The world/setting for this story was pretty different than most of the UF I've been reading lately and I enjoyed the change of pace. Though the way the characters in Downside speak was a little difficult at first, I didn't even notice it after a while. I had a bit of a hard time identifying with Chess, but as the book went on and you got flashes from her past you could understand her a little better. I liked that her drug use caused her problems and wasn't too glamourized. It appeared to save her a couple of times, but it wouldn't have been necessary if she wasn't so wacked out from her previous drug use. 
 I really like Terrible and as Chess got to know him and realized he wasn't just a big idiot she actually made a friend. I'm not a fan of Lex - he's not an awful guy, all things considered, but he's really just a symptom of her depression and another drug to dull the pain and memories. 
 (view spoiler)[ I really like Chess and Terrible together. He has integrity and will always keep her safe. When he realized she was too messed up to really be making a conscious decision to be with him he cut things off even though he obviously wanted to proceed and even though he was angry he still watched who she went home with to make sure she was safe. That they are actually becoming friends is great and will hopefully help heal them both before they start a relationship, but I don't want them to wait too long :) (hide spoiler)]