This book's blurb begins, "Lou Clark knows a lot of things." No, she doesn't. She has never heard of pesto or Les Miserables, has never watched a foreign film. She has no goals or sense of self whatsoever. Her "charm" begins and ends at the fact that she is deeply mediocre, and is okay with being mediocre, as long as she gets to wear sparkly tights from time to time. She reminded me a bit too much of the equally-naive and boring Anastasia Steele from 50 Shades of Grey (right down to the dubious relationship with a guy that is a complete asshole to her). And, like Anastasia, she occasionally manages to break out of her boringness with snarky little quips that soften the jerk a bit and make him smile. I never expected this book to be a weird intersection of 50 Shades of Grey and Intouchables. But hey, there you have it. 
 I debated putting this one on my Did Not Finish pile almost the entire way through. It was predictable (almost boring) from beginning to end, and I didn't like any of the characters. BUT, I saw it through, and to my surprise, I loved the (yes, predictable) epilogue , and I loved that it offered a sympathetic view of a certain contested subject (I won't say exactly what that subject is here, as it may be a spoiler, but those who have read the book know what I mean). It also hit close to home, as I read the last few chapters while on a train from Switzerland to France (again, those who have read it will know why this is significant). 
 I think I would have liked this book more if 1) I had read it before seeing the movie "Intouchables" which treats a similar story in a much more complex and articulate way, and 2) if I had picked up this book knowing it had more of a "chick lit/YA" tone. From the rave reviews, I was expecting Literature with a capital L. It took me about 450 pages to get over the fact that the writing wasn't great. 
 I would recommend this book if you're looking for an easy read (in terms of writing style) that still packs an emotional punch. If you're looking for nuanced writing and character development, maybe set this one aside until you're in the mood for a Pretty Good Story, as opposed to Great Literature.