This book sports two of the most realistic protags that I've come across in quite awhile. Lauren and EB were so clear, so three dimensional, and so relatable that I still keep thinking of them as real people- not characters at all. While EB wasn't someone I think I would enjoy hanging out with, her character was understandable and true. Lauren was also relatable, but the kind of girl I think I'd enjoy. The kind of person I'd like to have for a friend. 
 Lauren and EB's characterization alone made me like this book. 
 Let's look at all the other aspects that make this book great. 
 The in-depth look at friendships. 
 Remember that awesome friend you had in high school? You guys had a million inside jokes, you practically lived in your own little con-joined world, and you just got each other. The friend that, somehow, things just kind of changed. Suddenly you don't get her/him as well, and things just seem to drift. That friend is still precious, just not quite so friendly. 
 Both Lauren and EB have that friend, and in the way of life, they also are that friend. Reading about their new friendship with each other, and the slowly changing friendships they'd had before was a bittersweet experience for me, maybe because it was so relatable. Let me just say this, it was perfectly written, and a major aspect of why I appreciated this book. 
 The next thing I loved about this book was that there was a large family. It seems like most YA books have the 'traditional modern family.' Two or one kids. Possibly two parents, more often one. It was refreshing to read about a family with six kids, and two loving parents. There aren't enough of those in YA, and they really do exist. It was uplifting to see. Also, I kind of love big families. My family is only one of six, but I'm surrounded by larger families and have grown to appreciate younger siblings vicariously. 
 Those three things were what made this book for me. I didn't like Mark much (though I did like Keyon,) and some of the plot bored me with its soap-opera drama qualities. Still, I'm giving it a 3.5.