Julie is the sort of character that gives "hipsters" a bad name. She goes out of her way to try to be different, and I felt she was pretentious and judgmental. Even when describing her own mother, who raised her alone after her father left as "lacking depth...but nice." 
 Still, the most frustrating part of her character for me was how incredibly nosy she is. It feels like her social skills are lacking. It's very bad form to pry into the secrets of a family that has been kind enough to let you stay in their home, especially after continuously being told to drop it. This doesn't seem to register with her, however. 
 (view spoiler)[ Additionally, I felt Julie's attempts to "heal" Celeste were mostly about making her conform (ironic considering how much Julies tries to stand out), and many of these changes were cosmetic. Julie teaches Celeste about nail polish, teen dramas, and how to act like a bratty teenager. I don't see how this is "improving" a little girl with PTSD and underdeveloped social skills. And what does it matter if she doesn't use contractions? I truly hope Julie doesn't end up becoming a psychologist. 
 On to Finn. After realizing the truth about him, I became very angry, and that never went away. Julie was able to forgive Matt, but I wasn't, which made me pretty unhappy with the conclusion of the novel. (hide spoiler)] 
 The thing I did find interesting about this book is how it focused on family dynamics and the psychology of a family that hasn't moved past a tragedy. I think this is an interesting scenario, and all the characters in the family are well-rounded. In this way, it's a little bit reminiscent of Long Day's Journey into Night. 
 Unfortunately, Julie, the least likeable character, is the focus of the story. I can't help wondering what the book would have been like without her.