I really, really liked this. Having read the author's previous novel and judging from the summary, I expected this to be more of a romance (which I love when it's done well). However, it's actually a novel about friendship, family and courage and introversion. It reminded me a lot of Sarah Dessen, to be honest--and that's not a comparison I make lightly. Also, while present tense is the norm in YA, this is a great example of why past tense can be more effective sometimes.