I definitely agree with Ericka on this one! I had read some not so great reviews of this one before I started, and I don't always have the best track record with loving contemporary novels, anyway, so I was pleasantly surprised whenever I started to get into the story.

At first, I was afraid this book was going to be a case of "loved the writing, hated the characters". Dellaria has a fantastic, lyrical, honest way of writing from Laurel's POV, but I found myself frustrated early on with all of the characters and their behavior. As the book goes on, though, they all get more depth and you start to understand their motivations and actions more. It is a bit of a long payoff to get the backstory for the characters, but I think if you hang in there, it's worth it.

The real star of this book is Dellaria's writing style, however. Laurel has gone through some incredibly traumatic events, some of which she can barely even admit to herself. The way that Laurel's depression comes across on the page feels so very real. I'm in awe of how well this was shown, through her thoughts and actions, that it really made the book for me. It's hard sometimes, as a detached reader (especially one who is years removed from being a high school freshman), to always sympathize with Laurel and her decisions, but it makes so much more sense when you consider all that she and her family have been through, and the lack of support/structure she's getting from the adults in her life. My heart really went out to her, the more we saw what her life was like, and I'm glad to say that by the end, things are getting better (even if the last chapter or so made me almost cry on the train).

As Ericka mentioned, there are some adult themes, including some sublplots regarding sexual assault, so proceed with some caution. I think everything is very well handled in the book and that mature readers will be fine with it.