This book had me crying ugly tears at least 3 times, beginning, middle and end. It really affected me emotionally in a way that not many books have for a long time (thanks, depression) and for that alone I think it’s worth almost 5 stars. 

The exploration of suicide and how it seeps into all aspects of life, really hit me where it hurt. It’s very relatable for those of us who have gone through mental health issues or have been touched by dark feelings. 

I do wish we got to spend more time with them as teens. Although the the time lapses were needed to move the timeline along, as they kept each other at a distance and didn’t go into detail about their daily lives or brushes with suicidal feelings, it felt like something more could have been done there to build the story and characters. 

I didn’t think I would warm to Tate but he was a multi-layered character and I think he becomes endearing even if you still want to hate him.

There’s a fair amount of smut sprinkled in, however that scene in the gyno office might be one of the most surreal things I’ve read in a long time 😳 I mean, really? I wish my appointments went like that. Actually, on second thoughts, scrap that - I might die from embarrassment.