This is a character-driven book. It deals with relationships, friendship, sexuality, loyalty, and love. It deals with what happens to people when they let the world know they’re gay (both the good and the bad). It deals with long distance relationships, with forgiveness and letting go, with heartbreak and joy, and the discovery of self. There may not be a lot of “plot” apart from these girls’ struggles with their lives and relationships (which sounds very soap opera when I write it here but doesn’t feel at all soap opera when reading), but the book is deep and honest. It felt real, and was very well written. Life and people are a strange mix of messy and neat, and so was this.

My description can’t give it justice without filling in plot points, and I don’t want to do that. I don’t want to ruin this for anyone who might be interested in reading. It was a beautiful book, one of the first treatments of sexuality, especially learning one’s sexuality, that I’ve enjoyed and felt was real and honest. Yes, I know, I’m repeating adjectives here. What else can I say? It was good. It transcends YA. You should read it. It was painful and sweet and everything else all mixed up. I’m glad I bought it. I will definitely read it again. The book was everything I expected but didn’t receive from November Ever After last year.

This is my second book by Maureen Johnson, and I so far have really enjoyed her writing. I like the way she thinks and talks. Anyone who can make her characters casually toss out references to Seventh Heaven deserves praise. 🙂