It's a simple tale, yes, but there is so much to love: The characters, the writing, and just the poignance of it all. Perhaps, what really hit the spot for me was how much I could relate to the main character, and despite the mess he goes through, I felt like I wanted to be him. Because in a way, this book does in fact turn you into Aristotle Mendoza. 
 It's a story about youth and family and about how hard and intense and lonely it is to be someone who's had to learn to "play by different rules." It could be read as a cliche concept, yes, but the writing does the premise so much favors. 
 Heart-breaking at some points and uplifting at many others, this book is without a doubt young adult literature at its finest. That it gives positive representations of LGBT relationships and people of color is just icing on a really good cake. 
 The gist, though, is that I've got a lot of feelings for this book. Simple as that.