reading this made me incredibly anxious but also quite hopeful. the main character, ariel, had a bunch of issues going for him over his senior year of high school, and learning to balance all of that on top of making time for outside activities showed to be a great deal harder than he thought.

overall, a very enjoyable book with lots of slice-of-life elements showing ariel and his friends, as well as him with his incredibly close and incredibly jewish family. the rep was very sweet and nice to read about, and though i myself am not jewish nor a senior in high school, the anxiety surrounding living up to family expectations as well as keeping your head over water with school and social lives was relatable.

honestly, i really did enjoy the story. lagged a little during the middle, and the decisions ariel makes during the last half of the book seemed a little ridiculous when thinking about the rest of his character arc, i think it held up well.

romance-wise, since the blurb on the front by becky albertalli says "wise" and "romantic", took a backseat at times. it was pretty run of the mill, though adorable, and i wish there was more to ariel and amir's relationship beyond the surface moments we do get.

a nice read, i found it perfect for the change of seasons right now haha. as i'm wrapping up my sophomore year of university right now, i found myself calmed by ariel's arc. would recommend!