Although there were some parts to this book that were pretty pretentious, it came from a pretty pretentious but also pretty brilliant teenager, so I'll let that one go. Like any book, there's a few things I would change; some snags in the plot, a little more character development, etc. But overall, I really enjoyed this book. It's always nice to see someone calling out huge problems in our society that we've grown a little blind to because we've been taught to accept it. This book had me hooked from the first time I picked it up; I believe I finished it in one night, which is honestly a rarity for me. The general theme of the story is excellent to expose to teenagers (and young adults, and not-so-young adults) for its relatabilty, but more importantly for the overall message. Okay, perhaps not every event that takes place is a glowing example for kids, but I think the cause and effect of it all is pretty clear. This was assigned as part of my Honor's 10 Summer Reading, and was by /far/ the most enjoyable read out of the three books assigned, but also the most thought provoking. The other books were good for other reasons, and I didn't feel forced to read them because I was enjoying the experience, but they all had black and white morals of the story, there was no grey area for you to think about the actions in the book, it was all laid out before you. This book allows you to determine your own thoughts on right and wrong, allows the reader to actually think and process what they read and become encaptured, it makes the reader think about the powers of actions and that there is rarely such a black and white answer as "right" and "wrong" and "good" and "bad". I think that is so important to remind teenagers of. There's not always a simple outcome, and many times the end result will be perceived completely differently by someone else. No matter your age, you will become part of the story, your feelings will be based on your personal perception of the outcome. Give it a chance. What's stopping you?
-Isabella
