This was extremely beautiful. 
 It reached into my heart, twisted my nostalgia for my early teenage years- both the bad and good times. Somehow it manages to instill magic into something so mundane and difficult. Growing up is hard and this book knows it. The pain makes it that much more fulfilling when you reach the end and can finally breathe again. The gush of life of finally knowing who you are and establishing your self-worth flowing like a huge wave of peace. It's very uncommon to find books that actually illustrate the teenage experience. Usually books make it into something cliche and you can totally tell that it was written by an adult describing a bland scene to tell a regurgitated story about a bunch of stereotypical characters and our "special" mc who defies these norms, ignoring the insecurity and minutia and complexities of being a person who often times feels emotionally half-formed. But this book and, in my opinion, Eleanor and Park, seem to capture a truth about growing up that writers usually leave out. 
 It is a coming of age story between two teenage boys, following about a year or so of their lives. The whole thing is very sweet and romantic and heartfelt. 
 Originally I was put off by the writing style. It is very similar to John Green's style and I'm not a big fan of it- where there are short and poignant sentences that aim at being melodramatic and deep but usually just make me roll my eyes. 
 But after I decided to set aside my John green flashbacks and became absorbed in the story, I loved it. 
 The character development of both characters was totally apparent and very well done. I originally hated Ari because he was so self-hating and angsty because I was once like that and I also hated myself soooo yeah. But he really grew throughout the story and I love him now. I was invested in both of their lives and was grateful for the changes that took place. It felt very natural and shied away from manipulating the reader into feeling things. 
 Clearly, I would recommend this book. :)