This book had some very complex themes riding underneath the cute romantic tendencies of a contemporary read. I don't know what it is about me, but I always feel slightly nervous to read a contemporary because I tell myself that I don't like "love" stories. This, however, was so much more and I'm happy that I read it. This was the first Sarah Dessen book I have read and even though it took me a while to read (it's the end of the school year and its been hectic in the teacher world) I still really liked this book. 
 All the characters felt so real and all the emotions felt incredibly real as well. Delia's business and idiosyncrasies had me smiling to myself (it takes a lot to truly make me laugh out loud). Wes' character was "sa-woon" worthy while his brother Bert was such an oddball that you couldn't help but love them both him. Kristy and Miranda's sisterly relationship was something that I didn't quite understand (I would have liked for the author to explore Miranda a bit more so we could "figure her out") but this might be because I don't have sisters and seem able to understand boys a little better. The main character Macy was complex and I liked seeing her progression and healing throughout the story. I wanted to shake her mom at times, but the growth and healing nature of this book was wonderful. 
 This didn't quite get 5 full stars from me though. I felt slightly annoyed that Macy (who is going to be a junior in high school) and the other characters mentioned (who all happen to be right around the same age (Wes was the oldest and I believe was a senior) happened to go to parties with alcohol at them quite often over the summer that this story was told. I'm not saying that partying was at all a focus of the story, but after working for Delia, they would go to a party where others were drinking beer, sometimes out in the middle of nowhere with a fire and sometimes at someone's house. I just don't think that's how things are. Granted, in high school I wasn't part of the group that went to parties and drank, but that part felt unrealistic and I think sent a message that wasn't necessary. Dessen could have had Macy and her friends having realistically the same conversations and have virtually the same plot without needing the characters to go to parties where there is alcohol when they are still in high school. (Sorry I'll get down off my teacher platform now.) 
 But all in all, this story was adorably cute and I think this was a great introduction to Sarah Dessen for me. I definitely plan to read more of her books in the future.