I appreciate how this book took labels away and made Rafe -the main character- so much more than his sexuality. It was sad that he felt the need to hide a part of himself before the rest of the world would see him, but it says a lot about how stereotypes can affect us. I found an instant trust build with the author because I knew he would be writing about someone with a lot of depth. Rafe essentially tries to shed a "distracting" label by replacing it with inaccurate ones. It highlights just how broken the social system is. Of course the further he repressed himself, the less he acted like himself (unless he was within safe company). His vision is admirable, but he goes about it the wrong way - making for an interesting and original read. 
 The story illustrates that making a big deal out of homosexuality -either positive or negative- can potentially be harmful because that isn't equality. It's slightly unsettling to receive special treatment for what is deemed so normal for straight people. So yeah, it was refreshing reading a book that focuses on these issues rather than just coming out of the closet. 
 The humour in this book was so quirky and authentic that you can't help but think these characters would be fun to hang out with. The story also handled serious well with clever bits of psychology and realistic drama. The characters were colorful and interesting with all their imperfections. 
 Now, I have to be honest (yes, that was a reference to the book haha), the ending was a little too ambiguous for my taste. It brought it down a star for two spoilerific reasons; (view spoiler)[Rafe is not a perfect character, though he was close to redeeming himself. It cuts off right as he discovers his flaws and is on the verge of fixing them, though we never get to witness him finally doing something about it. He talks about making a stronger effort to look deeper into others but still seems locked in himself. The parts that I did not like about his character were still relatively present at the end (bringing it down .5 of a star). I wanted to see him reflect on those close to him and using what he learned to repair their relationships, which I thought was what the story was building up to. Why not drive the message in? He was never rewarded for coming clear and finally being honest. So in my opinion it ended before the ending (for the other half of the star). It was a light book, so why not have a fun resolution that echoes the nature of the writing? If Rafe and Ben were never meant to overcome the barriers, why end it during winter break and not at the end of the school year? It implies there is more when there isn't. Why not underline their goodbye could have been their final goodbye? Was it? I don't know. It's the 'maybe' that I don't like. It threw me off and only got me excited for a reunion that we never get. Not a fan of false hope or having to make my own ending up. (hide spoiler)] ...Note: the only reason this upsets me is because I liked this book enough to care. So despite all of the above, it was still an enjoyable read and it actually kills me that I can't give it a full five star rating. It was damn close! 
 So now that you got this far in the review, just do yourself the favour and read the book. You won't regret it!