This is really great at developing interesting, nuanced interpersonal dynamics—but then leaving them underdeveloped, for some reason. When the book ended I actually thought it was a mistake. Where is the actual resolutions to her mothers flashbacks or what happens with Cindy. I forgot the protagonist even had siblings and a wider family beyond her own until the end of the story, when they become pertinent and appear. There feels like one crisis and obstacle was inserted and then the resolution, and then, much like the end of a Hitchcock film, the credits rolled.

I feel like I could have spent double the audio time with the story and felt satiated, which is a compliment to the flow and qualities of the writing that work. Though, because it is YA, sometimes the dialogue and how explicit everything has to be, is kind of annoying—I still undoubtedly wanted to spend more time with everyone. And kind of expected there to be a lot more about where the homophobia actually comes from, but it is elided.

The author clearly did a lot of research, she says as much in the afterward of the audiobook, which was well narrated. It’s a shame not more of it made it into the actual book, imo.