i honestly can't pinpoint what about this book made me feel so deeply, but it does a great job of digging into some essential part of the human experience that i found relatable. while i do think this book could have done with some better editing (writing wise, but also pace/structure), the exploration of these young characters and their struggles was beautifully written. i honestly didn't even mind the open ending because of how much it made me cry, like something about this book just got me. the discussions of utopias and the darker sides of humanity felt very topical for the time i was reading this.