raeder's Black Iris writing. That should tell you something. If you don't know yet what I mean, then I'm going to elaborate later. Just let me get down to business stat.

When I look at all those wannabe authors and how much crap has been published in Romancelandia, then it goes without saying that genuine and gifted authors like Leah Raeder…

A)
Write in a league of their own

and…

B)
Soothe my bruised reader's soul.

Holy.Shit.Tad.Writing…A-mazeballs!

I so rarely gush over a book or an author, so let me indulge for once, please. I'll even drop the f-bomb a few times. *gasp* Thank you.




Dear Leah,

The YA/NA sub-genre and Baba usually are at a daggers drawn, but you are one of those few authors (together with Dan Skinner) who succeed to make me actually devour YA/NA books. Reading your stories and absorbing your stellar writing is pure and unadulterated bliss. The way you write is vivid and livid and terribly beautiful all at once. It's the kind of flowery lyrical prose I'll eat up in a heartbeat and without thought. It flows naturally; you don't have to try because you can and you do. I'm convinced that you'd be perfectly capable of writing everything and anything. That's the difference to other (incompetent) authors. Your writing flows from your veins onto the voracious pages of paper to my absorbing and demanding heart and mind. You could send me a grocery list and I bet that my next shopping trip would be a prosaic and unforgettable experience. So, thank you for feeding me and keeping me interested, and most of all, keeping my faith alive that YA/NA novels are more than a big nuisance.




Also, I'm fucking fine when you're showering me with a hundred analogies because you do it so masterfully; you own my entire being for a few hours and force me to focus. Reading your book means I can absorb and store all the great moments away because, let's face it, the next long line of crappy books is so much closer than I'd prefer.

Falling for someone is like pulling a loose thread. It happens stitch by stitch. You feel whole most of the time while the seams pop, the knots loosen, everything that holds you together coming undone. It feels incredible, this opening of yourself to the world. Not like the revealing it is. Only afterward do you glance down at the tangle of string around your feet that used to be a person who was whole and self-contained and realize that love is not a thing that we create. It's an undoing.

Bottom line, the way you put pen to paper makes my whole body want to gobble up every damn word on every damn page; it makes me dizzy like I've been on a merry-go-round. I sometimes feel like your words suffocate me with their sharpness and anger, just to rescue and resuscitate me with inspired beauty a moment later. My head is bursting with colors I didn't even know existed and your writing is my personal whetstone that sharpens my desire to want more.

Missing someone is the whetstone that sharpens want.

And, honestly, I don't say all this because I got a signed paperback ARC and I sure as fuck don't need to blow smoke up your ass. It's just my candid and sincere reaction to you because you not only write exceptionally great books but you also stand up and support readers and their right to voice negative opinions (oops, this time it's a very gushing and positive reaction, isn't it?). You were a reader first and an author second and you show it time and again through your support and encouragement. I had no clue what I was getting myself into when I read Unteachable and all the high and abundant praise I sprinkled you with is actually more than deserved. I mean it. Be proud of what you have accomplished so far and I'm sure you're not at your zenith yet. Give us more of your awesomesauce please--as a human being and an author. Thank you.



I don't approve vigilantism. I really don't.

Fuck. I believe I just lied to you. My statement deserves to be reconsidered. Isn't it strange and unfair when I say that I have supported vigilantism in the past but I somehow felt appalled by Laney's doing? My uneasiness even spreads a little farther and did include a couple other characters who starred in Black Iris. This being said, I remember cheering on a protagonist in another story who killed the villains for hurting his lover(s). What those ugly monsters did to the good guys is beyond appropriate words. I'm not proud to say it but I was actually glad that they died. Moreover, the revenge didn't even accomplish to even the odds because what they did was so indescribably heinous and deserved a very, very slow and very, very agonizing death. Unfortunately they went out too fast.

Since the fourth wall is down, let's get one thing straight:
I am not the heroine of this story.
And I'm not trying to be cute. It's the truth. I'm diagnosed borderline and seriously fucked-up. I hold grudges. I bottle my hate until it ferments into poison, and then I get high off the fumes. I'm completely dysfunctional and that's the way I like it, so don't expect a character arc where I finally find Redemption, Growth, and Change, or learn How to Forgive Myself and Others.
Fuck forgiveness.
Oh, and I'm a writer. Which is worse than all the rest put together.

This...^^^^^^…should make you a bit nervous…just saying.

Anyhoo, I did some soul-searching and came to the conclusion that I wasn't pro-vigilantism in Black Iris due to the fact that I couldn't bring myself to particularly like, let alone love the characters. Ultimately, I felt sorry for Armin but, shame on me, because that was a waste of time and empathy on my behalf. As it was, Armin didn't deserve my compassion which leads me to compliment the author who managed to jerk me around a couple times.



Again, I went into the story thinking I would somehow end up liking the non-heroine quite a bit. I didn't. That little tidbit, however, didn't prevent me from thoroughly enjoying the crazy storyline and the writing. Laney is a very messed up and dysfunctional (young) adult who grew up without a "voice", without really having been heard by her mother. As a consequence, she's medicating herself with drugs and other shit. When something bad happens, the Unreliable Narrator is plotting her elaborate revenge and she does it relentlessly and with a detachment that's almost without equal.

I know I should have been able to empathize with her, as a human being and especially with her situation. I just…I don't know…something held me back and when you can't let go and embrace a character fully, then I guess it's harder to relate, to feel sympathy in such a huge dimension that would have erased my reluctance to connect with her on a much deeper level. Anyway, driven by a well thought out revenge and her screwed up personality, in the end, Laney was just a pawn in a fucked-up game, performed by some fellow psycho player(s) who was even crazier than her. Don't go into this story with a wrong idea. While the writing is poetically beautiful at times, even romantic, the story itself is no romance. It all started with the desire to protect someone and then ended up as a tangled web of lies and madness in order to accomplish one thing only: to manipulate and destroy.

How are you supposed to leave the past behind when you carry it with you in your skin?

Black Iris is not only about revenge, though. It's also a profound trip of finding oneself and a search for unbiased love. Told in Leah's incomparable voice, the story alternates between events in the past that, surprisingly, coalesce seamlessly into one big and very livid picture, provided you don't focus too hard on the timeline. The numerous shifts need some getting used to but it worked for me. Also, I think all those switches reflected the narrator's (Laney) crazy and restless mind.

Recommended read.



I've decided to not add an advisory because, let's be honest, it would never cross anyone's mind to put a warning to their review provided the main protagonists are a heterosexual man and woman who are not into kink. We're living in the 21st century and it's been a long time that we've left the Middle Ages behind. So, long story short, if you still have a problem with gay, lesbian, bi, transgender or queer people (or gay, lesbian, bi, transgender or queer sex for that matter) then get the fuck over it already. Love is love, after all.

"I love you," I whispered. I didn't attach a name. It didn't need one.

All quotes are taken from the pre-published copy and may be altered or omitted in the final copy.

**ARC courtesy of Leah Raeder in exchange for an honest review**

[Steph Sinclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love is not a thing we create. It's an undoing.

Black Iris is the story of Bonnie and Bonnie on Bitch Better Have My Money quest with a Bad Blood mentality. It's not a Redemption, Coming of Age or Happily Ever After story. So if you are looking for those elements, look elsewhere. It's more of a Bitches Get Shit Done tale with a pinch of romance. Let me make this clear, Black Iris has a bunch of fucked up characters that you're not always going to like, if ever. But that's cool, because they don't really care if you do. And anyway, this really isn't about if you like them or not. It's about straight up revenge.

I was a huge fan of Unteachable by Leah Raeder. It had intrigue, sexual tension, sexy times like whoa, amazing prose and more. Black Iris takes that to a new level. The prose is a lot more pretentious and lyrical and I'm not going to lie, I can see this distracting some people. However, it was appropriate in this case because our main character Laney is a writer and she's a very unreliable narrator. It allows Raeder to really make her scenes and tone to be mentally distracting so the ending packed maximum punch. Unfortunately, it also makes Black Iris extremely hard to review without spoiling the plot.

So instead of just reviewing Black Iris, I'm going to just highlight some of my favorite aspects of the book.

Guys, I loved how mental illness was handled. These days, there are so many books popping up that cover mental illness in a variety of ways, and so many of my friends are quick to recommend me these books. Unfortunately, I usually dislike them because the illness is romanticized, misrepresented or not taken seriously enough. That's not the case with Black Iris. Raeder took specific care to not gift her characters with a Magic Pill or Happily Ever After that cures them of their illness. She doesn't send the message that in order to be happy, you have to be free of your illness. Because sometimes your illness is apart of you and always will be.

There was one moment in particular that I loved. When her mom described why she disliked being medicated, I completely connected.

"I need the highs and the lows."

That one little sentence gets it perfectly right. As a person who has been medicated for depression, I understand the difference and the inability to truly tap into yourself. I used to tell my husband that I couldn't get to myself, couldn't feel my emotions, couldn't reach my sadness or my happiness, and that I needed certain feelings to feel human, motivated and alive. Medication can feel like its own little cage even though it's there to help you. In many ways, finding the right medication and then adjusting to how it possibly changes you, is its own journey. (Note: this is not to say medication is bad, totally not saying that! See your doctor, please, and take care of yourself absolutely!) And, oh wow, I did not mean to get this emotional, but here I am again, bleeding into this review. Take me as I am, friends.

I also loved how sexuality and attraction was handled. Laney is bisexual and it's described in the most beautiful way. I love how she never expected to fall for Blythe. I love how everything got so incredibly messy and questionable. And oh, yes, I loved the sex scenes. I hate to bust out a Pitch Perfect line, but... "John, these girls could turn me!" If you thought Unteachable was hot, you haven't seen nothing yet. Sexual tension was through the roof and Leah let that shit build up just right and then there's splooge, literally and figuratively.


Wow, Steph, that escalated quickly.

The narrator was pure perfection and had this wonderfully deep voice that fit Laney's voice excellently. Her tone wrapped around every syllable and played with Raeder's prose. Every scene was different and she depicted Laney's highs and lows very realistically. I was also really impressed with the narrator's ability to pull off a realistic Australian accent for Blythe's character. Really, I couldn't have asked for a better job done.

The ending was a completely shock to me and I NEVER would have put that together. I worried that Laney may have lost herself in her search for revenge as many in these situations do. She showed no let up even when loved ones tried to pull her back. It's a constant seesaw effect with her and the unknowing creates a real sense of urgency for the reader. Will she go through with her plans, will she abandon them? But that's apart of the appeal of the novel. Sometimes it's nice not knowing until the very end.

Another strong novel from Raeder. I continue to be wowed and impressed by her messy, complex characters. I have Cam Girl loaded on my kindle and I can't wait to see what she does with my emotions next. Highly recommended.

ARC was provided by the publisher for an honest review. But I later purchased the audiobook with my very own Audible credits. Best decision, tbh.

======================

Pre-review:

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

Welp, I had high hopes for this one . . . but I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.



No shit, right? I’ll be the first to admit New Adult is not generally my bag, but I seriously dug Unteachable so I thought if anyone was going to be more than a one-hit-wonder for me in that genre it would be Leah Raeder.

Is this a love story or a hate story? Is it about me, or your bloody revenge?

Yeah, is it?

This is the part where I lose some friends . . .



WARNING: THAR BE SPOILAGE AND RANTING AHEAD

So it turns out the entire book is a revenge story because one of the MCs was publicly outed as being gay and humiliated in front of the entire school . . . which is a premise that could have been great if it weren’t for the execution. I’m pretty vocal about my feelings toward the overly abused used flippy floppy timeline. If it works it’s great, but if it doesn’t it comes off as a crutch or a gimmick to save a not-so-good book. Unfortunately that was the case here. I had no trouble tracking the “are we in the now or are we in the then,” I was simply bored because so much time was spent tip-toeing around what the conflict was that NOTHING actually happened.

And when nothing exciting is happening it draws my attention to all the bad stuff. Leah Raeder says herself that she writes “pretentiously lyrical fiction.” She ain’t lying, kids. There were a lot of words used to describe all the nothing that was going on . . .



If this is your cuppa, you’ll lap Black Iris right up. If you’re a horrible wretch like me you’ll be wishing you had a pitcher o’ Bloody Mary at the ready to drown your literary sorrows . . .



There was also a lot of reminding the reader of various stupid writing clichés. . . while the reader was reading stupid writing clichés. Having the narrator tell us that she needs to “stop being a terrible writer” when she describes a character’s eyes as clear reddish-brown like carnelian, speckled with tiny flaws of amber and copper instead of BROWN doesn’t make it better. Or describing how the different characters smell. If I took a shot for every time I read about “berries” or “winter” or “crushed pinecones” I would have been blotto. Orrrrrrrrrr idiotic nicknames. I’m lookin’ at you, “Rainbow Brite.” Orrrrrrr having the narrator remind us how she’s not pretty. Oh hey, Bella Swan, when did you get here? Orrrrrrrr the way the characters speak to each other in poem quotes and song lyrics . . .



Orrrrrrrr that the MC climbs into bed with her brother in her bra, but that’s completely normal because the narrator tells you so. You know what? The MC is an “unreliable narrator” (which she reminds us all about time and time again) . . .



Something that makes an unreliable narrator someone I enjoy reading is that he/she does stuff that “normal” people would consider to be fucked up and doesn’t give a shit about it. Having her justify any of her behaviors as “okay” actually made her less of an unreliable narrator. And I’m not even going to touch the diagnosis of the borderline personality disorder scene that was pretty much straight out of Girl Interrupted . . .



Oh, and I can’t forget to mention the pop culture references. It’s pretty obvious from my daily giffery that I’m a lover of pop culture, so I should be the last person to notice that there are too many. There’s a fine balance between showing the readers you are hip and making your book appear dated (potentially in the very near future).

Last but not least after all the wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey bullshit is over and you receive confirmation that pretty much EVERYONE is awful in one way, shape, or form – you find out there is some super secret society à la “The Skulls” ran by bigots that aim to ruin the lives of gays, women, people of color, etc. . . . . that just so happens to be ran by someone of MIDDLE EASTERN DESCENT . . .



There are no more evens to can’t at this point.

Oh wait, you’re probably still waiting for me to bash the sexytimes, huh? Well, I’m not gonna. Surprise surprise! The biggest prude in town actually thinks Leah Raeder is one of the best at writing supa-hot-lurv-making. Think I’m wrong?



This book had potential. It just got so convoluted with the all of the inactivity and weaving of the who did what to whom and the toxic relationships and obsessions and on andonandon that it failed to deliver. I’m bummed that I didn’t enjoy this story, but I stuck it out and read the whole dang thing before forming a final opinion because I kept thinking I would change my mind. I guess it just wasn’t meant to be . . .



ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

[Lady Vigilante (Feifei)]

Ever since I finished this book I’ve been thinking about it non-stop and how to convey all these weird feelings I have in a cohesive review but because I’m on a time crunch that won’t be happening. This will be short and unadulterated.

Because WHAT THE FUCK WAS THIS BOOK?!?!?!?!?!

I want to say 95% of books I read it’s easy for me to tell where I’ll fall in the like/dislike/love zone. Then 4% where I get mixed feelings but in the end I’ll let my heart take over. Then that super rare 1% where both my brain and heart are muddy and I honestly have NO CLUE how to feel or what to say about a book.

Black Iris is in that 1%.

I want to applaud the author for writing such a raw and real story that ideally, I want everyone to read and would wholeheartedly recommend everyone to read. However, the book is like a poisonous black hole; read it and prepare to get sucked in and it doesn’t even matter if you read a chapter or the full book: you head will get fucked with and Leah Raeder does it with a little evil smile on her face.

Of course there were some technical issues I had like the jumpy timeline that seriously made me use all my brainpower to focus on (then again, I despise choppy timelines and those make me think extra hard so this may just be an issue for me) and the way things tied up in the end made me think it got a little cheesy considering the other parts of the book were dark, crazy, and completely unpredictable. The writing is bloody brilliant though, and some quotes just stun me speechless with their truthfulness and brutal beauty. Like this one for instance:

“Girls love each other like animals. There is something ferocious and unself-conscious about it. We don’t guard ourselves like we do with boys. No one trains us to shield our hearts from each other. With girls, it’s total vulnerability from the beginning. Our skin is bare and soft. We love with claws and teeth and the blood is just proof of how much. It’s feral. And it’s relentless.”

^^What. What is that. I don’t even know what to say to that. Quotes like these just kill my brain and make me experience such gripping fear, like I know this is an author whose words – if read enough – will probably AK-47 my psyche. I mean, I already feel like I need to check in to the nearest mental facility.

Bottom line is, I read books to escape from reality. This book was not an escape. It wasn’t romantic or fun or light or even an easy read. It was ugly, it stressed me out with how complex the plot and characters were, and it was like all the crazy in the world was gathered together and stuffed into this one book.

I’m not even going to try to rate this book as that in itself is a mindboggling task. I hated it, loved it, wanted to burn the book and yet wanted to hug it tight to my chest all at the same time.

I really don’t know what else to say. I’ll end with a quote from the book that 200% describes what I’m feeling right now:

“Sometimes you feel things so much, so intensely, it becomes a new kind of numbness, the oblivion of overstimulation.”

ARC provided by Atria Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fucking FANTASTIC. I am officially obsessed with Elliot Wake. I love their writing style and how dark the stories really get and how every one of their books has a small connection to their others. UGH I LOVED THIS SO MUCH

(Updated my review to they/them bc the author has come out as trans since I wrote my original review)

[Allison ❤️Will Never Conquer Her TBR❤️]

Review posted April 22, 2015 (finally)

DNF at 58%




It's been weeks months since I DNFed Black Iris, however, I held off writing/posting my review until closer to release date. Some of the issues I had with the book have faded in my 40-something year-old brain but one thing is still crystal clear- Leah Raeder is a talented writer. Beautifully poetic. I fell in love with Unteachable and could not wait to tap into this (thus why I read it in February- 2 months BEFORE release). So what fell short, if she's such a "fabulous writer?" Maybe it's just a bit TOO fabulous? That's clear as mud, huh? I'll attempt to clear it up.


My issues-

1- Flip flopping Timeline- Black Iris' timeline is such that it's trickle fed details along the way. With the flip flopping here there and everywhere I felt like I was on a tilt-a-whirl at the carnival. I didn't know which way was up...stumbling along chapter after chapter. There was zero rhyme or reason to it but to confuse me. It went EVERYWHERE and not forward, even in the scenes from the past. Zig zag. Zig zag. My brain was buzzing. Don't believe me? Look below. Read the table of contents from top to bottom. Slowly. Confused yet?







2- Dark, convoluted plot. This is no love story. At least not until I gave up. It's so complex that I was totally confused. I knew, KNEW there's a huge plot twist in the end and it stressed me out that I couldn't piece together anything so that, in the end, I'd have that "ah ha" moment of clarity. Reading is not supposed to stress me out. I had that in college. Done. With. That.





3- Lyrical prose. This was the deal breaker, I think. The final nail in the coffin. Her beautiful writing killed it. How sad but true- for me, at least. You take a complex, darker plot, mixed-in with flip-flopping timelines and add VERY poetic writing, I was DROWNING. Seriously drowning. My brain hurt. And that's when I simply gave up. I'm a natural blonde but I'm not stupid. I could not put this story together in my head. It almost felt like reading a foreign language.





To summarize- This story, written by any other "mainstream" author, might've totally worked for me. But taking the three above elements and mixing them together was suicide to my reading pleasure. My advice to Ms Raeder is this..."Stick to more basic plot-lines... your writing will make it spectacular. Complex plots, coupled with your flowery prose, I drown in the sea of words."





Apparently I sunk!


***This will NOT, however, deter me from reading any future book by Leah Raeder. I just hope it's like Unteachable- a nice contemporary romance. I'd like to request she write a second-chance romance with a tortured hero. Yes, that sounds perfect!


ARC received by Atria via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Chelsea ✨Arielle’s Nebular Ally and Team Acrux✨ · Rating 1 out of 5]

**ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

I am not the heroine of this story.

Wellllll....here we go. If anyone follows my reviews, even a little, they know I hardly ever rate below a three. Hell, I hardly rate a three. Even less frequently do I rate a book a one-I mean, like, twice....in the last two years. So, to say I am shocked at my visceral reaction to this story is an understatement. I expected, at worst, maybe some indifference.




Maybe a little bit of dislike. But I never ever EVER expected to hate this story so much. I didn't expect to hate this story at all. And I am so so so sooo sorry....but I loathed this book to the bottom of my soul.

I respect this author's voice and her journey, but I just couldn't respect the content of this particular work. Not because of the narrator's choice of whom to love, but because of her actions and how she spoke.

I don't smile. When I show teeth, it's to bite.

How much better of a person are you, really, than those who wronged you if you seek revenge in the most vile ways possible? How are you being any better of a person? This is fiction, sure. I know that. But, the whole time, I felt dragged down, depressed and oh so heavy as I read each and every page. Everything the narrator did made me feel so full of sadness that it became this deep, guttural emotion that I couldn't contain. I would snarl, I would glare, I became angrier and angrier...and felt heavier and heavier. I was in a swirling inferno of rage with each page that passed as I learned more about our 'unreliable narrator.'

That's the real poison, truth. Keep that shit inside and you'll see. You'll wither and die.

But the worst thing of all? As we were finding everything out, piece by piece, bit by bit, we were supposed to begin to identify with the main character (I think?), to feel for her, but the more I began to learn about Laney, the more I began to feel for the enemies. Yes, what they did was deplorable, unforgivable, but what she begins doing almost feels worse to me. I grew this deep rooted connection with the God damn villains, with the people I despised, if only because I couldn't stand to see what this girl was doing to them...and herself.

Maybe the only person who could understand a villain was another villain.

In a lot of ways, well, about 90% of them, this story was about sexual discovery and being who you are. I respected that from page one. But, and this is where it gets very very difficult to explain without pissing people off, I did feel that it was the WHOLE story. Let me explain: In Unteachable, Raeder's other hit novel, Maisie had SOME of the same problems as well, including sexual prowess. But, aside from not being ridiculed in front of the whole school like Laney was, Maisie's voice didn't center around sex. It wasn't all she thought about. In this story, I felt like we were drowned in Laney's sexual desires, which is okay, but that's all I really felt there was, for a long while. And by the time we got to the meat, the unraveling of the mystery, I was mildly heavily disgusted with the main character's actions. Not just sexually, but with everything. It wasn't about boy or girl, or girl and girl, or girl boy girl, for me. It was that sex and drugs were constant, every page variables in this story, and that wasn't necessarily what I signed up for. I knew there would be scenes I was uncomfortable with, but I didn't know how deeply the character's affliction or fascination was. I'm okay with erotic books, sometimes, but I wish I'd have known just how erotically charged the WHOLE story would be.

Strength is not in the body, it's in the mind. It doesn't lie in flexing your muscles and crushing those who oppose you. It lies in being the last one standing. By any means. At any cost.

The characters. I hate to admit it, but I've never disliked a main character so deeply in my whole life. I make it a job to love or respect the MC's in a story because I picked up their book, this is their story. I even loved Jorg from The Broken Empire series and he was an evil little shit. The truth is, I never have disliked, or hated, in Laney's case, an MC so strongly before, if at all. And I really really think that speaks volumes. I felt more obsession, savagery, and possessive jealousy than any love in this story, and that makes me so sad because I know so many others found that solace for this deeply controversial story.


Oh, and if this bothers you, even a little (not me, since I was warned)...

Then I suggest you don't read this story.

That's not to say everything turned me off in this book. I have always really adored Raeder's writing style. It's very poetic and beautiful and you feel swept up in her words. When you pick up a Leah Raeder novel, you know the writing is going to blow you away. At times, only for this story, I did feel a little bombarded with the descriptions, overwhelmed even, but the writing was still beautiful and it really completed the voice that the author wanted to convey. I really do enjoy her writing and I loved her previous work, so I didn't want to discount that.

The sky looked like layered sherbet, creamy peach melting into raspberry and blueberry, shading the world in soft, milky tones. The sun was an eye-smarting bead of white light trembling at the horizon.

Okay. Well. There you go. I'm the type of person who really doesn't like to make waves and worries constantly about what people will think of me when I rate badly. But, there's literally no nice way to say you disliked a book that you are rating one star. There's no way to mince your words because that one star says it all in flashing neon lights: This story wasn't for me. No matter which way you slice it, I didn't find much to identify with. I can only hope others find this story a great comfort and a wonderful read-it just wasn't for me.


*The quotes above are subject to change upon release of the book*



For more of my reviews, please visit:



*******************



HOLY SHIT! I GOT THE ARC. I can't believe it ! This is epic.

Wow.

That is all.

[Melanie (meltotheany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

August 27th, 2018:
May made this for me as a birthday give because they know it's my favorite quote of all-time, and I'm so in love with it! I had to share with you all! 💕


February 27th, 2018:
Okay, so this is still one of my favorite books of all time, but I never gave it a proper review because it just felt too personal. But if you guys are interested in my thoughts, my dear friend Silvia is doing an amazing feature on her blog called #QueerLitStories, and I wrote up a guest post, where I talked all about this book and what it meant to me: Black Iris and pansexuality 💖💛💙


May 21st, 2015:
I have no words, only a lot of feels that I'm not sure what to do with. Oh, and quotes. So many beautiful quotes. I could just highlight this whole book.

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[Kaylin (The Re-Read Queen) · Rating 5 out of 5]

First 5 Stars of 2018

“I never wanted to be saved. I wanted someone to follow me down into the darkness.”

I’ve been trying to write this review for a month. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve opened this word-document only to delete some half-assed paragraph fifteen minutes later. I literally don’t know how to review this book. (I did my best. I’m sorry)

Raeder’s lyrical prose pulls you in immediately, establishing this hazy-intense fever-dream. The first chapter introduces us to our main character in the wake of her mother’s suicide. From there, we follow Laney in a spiral of sex, drugs, and revenge. (But I quickly would have followed her anywhere, tbh)

Laney is everything a female character isn’t supposed to be:
- Sexual
- Blunt
- Cynical
- Drug-user
- Manipulative

But it works. She’s intensely complex and motivated and just…. so, so, so interesting. It just works

“I am not the heroine of this story And I'm not trying to be cute. It's the truth. I'm diagnosed borderline and seriously fucked-up. I hold grudges. I bottle my hate until it ferments into poison, and then I get high off the fumes.”

She has the potential to come across try-hard or too-edgy, but it’s all a part of the carefully-constructed story she’s telling us.

Because Laney isn’t just an unlikable narrator—she’s unreliable. This is her story, and she makes us aware of it. In one of her college courses, Laney discusses the power of the unreliable narrator in Lolita… and it works as a brilliant character study that’s also a not-so-subtle clue.

I’m not going to say a thing about the plot, because anything I could say would be too much and not enough. The plot twists are consuming, surprising and perfectly executed. I was absolutely obsessed with this story, because every-time I thought I knew what was happening… the narrative shifted again. As pieces fell into place, previous revelations somehow held even more impact and I was continually astonished by how carefully detailed and constructed this book is.

This attention-to-detail carried over to the characters. Not only was Laney one of the most complex and interesting narrators I’ve come across, but her discussions of sexuality and identity were so important.

“If I was gay, I wouldn't need an asterisk beside my name. I could stop worrying if the girl I like will bounce when she finds out I also like dick. I could have a coming-out party without people thinking I just want attention. I wouldn't have to explain that I fall in love with minds, not genders or body parts.”

Somehow these sections hold even more impact because we are aware of how unreliable our narrator can be, but this is where she chooses to tell the truth.

Laney meets Blythe and Armin very early in the book, and the ensuing push-n-pull dynamic transcends everything I’ve come to expect from the New-Adult genre. All these defied expectations were even more satisfying because the narrative is completely aware.

“In a typical college romance novel, he'd be a gorgeous but troubled sex god who'd cure all my deep-seated psych issues with a good hard fuck. I'd smell his misogyny and abusive tendencies from miles off but my brain would turn to hormone soup because abs.”

Overall:

I have no other words for this book beyond ‘intense.’ It’s revenge, sex, girls kissing girls, pill-popping, mental illness and somehow it all adds up to a mindfuck of a story.

(Was this even a review? Or just me gushing for three pages?? )

[Pam]

DNF @ 31 %

"Trying to find yourself by losing yourself completely."

Black Iris is a book that I wanted to love, Leah Reader is a beautiful writer, her words are chosen carefully, smart and witty. But after much thought, I found that this book was not for me. I am probably the minority here, and I'm okay with that, and suggest you all give it a try.

From the very first pages I knew this was going to be a heavy hitting book, with strong subject material, which I am all for. But what threw me off is the flashbacks...lost between the chapters as we move forward and backward into time.



I had a hard time keeping up, always thinking that I missed something. So far the book has been more mystery than anything else, not sure of what is real and what is make believe. Every time I find my footing, another wrench is thrown into a mix and at this point I have multiple mysteries I am trying to piece together.

It's with a heavy heart that I will mark this as DNF, because if at this point I'm not interested enough to want to continue to find out the answers, then I honestly don't know what a few more chapters will do. This maybe my loss, but I did take a break to read something else, hoping that when I pick it back up I will be more focused. This again has nothing to do with the writers skill, but my own personal issue. I enjoyed her words and will look for other books by her to read.

ARC kindly provided by Atria Books, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

***Quote above are taken from the ARC version of the book and may differ upon publication.

[KL (Cat) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Scroll past if you don't want to read a decidedly ranty review with a healthy dose of profanity.






Ok, too late.

-

THIS NOVEL IS SO FUCKING PROBLEMATIC LIKE YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE
Like what? The actual? Fuck? Are you serious?

1) Somehow the abuse of drugs is seen as ok?????? Is this some pseudo-liberal artsy text campaigning for the freedom to sell drugs or something?

a. Laney gets rejected at school; big fucking boo hoo. You know what? Being rejected is actually okay! People don't owe you anything, least of all their love, so fucking grow up. So Laney decides to be the idiot that she is and overdoses on pills and basically try to kill herself.

Her mother refuses to give her more pills as medication (to stop taking pills) which makes fucking sense because hello, remember, drugs + Laney = suicide attempt. Guess what the fuck her father calls this? Fucking child abuse.

What the actual fuck.

b. Oxycontin: Powerful prescription opioid painkiller; highly euphoric, highly expensive, highly addictive.

Basically: don't fuck around with this drug. Actually, don't fuck around with any drugs, which Laney of course does not fucking do; instead "Each day I had a breakfast smoothie of oxy, vodka, and OJ and then staggered onto the L. ”

This level of drug abuse is just not plausible for her to be "a high-functioning drug addict", despite however competent the author says Laney is with her course work.

“I swallowed another pill. Before it had time to kick in, another.
Another. Another. Another. Another.
All the way down the bottle.”

Actually, I'm just surprised she's not dead yet.

c. The worst thing is that all this consistent drug abuse in every page, in every chapter; which trivialises the fucking danger of drugs because then you wonder-

Oh, here's another seventeen/eighteen/nineteen year old scoffing down drugs more often then they go to pee- and yes drugs are bad for you everybody knows that but they're swallowing them for lunch and dinner and they aren't dead, and this slightly fucks you up because where's the moral grey line between fiction and reality now?

d. At the end, the message I get is this: It's ok to abuse drugs as long as you (try to) act like a normal person, and if somebody worries about you feel free to say “Don’t judge me. You don’t know the kind of shit I have to deal with."

Fuck you too, Laney.

2) Laney. Holy shit, I have never hated a protagonist so much in my life so quickly. Bella from Twilight was just bland muck. I find Mary Sue protagonists either hilarious or cringe worthy and sometimes both. Laney, though, just argh /slams keyboard.

a. Second page of the novel: “I was eighteen and, according to Mom, “completely out of control,” which to anyone else would have meant “a normal teenager.” ”

GIRL, SLEEPING WITH HALF OF THE SCHOOL IS NOT A NORMAL TEENAGER. NOBODY GOES AROUND SWALLOWING PILLS AND SNORTING CHEMICALS AND THINK THAT IS FINE. KIDS DON'T FUCK THINGS UP AND GET DIAGNOSED WITH BI-POLAR DISORDER. WHO THE HELL DOESN'T GET UPSET IF THEIR MOTHER DECIDE TO COMMIT SUICIDE. DOES THE AUTHOR REALLY FUCKING BELIEVE WHEN WE'RE DEPRESSED WE ABUSE OXY AND X TO "GET THE WRONGNESS OUT", WHAT THE FUCK, THAT WE WAKE UP WITH CONCUSSIONS AT THE HOSPITAL WITH OUR FATHERS CALLING US "A WALKING TIME BOMB" AND THINK THINGS LIKE I AM IN "PERFECT CONTROL OF MY SELF DESTRUCTION"??

You, Laney, are not a fucking normal teenager, and all of that is only from the first chapter.

(Also, what is it with shitty relationships with parents in YA literature? Either they're dead, or they hate each other, or the parents are somehow absent from their lives.)

b. Laney is a bitch. The book says that she has bi-polar disorder, but I'm not a psychiatrist, so I can't say how accurate her character is. I can definitely tell you she's a horrible bitch. If you want to read the POV from Alaska Young (Looking for Alaska) and see why she's the maniac pixie dream girl she is, Laney's life is a pretty good explanation.

- She thinks all men are either sheep or bastards (except for that one guy, cough cough)
- She thinks she knows everything, from why people are nice to her, to giving her advice because they must have An Inner Motive
- She swears at her parents *“I will not watch my daughter kill herself in my fucking house,” she said, and I snapped back, “Then I’ll do it somewhere else,”
- She thinks everyone- no, the world owes her everything she wants
- She changes from a shy girl to one that sleeps around and getting wasted and expects her old friends to have the same relationship with her.
- She's manipulative as fuck
- She's ridiculously disrespectful of all authority
- She's also a hypocrite

Even though you may have a mental disorder, it really doesn't excuse you from your ridiculous shit. How the hell am I supposed to feel sympathetic for somebody like this?

3) Other things:

+ Laney keeps on telling us that she's an unreliable narrator, a villain, and okay, you're the big bad monster in the story of your making; but think about this, how often do you see your (anti-hero) protagonist says straight up to you to not trust them?

In Lolita, Humbert immediately says that he's a murderer, and in The Secret History we already know Richard and his friends has committed a murder, but do they go- we're horrible people so please hate us? Nope, in the books they slowly unravel the whydunit and as the revelation goes on the readers gradually feels more sympathetic towards the protagonists as we understand why they had to commit their murders.
The way it's done in the book is just crass.

+ Even though there's m/f and f/f, it's still a goddamn love triangle

+ And there's instant attraction/love

+ Did I say anything about the copious amounts of sex yet?


Basically: drugs, sex, drugs, depressed thoughts, flashback, sex, drugs, depressed thoughts, sex, drugs, flashback, drugs, sex

Just hit repeat on that record for 400 pages and you've got Black Iris in a nutshell!

DNFed at 65% because I ran out of fucks to give.

[Carole (Carole's Random Life) · Rating 1 out of 5]

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.



1 Star

I didn't like this book at all. I was so excited to get an early copy of this book because I saw everyone raving about it on Goodreads. I just knew that this would be a book that I would fall in love with based on all the 5 star reviews that I saw. I am not sure that I read the same book that everyone else read. I disliked everything about this book. I almost stop reading many times but I kept waiting for that magical moment where I would fall in love with this story like I had expected. Now that I have finished the book, I can honestly say that I wish I had listened to that little voice in my head telling me give up on this book early in the story and move on to another.

I didn't care about the characters. There isn't a single one of them that I like in even the smallest way. These are not nice people. The main characters spend most of the book under the influence of some kind of substance. They spend the entire book thinking about sex, drugs, more sex, and more drugs. I have read and loved books that have a strong focus on both sex and drugs before so it isn't really the sex or the drugs that were the problems for me. These characters didn't feel real to me. I felt absolutely no connection to them in any way. I can't even say that I hated any of them because none of them made me feel anything.

I didn't like how this book jumped around in time. This has to be one of the most confusing reading experiences of my life. I was constantly having to stop and figure out where on the timeline each chapter was happening. I have read a lot of books that used flashbacks or a dual timeline that I have really enjoyed. This book would jump around in time in a way that made no logical sense to me. I think that the story would have been so much easier to follow if things had jumped around less.

I didn't like the writing style. Descriptions sometimes seemed to go on forever and in the end didn't make any sense. The author would also insert little comment about how the typical novel would go from this point and I will be honest every time this happened it drove me crazy. I can't tell you how many times I would read a sentence and think huh? Then I would read it again and wonder what kind of image those words were really supposed to help me create.

I didn't like the story. I thought this book was one of the most boring things that I have read for the first 60% or so. Things got a little more interesting at that point but that is just because something finally happened. Even after there was a little action, I still never felt connected to the story. This story just never grabbed me. There was never a moment where I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. I was incredibly let down by how this story ended.

I wouldn't recommend this book. I do think that many readers will love this book. Almost all of the reviews that I have seen up to this point have been very positive so I am definitely in the minority with my opinion on this one.

I received a copy of this book from Atria Books via NetGalley for the purpose of providing an honest review.

[Angela · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just can't!
This is a black hole of a book... It leads nowhere! Leah tries to cover up a slack story line and a jumpy timeline with over describing any and everything.

I get she was aiming for dark and different but I think she missed the mark. Unteachable was one of my favorite books last year and I was hoping Black Iris would be the same. Sadly that's not the case.

[Natalie Monroe · Rating 4 out of 5]

"We're all Kafka's rider, trying to get away from ourselves.

Maybe I'm a little bitter.

And maybe this isn't your typical college romance novel."

Leah Raeder is like the dark horse of the NA genre.



She always brings something fresh to the table. Something that doesn't usually work, but does. Unsympathetic heroine, check. Unconventional character arc, check. Twisted ass love triangle, check. Zero morals, check. Lyrical bordering purple prose, check.

"I was staring at that rose-lipped mouth, then up at his eyes, a clear reddish-brown like carnelian, speckled with tiny flaws of amber and copper where the light caught.

Fuck. They're brown. His eyes are fucking brown, okay? Stop being a terrible writer, Laney."

I confess, I laughed. I can just imagine Leah on the other side of the screen a year ago, thinking, "What's the most purple way I can describe eyes? Ooh, yes! That'll drive the Hemingway lovers crazy."

Does it get a little overly purple sometimes? Yes, admittedly. There's a line where a voice is described as "crumbling cinders" and it tripped me up as I tried to imagine what it'd sound like.

Did I really care? Nah. Black Iris is gritty enough to balance it. There are kids doing drugs, numbing themselves on the path of self-destruction, and having sex like rabbits. It's reality we don't want to admit.

It fits with Laney's illness, too. She's bipolar, so she goes through maniac phrases of high-definition soaring before experiencing the crushing low.




Black Iris portrays mental illness really well. It doesn't go overboard, like "All mentally ill people are flesh-eating psychos!" and it doesn't paint it like it's this wonderful thing that makes you special. Fuck meds, we want to keep dancing like it's 1989.

Damn, I can't stop with these Taylor Swift references.

Right, back to the topic. Black Iris shows the good and the bad side of mental illness. The sparkling, crazy-in-a-good-way Maniac Pixie Dream Girl spirit. The suicidal, emotionally abusive tendencies.

"Why did you marry [Mom]?" I asked suddenly.

[...]

"I loved her fire," he said from far away. "I didn't know I would burn."

(Last one, I swear.)

It doesn't showcase medication as bad, but it shows us how it feels from the perspective of the person:

"Everything is the same. No more highs or lows. I'm in a glass box with the air pumped out. I can see, but can't taste or smell. Can't get enraged or aroused. Can't hear myself scream... I start thinking, 'What if I'm already dead? Isn't that what being dead is, the inability to feel?'"

(Yeah, I lied.)

Black Iris debunks the "You're not your illness" crap. Because no matter what, it's a part of you. You've lived with it too long for it not to be. Blythe wouldn't be Blythe without her fire, and Laney would have never fallen for her.

I'm wheelchair-bound and I honestly can't imagine life without it. Would I still like to read if I could've played dodgeball like everyone else? Would I still hate those assholes who don't take an escalator and cram in with me in a tiny shoebox elevator space? It's not that my disability is all of me, but it's a pretty damn big part.

In case, all the above didn't convince you, Black Iris screams feminism and has girl-on-girl action.



Read it.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Black Iris is not only provocative and alluring, but it also explores sexuality, the sexy side of f/f romance which every genre lack and the gritty, reality about mental illness, queerphobia and drugs.

I have zero intent on writing this mini review since everything has been said and done about Black Iris, but I want to properly do it nonetheless to show my appreciation for this book.

Plenty of things struck me the most about Black Iris, one of those is, it is beautifully written. I love the pretentious, lyrical, sexy tone of the book. It is poetic and that made a lasting impression on me.

I consumed books and read hundreds of them and so far, I’ve only found two characters who declared, “I don’t fit in the mold, I don’t fit in the default and that’s perfectly fine with me. Not everything has to be labeled.” That’s Connor Cobalt from Addicted Series and the protagonist of this story.

“If I was gay,” I told the ceiling, “I wouldn’t need an asterisk beside my name. I could stop worrying if the girl I like will bounce when she finds out I also like dick. I could have a coming-out party without people thinking I just want attention. I wouldn’t have to explain that I fall in love with minds, not genders or body parts. People wouldn’t say I’m ‘just a slut’ or ‘faking it’ or ‘undecided’or ‘confused.’I’m not confused. I don’t categorize people by who I’m allowed to like and who I’m allowed to love. Love doesn’t fit into boxes like that. It’s blurry, slippery, quantum. It’s only limited by our perceptions and before we slap a label on it and cram it into some category, everything is possible.” I glanced at Josh. “That’s me. I’m not gay, not bi. I’m something quantum. I can’t define it.”

It’s so amazing to read stories that makes me see a little bit of myself in them, stories that perfectly captures my identity. And that’s the power and beauty of reading.

Highly recommended!

Listen to my Black Iris fanmix on 8tracks. You can also see the full tracklist at tumblr. Review also posted at Young Adult Hollywood.

[Dear Faye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good god. If ever the day comes when I need a book about my life published, I will beg Leah Raeder to write it because I bet she can write from my perspective, own it, bring out emotions I didn't think were there before, and maybe even write sides of me I never even knew.

And here I thought Unteachable was Leah Raeder's masterpiece. Black Iris proved me wrong as this book made me feel as if I were the main character herself - the way it was written was just so sublime and so honest and raw and dark and enchanting that it was easy to imagine being in Laney's shoes and experience what she was experiencing. How does Leah Raeder do it? How is it so easy for her to connect a bunch of words together and make them seem like heaven-sent angel-sung poetry? Her writing is so bloody addicting that it actually consumes you whole, pulling you in, immersing you in the story, and making you absorb the emotions, and you eat them all up willingly.

Black Iris is dark. It's twisted and complex, full of hidden meanings and hidden motives and bottled-up feelings of lust, love, anger, regret, guilt, and rage. It's about characters that are not likeable by any means, as their lives are filled with things like sex, drugs, and alcohol, letting these things consume and even drive them. And yet... they feel real. I'd even say they were the realest characters I've had the honor of reading, the closest that I could see as truly human-like. They are so genuine in their flaws and in their imperfections and their screwed-up-ness, that I even saw myself in them. Does that make sense? Am I talking madness? How could I relate to people that are so fucked-up?

Because I just do. Even I get dark days sometimes where I lock myself in my room and let brooding thoughts consume me. And I somehow found that dark side in me in these characters, in the narrative and dialogue and scenes, resonating with me, hitting me hard where it hurt and making me feel, "Oh my god, someone gets it. Someone fricking gets it." Black Iris is one of the few books that have touched me that deeply, and it came from characters who've become who they've become because of the actions of others.

I know I've talked length about the characters and the writing and their effects on me, but hear me out: they are the best factors in this novel and they truly showcased Raeder's impeccable writing prowess. I didn't know this was actually a suspense and thriller book, as I was expecting something along the lines of unconventional romance like Unteachable, but goodness gracious me, even Raeder herself rocks this genre and with very unique LGBT characters, to boot. One thing is for sure: this author knows how to make a mystery sexy, absolutely relatable, and beautiful at the same time.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Initial reaction: I'm still trying to decide how to do the review for this book. Should I do a standard discussion review to kind of vet out all of my feels on this book, or should I do "Black Iris: The Musical" - which would be all in verse? (ROGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN HAVE NOTHING ON YOU - you may say, but I don't have that kind of confidence. >.<;;;) Maybe I might do both? I honestly have no idea yet.

In any case, "Black Iris" was a read I really liked and appreciated for the journey collectively speaking. There were parts I wasn't so thrilled about but I figure that's a discussion I can leave for the full review. I'll have to meditate on it more so may be a little bit before I post the full review, whatever form it takes on.

Although I should say: "Burn Away" by the Birthday Massacre is definitely the song this book made my head come back to. ("There's a fire in the city of pictures/leaving nothing but ashes below/it's only forever for a day/Tomorrow is burning away.")

Edit #1: Oh crap, just on the mention of "The Birthday Massacre" - THIS BOOK COVER HAS THE SAME COLORS TBM'S ALBUM COVERS DO. MIND BLOWN. PERFECT MUSICAL REFERENCE IS PERFECT.

Edit #2: This book is dark as heck. And I feel like I could talk about it for days, which is going to make this review a challenge.

Full review:

Screw it, bumping this up to 4.5 stars. I do have some issues with the narrative that I'll point out towards the end of this review, but I just noted in my Top Ten Tuesday (and I wholeheartedly believe) this was one of my favorite reads of 2015. I won't end up breaking the character limit for this review, but I will expound a bit on what I enjoyed about this novel (though it's always difficult to try to explain the ways in which you love what you read/gained from the experience of what you read.)

I thought of about ten billion ways of writing this review, and I decided the best way for me to do that is just lay it out in general. Looking back on it, I think "Black Iris" was my favorite New Adult read of 2015 for the sheer amount of ways it cans so many of the tropes in NA, creates a vivid and flawed protagonist that feels realistic but not too over the top considering what her character goes through, AND has beautifully sensual and lyrical writing.

Laney is a complex and complicated character rolled into one. I yearn for dimensional (even flawed) characters and this narrative provided such an intimate perspective of her experience. Her thirst for revenge was something that repelled the everloving heck out of me, while at the same time drawing me in to read more. This book explores Laney's bisexuality, her struggle with mental illness (bipolar disorder), and instances where she's bullied and belittled to the point where you can put a finger on her anguish and pain. But it's also bent on her quest for revenge against those who wronged her.

"Black Iris" is a dark and lyrical narrative in and of its own consideration, and reading about Laney's relationships with both Armin and Blythe are intense, dreamy, and sensual. The whole time I read this book, I had the music of The Birthday Massacre playing on repeat in my head (well, that and CHVRCHES, but I blame the flawless music references in here - which actually set the mood of the novel quite well without being overbearing.) I almost thought the fourth wall breaking would be something that deterred me, but honestly - in Laney's favor and her respective voicing, I think it worked (and it gives the proverbial finger to those who overdo the NA cliches to death).

If I had to speak on something that detracted from my enjoyment of the novel on an overarching note, it would be that towards the end of the novel, I felt like the momentum of the plot struggled a bit marching towards its conclusion. The beginning and middle parts of the novel had me at hello and I didn't want to put the novel down unless I had to. But when I hit probably the last fourth of the novel and when the reveal came in that respect, I remember thinking that the way it tied things together wasn't as smooth as the rest of the novel had been, and part of that might've been narrative pacing and trying to tie the loose ends of the revenge plot while at the same time maintaining Laney's voice and mindset.

When I put the book down, I'll admit it left me with a lot to think about, and usually the books that leave me with that feeling end up being ones that remain with me for a long time. (So much I bought my own copy of the novel after reading my digital galley.) So I was considering rating it at 4 stars, but said screw it and bumped it up by half a star because it was one of the reading experiences that resonated with me from the past year. I'm glad I had the opportunity to read this, and can't wait to read more from Leah Raeder in the near future.

Overall score: 4.5/5 stars.

Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Atria.

[Glass · Rating 5 out of 5]

5-left-me-speechless-stars

How I looked while reading Black Iris?



And then...



And after that big reveal?



After the last page?



FUCKING BRILLIANT!!!
READ IT!

[Keertana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t think I can adequately begin to express just how important of a book Black Iris is. I attend an extremely liberal, accepting college but, even then, this novel made me feel less alone and more comfortable in my own skin—and that’s no small feat.

Black Iris is a revenge story, one that I often found difficult to read, but Raeder’s prose is pure magic and it is impossible to stay away from this book for long. While Unteachable was a clear-cut forbidden romance, filled with emotion and romance, Black Iris is its darker, more mysterious cousin. Raeder crafts this novel in such a way that timelines converge, split apart, and shift dramatically. It’s easy to think you know what’s happening or what the end result is or who the victim and perpetrator really are—but, truly, you’ve simply been kept in the dark until the final, all-too-unpredictable reveal. It’s a brilliant feat of writing, this combination of prose and plot, and when you add Raeder’s cutthroat emotion—the kind that seeps into your skin and deep into the pits of your stomach—it is evident that Black Iris is different. It is special.

In all honesty, I do not love this book. I don’t think I could ever read it again—a strange combination of hitting too close to home and not too close at all—but that does not negate the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of it. More than anything else, I am grateful to Raeder for writing about sexual fluidity; for creating characters who do not fit in any boxes but still manage to find happiness. It is important for readers to be able to pick up a book and find characters they identify with—sexually, and personality-wise. With Unteachable Raeder already made strides in writing an unlikable heroine who, somehow, we manage to root for. With Black Iris, the lines are even more blurred. I do not know if I always rooted for this heroine, but I always respected and supported her decision; I always accepted who she was and her bravery in reaching that place of self-confidence.

Black Iris is best read blind. I hesitate to discuss the plot or the characters or anything, really, with the exception of my feelings. And, oh my, did I feel. I fell for the wrong characters, I rooted for the morally corrupt, I switched sides. There is nothing I love more than a novel that inspires such a wide range of emotion and with Black Iris, that is precisely what you are guaranteed. Leah Raeder, thank you for having the courage to write such an important, meaningful novel. I appreciate your guts and, in particular, you sharing your story in the acknowledgements section. It means more than you can know, perhaps.

[Evie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh. My. F**ing. God.
I can't. I just can not.
I am on the tour for this book and my stop is tomorrow, and I was really forcing myself to get through this because, you know, so many people seemed to have loved it, the publisher raved about it, I was told it was some sort of new groundbreaking, life-changing, orgasmic reading experience, but all I got out of this is a freaking reading slump and a groundbreaking, life-changing, non-orgasmic headache.

This book is just too pitch-black and messed up for my taste. It's heavy. No, scratch that. It's THE heaviest book I have ever read, and I got through Ulysses and a whole year or mandatory Holocaust reading without any problems. But Black Iris? It's a freaking black hole of doom. It's so convoluted, so all-over-the-place, so filled with abuse, drugs, suicide attempts, revenge, toxic relationship, angst, depression, repulsive sexual acts, pathology... it's just too much of a downer.

I don't understand what is the point of all this? I don't think being rejected by someone you had a crush on explains or justifies all of the shit that takes place in this story. The main character should probably be locked up in a mental institution - she is a danger to herself and everyone around her. This isn't cool or hip or impressive or even darkly twisted in a sexy kind of way, it's just fucking sick to the core. So yeah, I totally dig Leah's prose, though she could maybe tone it down a notch - just a notch, and yeah I did enjoy some of the sexy scenes and girl-on-girl actions - these were done extremely well. I'm just not sure why this book had to be so drastic and shocking in every aspect. I mean, for fucks sake, who hasn't been rejected at least once in life? I sure was. I also lived through like 3 years of bullying and that was even before I went to high school. Yes, it made me depressed and yes, it was hard to face the ball-sucking reality of my life at the time, but I did not turn to alcohol, drugs, putting out to strangers or murder plotting. That's just... not how this works.

And don't even get me started on the jumping between timelines. I did not know which way was up and it was just tiring to try and make sense of it all. I tried. I really did. For a moment I thought I could actually like this book, but this yet another Beautiful Disaster type of read for me. Totally not my cuppa tea.

[Dino-Jess ✮ The Book Eating Dinosaur ✮ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm bumping this up to five stars because I loved it even more the second time around.

I found something that resonated with me in nearly every chapter. This book makes my heart hurt, and burst with joy at the same time. And because this...

"If I was gay, I wouldn't need an asterisk beside my name...... I wouldn't have to explain that I fall in love with minds, not genders or body parts. People wouldn't say I'm 'just a slut' or 'faking it' or 'undecided' or 'confused.' I'm not confused. I don't categorize people by who I'm allowed to like and who I'm allowed to love. Love doesn't fit into boxes like that. It's blurry, slippery, quantum. It's only limited by our perceptions and before we slap a label on it and cram it into some category, everything is possible. That's me. I'm not gay, not bi. I'm something quantum."

All the stars.



~~~** Original Review September 2015 **~~~~

"I've tried so many ways to be normal. I just want to be myself for a little while."

This one hit me hard.

I actually had to take a break somewhere in the middle of reading it, because some of the deep, dark, filthy, dirty shit that Laney thinks, does, and regrets, echoed so deeply within my own soul that I had to look away for a minute to put myself back together.

This is not an easy book to read. It is not an easy book to experience. It is not an easy book to review.

"You're the last bright thing left in this world."

There is nothing inherently likeable about this book. There is nothing inherently enjoyable about this book either. It’s like watching a bloody car wreck, you watch these characters make horrible decisions, break people and things and destroy themselves, and yet it is so vivid you can’t bear to look away. And yet even with all this despair and destruction, there are these stunning glimpses into the human condition, love, life and this place we call the world.

"There's something inside me that spins too fast. Sometimes it makes me crazy."

The writing in this was positively poetic. It was incredibly evocative and brutally beautiful. There were often entire passages that were quote worthy, and hit so close to home that it often made me wonder if Leah Raeder was sitting inside my brain watching the way things were working in there and transcribing what was going on.

"Falling for someone is like pulling a loose thread. It happens stitch by stitch."

This book, simply put, is a mind fuck. It deals with depression, mental illness, sexuality and gender identity, substance abuse along with a myriad of other hard hitting and heavy topics. But it never makes light of any of them. It acknowledges how big these issues are, how broken we are, how broken the world is and paints a picture of one fractured soul trying to claw her way out of a dark hole and make herself something better and overcome the circumstances that she finds herself in.

"When you touch me it feels so cold. As if you're touching a chess piece, thinking about your next move."
"I am, you’re the white knight."

There was an ominous sense of foreboding in this from the very first page, but this was a riveting read that touched me more deeply than I think I can possibly express. It’s messed up, it’s crazy, it’s stupid, it’s psychotic, it’s wonderful and I think even if it is tough to do so, it is something that everyone should experience.

"Suffering is the only honest response to this life."

I am not giving full marks here, purely because I am not a poetry lover and sometimes found the poetry geekage a little overwhelming and this caused me to have a disconnect with this story, these characters and this world. That is my only criticism, however.

This is a book that smiles at you, while it is stabbing you in the back. It gave me all the feelings. Proceed with caution, but please, proceed.

4.5 nothing-hurts-more-than-being-alive Stars

Also posted over at The Book Eating Dinosaur.

[Sara (sarawithoutanH) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

CW: substance abuse, intense sexual scenes

This book was gritty and honest and so so so so good. The writing style is vivid and raw and left me reeling. It invoked so many conflicting feelings in me. This book is relentlessly dark and is definitely not for everyone. The narrator is unlikable and unreliable, but I absolutely loved her.

My only complaint is that the jumps between the two alternating timelines felt sporadic and sometimes it made the story hard to follow - it also left the big reveal and the ending feeling sort of rushed. But, overall, this book was sO GOOD.

[Alexis *Reality Bites*]

Dear Leah Raeder, I followed the link in your review and I am very intrigued with your new NA. I love different and I am always searching for something that does not follow the NA standard. When an author pushes boundaries I become a very happy reader.

I'm very anxious to see what this secret is... And I can't wait to meet Laney, Armin and Blythe.

PS, I will stalk you for teasers.

Your fan, Alexis Moore!

[Vanessa J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not the heroine of this story.
And I’m not trying to be cute. It’s the truth. I’m diagnosed borderline and seriously fucked-up. I hold grudges. I bottle my hate until it ferments into poison, and then I get high off the fumes. I’m completely dysfunctional and that’s the way I like it, so don’t expect a character arc where I finally find Redemption, Growth, and Change, or learn How to Forgive Myself and Others.
Fuck forgiveness.

Hands down. This is probably the best book I've read in 2015 and it will be difficult to top this read.

I'm going to admit something: When I first discovered this book, I didn't want to read it. The synopsis sounded interesting, but recently I had been terribly disappointed by a NA book and the (I'm a little ashamed of admitting this now; I've told you I've changed a lot in a little time) LGBT tag kind of repelled me. Now it doesn't – in fact, now I look for books that address those themes--, but it did back then, and it prevented me from shelving this.

Then, the ARC reviews started to appear and they were glowing ones. As you may expect, I couldn't help but feel curious. I decided to check on the author's books and I saw she had another book published (Unteachable), which I had been recommended before, but hadn't cared to read. In my “research”, I found this blog post by the author. It completely changed my mind about this book.

So why all the ramble? Because I'm really glad I decided to get over my narrow-mindedness.

Black Iris is not your typical NA novel. Forget about fairy-tales, cute romances and hope-filled stories. This is all about revenge.

I’m the black iris watered by poison. The wolf that raised its head among sheep and devoured its way, ruthless and bloody, to freedom. I never forgave, never forgot.

I'm not going to spoil you details about the plot, but you have to know that this book is dark. The character's actions were sometimes morally questionable, yet that didn't prevent me from loving it.

As in Unteachable, the characters in Black Iris are not of the typical kind. They're complex, realistic, can be unlikable, but they're also easily relatable. Laney's struggles, for example, are things a lot of teenagers struggle with too. That said, the character development was also great. You root for the characters, even when you know you probably shouldn't.

“If you hate human connection so much, why come with us?”
Because I don’t hate it. I hate how much I need it.
Because you’re the ones I was waiting for.
Because you smell like prey.

Writing style is just as perfect. How would I describe it? Beautiful, vivid... explosive, as I said in my review of Unteachable. There are no coherent thoughts that can express how much I love Leah's writing style. Look at this passage, for example:

Two girls, cherry-mouthed, glitter-lashed, our skin luminous with moonlight and sweat, making out beneath pennants that still shivered with the afternoon’s boy bravado.
If only you bastards could see me now.

AH-MAZING. My reaction to whatever she writes is basically this:



But what makes Black Iris so special? Besides all the things I've mentioned, this book also goes beyond entertainment. It's also a study on humanity. A study of humanity's darkness and evil. Or well, at least that's how I felt it. I feel like this book is going to be important to some people, too, because the themes addressed in it are things we should talk about more commonly.

There's another thing I absolutely loved in this book, and that was the references to classics. I don't know why, but for some reason it makes me feel less stupid, and I also feel like it increases people's interest in classics. Like, I added a ton of books to my TBR after finishing this. It also felt glorious whenever I read one of those quotes and I recognised the work.

Don't expect anything like Unteachable when/if you read this, because they're not similar at all. Unteachable, even when it's better than most NA, still has that NA feel in it. This one does not have it, on the other hand. But I loved that, because this is more like my kind of book. Dark, dark, dark. So dark the light cannot escape it. I wonder what it says about me that my favorite kind of books are these ones.

Girls love each other like animals. There is something ferocious and unself-conscious about it. We don’t guard ourselves like we do with boys. No one trains us to shield our hearts from each other. With girls, it’s total vulnerability from the beginning. Our skin is bare and soft. We love with claws and teeth and the blood is just proof of how much. It’s feral.

Amazing writing, great characterisation, bloody awesome plot twists, hot sex, strong themes addressed correctly... what else do I need to say to convince you to read this? As I said at the beginning, this is probably the best book I've read in 2015. I feel nothing I write will ever do justice to this book, but oh well, I did my best.

Highest possible recommendation. BELIEVE THE HYPE!

...

Pre-review:

I need this book in my life so much that it's almost going to make me sick. I liked Unteachable a lot. I didn't love it, but the writing was so amazing I made my rating go up. This is Leah's writing effect on me:



(I'm a fool for beautiful writing)

April 28th still seems a long way from now, and I simply cannot wait to read this book. It looks so much better and kickass than Unteachable, and that one had lots of good and kickass things. It's also going to be my first f/f, just so you know.

THE COUNTDOWN IS STARTING!

[Beth Hudspeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by: Hello Beautiful Book Blog

This book entrusts you with secrets, feelings that are so heavy you feel like you are holding it all together for the characters. Dark isn't for everyone, but those who connect will find this is one of the best.

It's going to be hard for me to put my thoughts into words about how much I loved this book. It's not for the normal reasons one would love a book. I didn't have a certain connection to one of the characters. I didn't have a connection to the plot or the resolution. I loved this book for the shear gripping quality of the words on the page. I was completely engrossed with this dark tale of a past riddled with torment and grief and a present filled with bravery and revenge. I loved the way the sentences were arranged. I loved the lyrical quality of the words on each page. I loved the formatting of the chapters, back and forth. If books were languages, the way this one is written would be my favorite language of all. Just absolutely amazing writing. I just sat there shaking my head in wonder after I closed the last page. I don't know if you've ever experienced that before, but when you do, you will know what style speaks to you. This one was it for me.

“I never wanted to be saved. I wanted someone to follow me down into the darkness.”

Now onto the actual content of the book. It is intensely dark. Everything surrounding Laney feels somewhat tainted. I'm not sure if that's the right word, but that's the one that came to mind. She is plagued with a past of grief that is slowly played from start to finish. It is intertwined with the present day Laney who is no longer tormented, but is still reminded in her thoughts. It starts to show through her current interactions what kind of abuse she has endured at the hands of someone else. It all felt sort of like a whirlwind of emotions. You think you know what's happening until something else comes out of nowhere and smacks you in the face.

“I am not the heroine of this story."

The relationships of all the characters are so... complicated? I think that's the best way to put it. They are so knitted together that it's hard to see where one relationship begins and the other one ends. Blythe and Armin were such rich characters. They are so different, but so much the same in many ways. Their connection with Laney was something so interesting to read about. All three of them are one of a kind characters. It's hard to figure out the dynamic of the group at first such as who the leader will be and what each is wanting from this friendship. A lot of what I loved about the book besides that it just spoke to me was the character dynamics. The secrets the group held and the loyalty of them. I loved reading each chapter to find out how the characters would shift before my eyes.

“Falling for someone is like pulling a loose thread. It happens stitch by stitch. You feel whole most of the time even while the seams pop, the knots loosen, everything that holds you together coming undone. It feels incredible, this opening of yourself to the world. Not like the unraveling it is. Only afterward do you glance down at the tangle of string around your feet that used to be a person who was whole and self-contained and realize that love is not a thing that we create. It's an undoing.”

The timeline of the plot really gave this book an edge. You sort of skip around between time frames and find out a little more each time you switch. The plot was thoughout really well. Revealing just enough to keep you on your toes and becoming so involved within this web of deceit and lies. The unreliability of the narrator keeps you guessing between fiction and truth.

“Sometimes all you know about where you're going is that it's away from where you are.”

This book was pretty much all around awesome! I've read one other book by Raeder and I absolutely loved it too. Unteachable was dark and wordy. His writing is hypnotizing. I will be so interested in everything he writes in the future. For anyone who doesn't know, I am using "he" because Leah Raeder is now Elliot Wake. He has a new upcoming book releasing in December called Bad Boy under his new name.

“Maybe all you need to pull you back form the ledge is to know someone would miss you if you fell.”

I love dark and twisty.
Scary and damaged.

I don't think I will be disappointed with anything by this author.

[Evelyn (devours and digests words) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strength is not in the body, it’s in the mind. It doesn’t lie in flexing your muscles and crushing those who oppose you. It lies in being the last one standing. By any means. At any cost.

I don't know how the hell to review this toxic gem of a story. There is just no way to do it justice. None.

Reading Black Iris from page to page feels like falling… into a black hole.

I've finished reading the book more than 15 hours ago and I'm still quite dazed from the mindfuckery of it all. Full review to come when I've recovered. If I recover at all, damn it.