Even though this book wasn't exceptionally filled with excitement at every turn, I still had a hard time putting it down. The characters were so incredibly real and relatable and the flow of the story was very smooth and easy to follow. 
 Colt and Julia were secretly together for an entire year, and no one - not even Julia's boyfriend - knew. They had nothing in common, but it never mattered. Until Julia dies in a car accident, and Colt learns the price of secrecy. He can't mourn Julia openly, and he's tormented that he might have played a part in her death. When Julia's journal ends up in his hands, Colt relives their year together at the same time that he's desperately trying to forget her. But how do you get over someone who was never yours in the first place? 
 This book had a very familiar feel to it right from the start, but it wasn't until I was over halfway through it that I realized what it reminded me of. The story reminded me of S.E. Hinton's The outsiders, which was one of my absolute favorites back in my teen years. Obviously, this story was much more modern with a love story as it's main plot, but essentially the lessons learned are the same. 
 What was the most surprising for me with this story was that the actual love story that develops between Kirby and Colt AFTER Julia's death is just as exciting, if not more so than Colt and Julia's secret year together. Julia really wasn't likeable, but at the same time, I really think the layers of her character were visible and well discovered as you continue to read her journal entries.