I finished this book just a few minutes ago and... Wow. Phew. I feel like I got punched in the face. 
 I got a couple things to say about this book. Well, more like I'm going to write a freakin' essay about this book, 'cause it's not like I just can't after I read the ending of this thing. 
 About 100 pages into the book, I thought I got the gist of the book pretty well. I thought I knew the direction this book was heading in. It was about this boy, he's a genius, he's on the rugby team at his horrible school, he's only fourteen and he's a junior, he's a troublemaker, and he's pretty much a huge pervert. Okay, whatever. Ryan Dean is not the most unique character ever, and the borderline sexist comments he makes sort of rub me the wrong way, but whatever. He was a decent character at first. That eventually changes, but I'll get to that in a bit. 
 A character I had a problem with (which actually doesn't change at all - she was actually the only bad thing about the book now that I look back on it) was Annie. Wow! A beautiful, kind, smart, "classy", talented girl who has hardly any personality at all! Never seen that before! Also, (view spoiler)[ her whole relationship with Ryan Dean seemed kind of awkward, and didn't make me feel anything whatsoever. Their whole confession part made me shrug my shoulders and keep reading, (hide spoiler)] mainly because Annie is such a dry character. We know literally nothing about her except for the traits I listed above - "smokin' hot", kind, smart, "classy", talented (Wow! She's a perfect artist too! So realistic!), she dresses up like a doctor for halloween! She's just so dang classy, way better than other girls! (not). So, whatever, though I'm totally shitting on the book right now (Are you wondering why I gave it 5 stars yet?), Annie is probably the main problem I had with the book that wasn't fixed by the end. 
 Anyway, I thought the book was only myeh through the first 100 pages or so. I only pretty much kept reading because it amused me at points, but for the most part all I could think was why is this book so highly praised? It's kinda dumb. 
 Theeeeeeeen we get to the second half of the book. Things start getting interesting for Ryan Dean, and more amusing things start happening. I swear, I actually laughed out loud during some parts of the book (the Screaming Ned part had me dying), and trust me, I hardly ever laugh out loud at books. But some of the humor (as crude as a lot of it is) is actually hilarious. By that point, I was definitely starting to warm up to the book and get more into it. 
 The main character's relationship with Joey is what really made me happy, and his comments on Joey's homosexuality really got to me. He always mentions how he sometimes doesn't want to be seen with Joey because he's gay, and then Ryan Dean always feels bad, because many others feel that way about Joey too. That stuff really got to me. It was a completely realistic point of view from a straight teenage boy - to not be "uncomfortable" with being friends with a gay person, but over-aware of it. Though at points I was annoyed at how often they referenced Joey's sexuality, I realize now that it was important that Ryan Dean did that, because if he didn't it wouldn't be realistic. Being around someone who is gay is a "big deal" for a lot of people, even though it shouldn't be. The book illustrated that and made it realistic, but also showed how Ryan Dean got more used to it, which made me happy as well. If the book showed Ryan Dean just blindly accepting Joey's homosexuality completely, which is pretty much completely unrealistic for a straight fourteen year old boy, I would have disliked this book. But it didn't, so kudos to the author. 
 By the near ending of the book, I was definitely happy. Ryan Dean goes through some character development that makes him a little less immature and annoying to read about, and by the time I get to the last couple pages, I figured the book was a good 4/5 stars. 
 And then the ending happened. 
 And dang, that stuff was powerful. I didn't cry, mainly because it was way too sudden (something I should criticize, but I'm not) but damn if those last few pages didn't make me feel sorry about being a human being. I guess I should be like nyeah nyeah that was so sudden it had no place in the book! But really, it did. Stuff like (view spoiler)[ gay people being beaten to death (hide spoiler)] actually do happen, it's not rare at all. I had no idea that was how the book ended, but the commentary that Ryan Dean made on the situation really hit home for me. It made a book that I thought of as a comedy that was amusing and an "alright" read, something more. I personally took it as a statement about boys, a way to get inside of a normal, heterosexual teenage boy and see their reactions about certain strange relationships that they form. The messages near the end of the book were more powerful than I ever thought could be possible in a book like this. (view spoiler)[ the quote "The words came together and said how Joey died: alone and scared," oh my lord, I choked up so badly. (hide spoiler)]5/5 stars.