Alright, so, this book was pretty good. I was sort of torn between rounding a 3.5 to 3 or 4 stars. When I first started the book, I found it kind of boring and slow. I tend to read more face-paced adventure or fantasy novels, which are my favorite and why I gave this book the rating I did. But this book also had something special. It just about an ordinary boy in a less than ordinary town and his interests and struggles and interactions as he tries to figure out the world. You get to know him, and his family, and the people of the tiny town. And sooner or later you realize that you're invested. The most powerful message to me was - Seriously, don't judge, because you have no idea what that other person has gone/is going through ... whether it's an angsty teen that talks back or doesn't complete a homework assignment .. a tough, irritable coach who has a short fuse and nasty temper .. or a cranky, old librarian lady who gives you an evil look if you so much as breathe too loudly. That was my favorite part of this book by far, slowly discovering that things (and people) are not always what they seem. I recommend it.