** spoiler alert ** While the book as a whole didn't really do much for me, Hocking did leave me wanting to read more about Alice, Jack, and Peter, if only to find out how (or if) they will ever solve their dilemma.

Part of my problem with the book is Alice herself. As a person who loves school (and *chose* to go back many years after finishing college) and someone who wants to do something valuable with my life, I cannot relate to Alice's lack of interest in getting an education, lack of interest in any sort of future career, and I can't wrap my head around why it does not bother her at all that Jack does *nothing* but play video games or go out to clubs even though he's 24 years old and *should* be a valuable contributing member of society at this point in his life. Sure, he doesn't need money to support himself, but I'd like him a lot more if he weren't a lazy bum and, I don't know...volunteered his time somewhere for a good cause, or had some crappy, low-paying job even. If I won the lottery tomorrow and didn't have to work a day in my life after that, I would definitely be finding ways to volunteer my time or some low-paying but fun job to keep me occupied. However, despite the fact that both Alice and Jack annoy me, I can see how they might appeal to teenagers who may not be interested in school and may fantasize about a life like Jack's.

I've read other reviews where people have problems with the fact that Alice is drawn to Peter despite the fact that he treats her like crap and is a total asshole to her. That aspect of the book doesn't bother me because it serves as a perfect illustration of the fact that the physical/pheromone/chemical connection between the two of them is not something either of them has any logical control over. Alice doesn't actually *want* to be with Peter in her brain, but the chemicals make it so she just can't stop herself. If she had a choice in the matter, it seems clear she would not choose Peter. But she doesn't have a choice (or at least at this point in time it appears she doesn't have a choice), and that's the point.

Back to what kept me reading until the end. Alice meets Jack and they form a sort of friendship, that over time, morphs into more-than-friends feelings on both their parts. Alice meets Jack's "brother," Peter, and has an immediate attraction/lust/pheromone-induced connection that she doesn't necessarily want and can't control (he feels the same). I'm not usually one for love triangles, but I think what works for me about this one so far is that it isn't actually a love triangle. Alice loves Jack and Jack loves Alice. The connection between Alice and Peter is some purely chemical reaction their blood has to each other and neither seems to want it, but they can't get away from it either. To complicate matters, the physical connection between Alice and Peter will make it so that if Jack ever drinks from Alice, Peter will know and be forced to kill both Alice and Jack (like...literally unable to stop himself from doing it, even if he wanted to stop). I'll probably keep reading the series just to figure out how there is any sort of resolution to this impossible situation.