I read this book when I was a young teenager (in a time before Twilight) and then I reread it again when I was somewhere around twenty to see how it held up and I was surprised. It's a surprisingly strong novel for being a young adult novel. 
 I am not the type of woman who is forever shopping in the teen section of the bookstore, so I was expecting this book to really disappoint the sophisticated adult me, especially since it's about vampires who fall in love with high school girls. 
 The book is sweet and sad and rather well-written (certainly leagues ahead of the writing in that other high school vampire series) and I am confused as to why one set of books is so absurdly popular while this gem sits on the sidelines, neglected and ignored by all. 
 I guess the book itself is very much like the vampire main character, Simon; depressed, lonely and generally shunned by all.