SPOILERS AHEAD. 
 All of the ugly things: touching. Bad Mama. Crazy meth-dealing step-father Liam. All the relentless germaphobia instilled at a young age. 
 All of the wonderful things things: Kellen taking care of Wavy. Kellen cooking with Wavy. Kellen. Kellen. Kellen. 
 I'll start off my saying this story is not for everyone. In fact the underage hysteria posed by everyone who probably hasn't even read this book is sickening. I'm not saying that I condone underaged sex, I'm just saying that isn't what this book was about and there is far more to that. 
 (view spoiler)[ They didn't even have sex until Wavy was up to twenty for goodness sake. (hide spoiler)] 
 Wavy is the daughter of an addict and meth-dealer. She doesn't like to talk to people or eat in front of them since her germaphobe addict mother instilled those very traits in her. She's smarter than everyone gives her credit for and takes care of her brother almost single-handedly despite being a kid. One day she meets Kellen, one of her step-dad's workers. He's large and intimidating but just a lonely man at heart. They form a bond so indescribable, he being the only one Wavy will talk to and she being the tiny light in his dark world. 
 Their story is told across a span of fifteen years from the eyes of several people, including themselves. 
 The age difference does seem uncomfortable but their relationship starts out as a simple symbiotic friendship that develops into something more. Kellen is not a pedophile. He doesn't like little girls. He just sees Wavy as someone he loves and that's what she is to him - just Wavy. Although personally, I think he could waited until she was 18 to even kiss her, even if they didn't have sex. 
 "She is just as real as I am." 
 What made me love this book the most is that these two characters who have never had any sort of tenderness from those around them could still find and give tenderness to each other. Their lives were filled with terrible, ugly things. But they had plenty of wonderful moments too, mostly thanks to one another. Kellen is definitely not perfect. He has plenty of moments when he hates himself because of Wavy's age but ultimately he loves her in what is the purest way possible. 
 "Wavy's my responsibility. I take care of her. We take care of each other." 
 So yeah, I rooted them hard dammit. 
 "I do love you...I love you all the way."