Now this is where it's at. When I was reading the first one I was a bit put off by Saenz's more... abbreviated writing style. But when I read the preview for this book at the back of my edition of Secrets of the Universe it motivated me to push through to get to this series. In my opinion, the first book cannot exist and cannot have a full existence without this book, because of what it does for the narrative thematically. If the first book was about reaching a point where you could recognize yourself, this book is about the journey of self-acceptance that comes after, one that never quite ends. There were so many concerns in this book that resonated so deeply and better corresponds to that part of life that I am traversing. For my money, this book is the capstone to one of the gay coming-of-age greats.