This gets an automatic four stars because it's a Sarah Dessen book and so it's already at that extremely good level. And it's a weird thing where if this wasn't a Dessen book, I'd be like THIS IS SO GREAT! But because I've read her other books, I have to say this is not my fav. I liked Sydney as a character very much, and some of the plot twists caught me by surprise, so all good. The whole thing with Ames was maybe the strongest/most terrible part, perfectly written to convey just how awkward and terrible this whole thing was. I hadn't read an account of that creepy vibe before, and really applaud her showing how important it is for girls (and women) to trust their gut feelings about creepy dudes. Mac was your standard issue Dessen dreamboat, no complaints there. I guess I just didn't ache with love for this as I did with some of her others. Still, enjoyable, recommended, etc.