The village of Romello was a mingle of beggars and peasants and dethroned kings, and this, far from disgusting its inhabitants, provoked in them a sense of pride for their bizarre exoticism. It was a good place to live if you didn't care what others thought about you, or if, on the contrary, you cared too much. There was no middle ground because everybody would know what you had for breakfast, how much money you earned, who you kissed and who you didn't, if you cheated on an exam or stole something from a shop, who you liked, even if you didn't quite know it yourself.
Valba Barsel didn't care what others thought, so for her, Romello was as good a place to live as any other.
Ella is falling apart trying to live a "perfect" high school life. Then she meets Ren, who can see past her scars. Suddenly perfection isn't her only option.
*****
Ella Volkov is a gifted music student, but she's depressed and starting to crack under the pressure of high school. Her overbearing father won't even let her choose what instrument she plays. Then she finds herself alone at a party with Ren, her best friend's crush. She'd always thought he was rude, but after that night he's all Ella can think about. Now she's trapped. If Ella dates Ren, it will ruin her friendship with Jenny. But if she stays true to Jenny, she's losing the one person who can see past her scars. It's up to Ella to decide if she will forge her own path, or stay in the "perfect" box designed for her...
Content and/or Trigger Warning: depression, anxiety, self-harm, violence, sexual assault.
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