This brings me back to middle school. Not just because of how very teenage some of the characters can be, but also because I'd read this, along with the next three books in the series, back then. It's a weird mix of feeling for me, experiencing the very YA story at 21 vs 14. It's this strange sense of nostalgia and adrenaline--I remember clearly how badass and awesome I'd thought Rose was when I was 14--mixed with the tsk-tsk knowing-ness that comes from being a few years removed from high school. I don't think my teenage self fully grasped just how reckless and stupid Rose could be sometimes. Hell, I don't even remember balking too much at her "love" life or the careless way she treated her reputation sometimes--I really think I had a case of hero worship going on. Rose was everything my shy, careful teenage self wasn't. 
 The petty drama in this book though. . . . I do remember how much that bugged me the first go-round, and it was even worse this time now that I've matured somewhat. To be honest, if I were reading this book for the first time, I'd probably deduct a full two stars for it. Hell, I might've dropped the book without finishing it. It gets pretty ridiculous and overwhelms most of the plot of this book. What kept me going though was my vague memory of how much better the series (at least, what I had read of it) gets better as it goes on. There's still drama to come, mind you, but it gets less petty and more important and/of political, if my memory serves me. It gets to be more manageable, at the very least. 
 Somehow, I'd managed to forget most of the plot points of this book, so it was kinda like finally catching the full showing of a movie I'd caught scattered bits and pieces of on TV throughout the year. I didn't predict the twist, but I soon realized why I forgot it (it's surprising, but not Earth-shattering). I'd forgotten the pacing of the romances, and found new sympathy for characters I'm sure I'd had little for before, especially poor friendzoned guy, Natalie, and Mia. And now that I've read a lot more, I can more fully appreciate how different this series feels from a lot of what I read (or maybe that's some aftereffects of the hero-worship--really, I am sooo different from Rose and she is so flawed, I don't know why I live her so much). 
 I am eager to continue my rereading journey, and finally complete this series.