Wrede strikes again with another off-beat fantasy that subverts the common tropes. In an unfamiliar world divided into Light and Dark, what does it really mean to be a Dark Lady? That's what Wrede's protagonist Kayla has to figure out. Most of the named characters come to feel fleshed out and 3-dimensional as the book progresses, and it feels like the flatness of some characters is an intentional choice to reflect the restraints of the world that they refuse to let go of. Some characters remain mysterious, but, again, I think that's more due to the characters' natures than any errors on Wrede's part. Reading this book as an adult, I particularly like the portrayal of Kayla's adoptive mother. Wrede strikes of beautiful balance of showing Kayla's typical teen frustrations with a protective parent while also portraying her mother as someone you'd want as your own parent. She is a wonderful parent, but also an imperfect person who is doing her best to cope.