A lot of tropes, but they were poignant (if not fresh) and contributed to the overall plot. Vivid, sympathetic, complex characters; gorgeous setting; even the dialogue was well done, and I’m particularly picky about this last one. The ending was terrific and made perfect logical sense. 

Overall, this book was touching and bright, but at no point did I shed tears or even feel utterly immersed — which is why I didn’t give it a full five stars.