I honestly expected so much more from this and I'm crazy disappointed. For awhile it seemed like maybe a three star read for the good message, but in the end, I don't feel like this book gave off a good message. Jamie deserves someone so much better than Dylan. I feel for Dylan, I really do, but nothing excuses his horrible actions, his half-assed apologies, and his jackassery. (I really couldn't find better words there, I'm sorry). For a second, I thought maybe he and Jamie weren't going to end up together, that she was going to pick herself over him and JP, but ya know, can't hold your breath too long, because bam, she forgives him...and for why??

I think this book could have been much better if written from Jamie's perspective. (Admittedly, though, I respect the author's decision to not write a trans girl as she is cis.) However, the author tried too hard with Dylan's thoughts, so much so that I honestly would have thought it were written by a man if I hadn't already known the author is female—when Dylan first meets Jamie, he imagines her "underneath him" and then thinks lewd thoughts about another girl in group, only to find out she's 12 and calls himself a pedophile. None of this read right to me, and honestly concerned me a bit. We're supposed to like this guy? Who objectifies girls and is never called out for it? What?

The dialogue was stilted, the writing weird, and the plot largely uncomfortable. The extra star is purely because I really understood Dylan wanting his dad's approval. Not that I've been in exactly the same scenario (by far), but I kind of got that. It was the most thought-out facet of the novel. (Although the twist with

his mom not actually getting a sign from his dad and tracking him on her phone instead

was quite weird and unnecessary.

Anyway, I didn't enjoy this. This review isn't going on my blog. But ya know, I wrote a review, we should be proud.