What? I don't know where to start or how to start. It has been mere moments after I've completed the book, completed my first ever trilogy.What? Okay, I need to brace myself for this.
There are heavy spoilers in my review
So, let's start by complimenting how intricately and meticulously the author crafted Pip's mental dilemma and how her trauma was affecting her; making a nest in her soul and slowly eating away her life. The author successfully portrays how traumatizing and dreadful a person’s day to day life can be affected by witnessing a heinous crime and being directly involved in it; Stanley's death. As the story progresses Pip's mental demeanour and state of mind descends into insanity and madness as her trauma keeps away feeding her soul and the drugs she takes to numb her mind, to calm herself down.
We can also see how her views and perception of justice twists and blurs into a thin line due to the fact that how unfair and terrible the justice system and the societal views can be. Max was found not guilty. This is where it all started, Pip's overarching anger and wrath for Max and her growing distrust of the law and justice just kept growing. She became a beast who would swallow Max, her hate and wrath for him were astronomically high in many, many levels to a point where it seemed very maniacal and fearful, to a certain degree where she was justifying other criminals and their horrific crimes to put more hate on Max and to feed her beast inside, conveying how her perception of morality and injustice blurs into a fine thread. This trail in her descending mentality is what the story holds to and follows. This distrust in the law made her like this, and can we blame her for that? The author successfully displays how one chooses to take justice in their own hands and why they do it, not for the sole purpose of revenge, but to grant the criminal with justice, and the author provides a mockery and criticism to the unfair justice system and points at the supreme court by showing Pip's mental deterioration and her actions.
Pip's actions. Now, while Pip was struggling with her mental health and her endless dilemma between right and wrong, things take a turn for good. Pip gets abducted and long story short she kills Jason, her kidnapper. Now, she could have run away, left everything behind and ran. But she didn't, here is what made her kill him, the unfair law and the distrustful world. She knew, from her past aquiantance (sorry I forgot how to spell the word) and experience that she would be let down and the killer, her killer, would be free and roaming. So, she takes justice into her own hands and kills him, just like Charlie. Is she wrong? Yes, she definitely is wrong and this is immoral and a crime.
This is where the author points at, what drives people to get into the act of revenge, or shall I say the act to put one in justice, to commit such atrocities. Pip had her reasons and throughout the books she tries to justify herself and her actions, but yet somehow falls into the dreaded void and begs for something to make her change. To bring her back to her previous self. This shows the humanity in her, her cry displaying the fearful innocent little girl in her heart, and her humane nature. And see? Pip actually took the initiative to distance herself from the others so that even if they finds out that Pip is the murderer of Jason Bell and not Max (I'll soon go into there); then only she should be blamed and taken into custody for the murder, not the others who helped her pull the alibi and made everything go according to the plan. This shows her brink of humanity and picks her up from the void of darkness and hollow; the same void then eats away at her soul constantly making her overthink with "if's" and "what's", constantly keeping her at the edge and making her wait for the worst.
Now, Max. As I mentioned previously, Pip's overflowing and dangerously eerie hatred and repulsion for Max had turned into the form of a demon as she chose to frame him for the murder which she committed, the demon laughing as her plan unfolds successfully and taking over Pip's mind flowing it with hatred and wrath. All because the justice system failed, how everything branched from there and how it changed lives of individuals and made them drive for committing such actions. Just like another book I read, " The Silent Parade" by Keigo Higashino. But here, we are specifically following the perspective of a girl, Pip, whose mental state declines and how the actions and events in each and every book affects her and changes her as a person. We saw her decline and her drive to immorality and madness, the demon in her rising and roaring and yet her pointless cries for being back to "normal". These events left a permanent scar in her heart. And we follow her and her demise.
Now, I would like to spare a few words for Ravi. Ravi who was always there by Pip's side no matter what and always supported her and was there to hug her prevented her from throwing herself into the void of demise and corruption from where she could've never come back. He was the sanity in her insanity and dread. He was the light to her desperate candle, her guide to staying true to herself. The impact and significance of this character is immense and we can see how their relationship develops throughout the series. Such a charming and warm character Ravi is, the point where they were saying their " last goodbyes" truly had a toll on me and left me with an underlying sense of dread and hollow. And, honorable mention to the other people close to her, who too played an important role in keeping her away from the monster that she could've become.
Before I conclude, I would like to say a few words about the ending and its impact. So, Pip won, yeah. But the thing is, the fact that she won is another finger pointed at the justice system and how it once again fails to provide Justice. An ongoing mockery beautifully executed by the author. I already mentioned enough about this so I won't now. Also I loved how the author gave more character depth and development to Andie from that "ruthless bully" to someone with complexity and reasons.
This was very different from the first 2 books. And I liked it the most, it dwelled into Pip's psychology and her descent and how the ongoing actions and events affect one's life and twist away that their morals and ideals. While in the first 2 books, Pip was investigating, here she was covering for her crime. The irony, wow, magnificently laid down by the author. And I really loved the book for what it was and had a great time with it.
Can't believe I finished the series, I will miss the cast and everyone. Maybe in the near future I will give it a reread, but it will never be like reading them for the first time. Just wanted to see Pip and Ravi marry though, that's the only thing I felt the author should've added (nah I'm just inhaling hopium). Loved the book and adored the series. Truly a gem to find such series. Fun, enjoyable, thoughtful and deep.
by manthan_zzzz