2/5 (audiobook)

I did not love this book. There were a ton of plot points that could have been really interesting, but that was part of the reason I did not love it, there were a ton of plot points. I was a bit confused at first as to how the fantasy/mystical aspect was going to come into play, and even after I kind of figured it out toward the end, I was still confused as to the purpose of it. Yes, the indie kids create an important plotline, but I feel like the story with Mike, Mel, Henna, and Jared and the rest of the crew could have been successful without the supernatural aspect.

I do, though, enjoy how real the friendships felt between the kids. There is tension and love and conflict and confusion and all of the things that come along with high school friend groups.

I was kind of thrown off, toward the end of the book again, when it was implied initially that the power of the gods, the power of Jared, could "fix" and "cure" Mike from his anxiety and OCD or Mel from her eating disorder. As someone who related to the feelings Mike and Mel had regarding their mental illnesses, I was slightly offended by this idea. Though later straightened out in the story that Mike, and presumably Mel, want to discover themselves without the magic healing power of the gods, I still couldn't get past the notion of it.

Overall, this book was not a favorite of mine, and I probably won't recommend it much in the future.