Apart for a handful of scenes that edge into somewhat-tired tropes and patriarchal gender roles, this holds up surprisingly well upon reread.

Mibs is still a fantastic heroine; her epiphanies feel natural and earned even when they border on cheesy. Bobbi is a much more relatable teenager than I had realized the first time(s) I read this, but I like her too. And I can vividly remember why my early-teens self had fictional-crushes on both Will Junior and Fish (though they're a little too wholesome, not to mention young, for those crushes to have survived the years).

Since the plot is quite literally about the journey, it really didn't matter that I already knew exactly what would happen; it was still a fun reread.

content warnings:

Spoiler

precanon loss of grandmother, emotionally abusive relationship, verbal bullying

-----------
CONVERSION: 10.95 / 15 = 4 stars

Prose: 6 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 8 / 10
Emotional Impact: 7 / 10
Development / Flow: 8 / 10
Setting: 7 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: N/A
Intellectual Engagement: 3 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 4 / 5
Rereadability: 4 / 5
Memorability: 4 / 5