This is one part coming of age saga, one part imagining of a better world and all parts a celebration of friendship, especially the power of your early adult friendships, and how they simultaneously create and reflect who you are becoming.
Some of this is tinged with bleakness, Mathews captures all too sharply the depression of poverty, unstable housing and vulnerable employment. But ultimately, it pulls into the warmth of a supportive friendship group and the depth of what this is worth.