Not as good as Speak but still very good. In some ways it's a very realistic portrayal of the stresses over-achievers pile on themselves, and the eventual crash-and-burn when things fall apart. Kate's deferment and eventual rejection from MIT are basis enough for Kate's world to fall apart, but when her neighbors' house burns down and they move in with Kate's family, naturally things are going to get even rougher. Kate and Teri don't get along at the best of times, and then more and more bad stuff just keeps happening. 
 There's a certain point where it all just seems too much, and I don't just mean "the characters are starting to crack under the strain"--I mean that it's too many things heaped into one novel. Ultimately, it works, but it's so close to tipping that balance that I can't justify five stars for it.