I thought this book had a lot of potential--the concept was well developed and the over all chronology immaculately organized. The circular meetings were both confusing and perfectly clear. And yet... I found the book to be over the top with sexual description. It wasn't romantic, it was vulgar. Moreover, the author takes the most sensitive and pure character in the book (Clare, although I suppose Alba really is) and makes her pathetic and weak (and somewhat slutty) in the end. The affair with Gomez? Sure, it was brief, but it was disgustingly graphic, a moment of pure weakness on Clare's part, and incredibly self centered (isn't Charisse Clare's friend??). I think I might have overcome the other vulgarity if it weren't for the decimation of Clare's character in the end.