This book was not for me. It got better towards the very end but for most of the book I was annoyed with the characters. To start off, I read to page 90 and I was still not sure where the story was going to go. This is too long of a slow build up for me. I like to kind of know what I'm reading about when I hit the half way point of a book. 
 Another thing I did not like were the characters. I was not in love with any of them, and in fact most of them bugged me. I know that the point of the book was to show struggle and shed some light on some darker issues but I would have enjoyed the book more if I had connected with or felt drawn to some of the main characters. (then I would have been more interested in their struggles or the journey) 
 It was a realistic book and I know it dealt with darker issues, but I was just annoyed with Caitlyn for most of the time. I think part of the reason I did not love this book was because there was very little happiness of any kind in it. Even when books are dark or dealing with serious things, I like a little lightness thrown in at points and there was not much of that here. 
 The writing of this book was great, and I am hoping that means I will enjoy some of Sarah Dessen's other books more. This was my first book of hers that I have read, so I was a little disappointed, but I am hoping with other characters and a different storyline I will like some of her other books more. I have heard great things about her as an author, and I really did enjoy her writing style. I am holding out hope and I will give another one of her books a shot. 
 2.5/5