(1/8/2024)
I thought this mystery book had a lot of interesting plot twists, and really made me think about how real this book could be, even though it seemed so hard to imagine some of the things that happened to the characters. In the beginning of the book it seemed that Theo had made some poor decisions when sharing information, and trusting people. However, as she evolved in the book, it seemed that she was making much more dramatic decisions and trusting only herself. It was especially scary that Theo had to take care of herself while on the run, having her life dictated by a corrupt organization and trying to figure out a safe way home, protecting her brother at the same time. This was marvelously done!! Theo's commitment to her brother (and Gus to her), was such a great plot point, and felt it helped move the story. There was so much mystery within this book, and with clever descriptions, it was engaging and a bit stressful knowing that the families were safe. I liked also the plot points that Gus and Theo came from a very unusual backgrounds, and that their parents did not trust society (until they felt they needed to leave their compound), and that Mac also came from an unusual family background. There were similarities for sure, but also that these characters lived different kinds of lives and had a very strong sense of taking care of each other. Mac was my favorite character...I loved his attitude, his attention to detail and the people he cared about, how he was able to manage his family, and was really devoted to his work. I carried the book around with me so whenever I could capture a few minutes I would continue the book!