I'm not going to lie, this book was sometimes hard to read. This has nothing to do with the author's story-telling ability, because she is VERY able! The subject matter can sometimes be very gritty, and it gets a little uncomfortable to remember that, in our society, young people are exposed to such awful and life-changing events. Overall, I loved the book, though. I wasn't quite ready for it to end, and I'm dying to know what happened after the end! Maybe Ms. Grimes will share that with us one day. :D