3.5 stars 
 Ok -- the number of Walter Boys was DOUBLE the Brady Bunch, like a dozen of them, minus one, Parker, who was a girl but a tomboy nonetheless. I thought I wouldn't be able to tell the Walter Boys apart, but the author did such a great job handling the different personalities that I felt like I really got to know them as Jackie did. 
 I'm only half impressed with Cole, and I think he missed the swooniness scale by about half. To me, the chemistry between Jackie and Cole was lackluster so I was indifferent to the outcome of the story. I gravitated more toward Nathan, especially of the way he and Jackie related to each other. There was something so genuine and so special about their relationship that when words went unsaid, they could find comfort even in their silence. Nathan was more leading man material than than other Walter Boys: he was kind, caring, sweet, and adorable. What can I say? I'm into the quiet, musician type. (I married one.) 
 Grief and pain really drove the story but I think this was overwhelmed by the bombardment of the Walter clan. There are many books out there where the protagonists need healing from a devastating loss and their stories are always bittersweet. This book achieves this at a minimum, definitely not to the same degree as some of the other books, like The Sky Is Everywhere and The Start of Me and You. Nevertheless, it was enjoyable, just not swoon-worthy.