The writing is simple in a powerful, almost poetic way and engages your imagination in ways that feels like a breath of fresh air. The characters are dynamic. The story is captivating. Especially in the 2nd half, I couldn’t put this book down. This story deals with a real issue in the Philippines and handles it through the eyes of a Filipino-American in a way that feels incredibly honest, even if difficult. The main character Jason’s experience as a Filipino-American is very relatable to me as someone with a mixed cultural identity as well. Even though I am not Filipino-American, I found myself feeling like someone else finally understood the weird space of being ‘mixed.’ I will be processing and thinking about this story for a while!