Malice

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher EntangledTeen via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! In no way does this affect my rating or review. All included quotes have been taken from an ARC and may not match the finished publication. Content Warning: Attempted Murder, Virus Epidemic, Discussion of Suicide, Profanity, borderline Child neglect, Depression/borderline Mental Illness, Death of a child, Bullying, Disowning "Don't tell anyone about me, Malice." Archie is a genius that is heading off to Harvard in a few months. Alice wants to be a photographer for National Geographic. The siblings had always been close, but became much closer after their mother left them six years ago. With their father mostly absent, and her brother's slow decent into despair, Alice works tirelessly to take care of and protect her brother. "Your parents are supposed to love you above all else. And when they don't, you can't help but question your wroth. I should know." While seeing to her brother, Alice also nurses many wounds that her parents afflicted on her. Her father's sudden disinterest in her since their mother left had left her questioning what is wrong with her. Undoubtedly, her brother feels the same. Such brilliance that he possesses places him in a caliber that many cannot relate with, and it makes him the odd man out. One day, Alice has an odd, painful, and terrifying experience. Her older self speaks inside her mind. Identifying herself as Malice, she makes Alice aware that the world is about to be plagued by an epidemic that will wipe out two thirds of the world's population. The sun, the most important natural resource that sustains human life on earth, will become it's biggest enemy, as people will become allergic to UV rays. Unable to ignore this catastrophic news, Alice finds herself on a mission trying to figure out which boy in her school will unleash the devastating virus. The voice in her head appears at random, and has her do odd things in order to help with her "mission." One of those tasks entails of her telling one of the most popular guys in school that she loves him. Mortification only lasts for a short while, as Bandit is swept into this mission when he learns that his uncle plays a key role in the creation of the virus. Alice, in the middle a manhunt, also has to deal with the daily pressures of high school, caring for her brother, and dealing with the weight of the world on her shoulders. MALICE was a surprising read. It is incredibly fast-paced, packed full of twists, and will constantly keep the reader guessing who is behind what, as there are a lot of factors at play. Ultimately, MALICE is about acceptance and friendship. It really has a very strong message, and is incredibly heart-wrenching. One thing I thought was weird was that Alice was pretty unaffected for the most part that she would have to kill someone. She's no assassin, and the lack of her reaction to that part of her mission felt unreal. Despite this and the lack of much physical description of characters, I thought the character building was decent between these characters. These characters offer diversity in grapple with several real-life difficulties. Vulgarity: Some. Sexual content: Kissing. Violence: Moderate. My Rating: ★★★1/2