Why did I wait this long to read this book? 
 Impeccable prose and social commentary. Wonderfully fleshed-out characters. Flashbacks that flow from past to present and back again without skipping a beat. 
 In fact, the only part I liked less was once the entire story was told in present tense because I felt like it lost a bit of its steam. I also didn't think the ending was perfect, but that's also life. 
 Read this book.