I'm a rabid fan of Ness and the writing here is captivating as always. So it's excruciatingly difficult to shake my bias and admit that this is not my favourite of his works. 
 The story flat out admits that it's NOT about the main characters in this world ...and I can't help but wonder what potential it'd have if the cast were. I would rather it was advertised as a slice-of-life story and didn't have the contrast of all this supernatural craziness that baited a more exciting tale. I like contemporary and all, but it can be a bit mundane. And we are reminded again and again how mundane it is here. 
 That being said, it shows the power of Ness' writing if he can keep me going to the end of a book based on his writing style alone. That deserves a lot of credit. 
 Just... don't expect a plot that reaches beyond a high school prom, okay?