Something of a mix between Grease and West Side Story with a younger protagonist. Fantastic themes of loyalty, family, found families, friendship, and loss. The writing and language choice reflected the voice of the narrator well, but occasional incorrect verb conjugations sometimes rubbed me the wrong way.The character development is somewhat haltingly created, with the majority of the character arcs taking place in the final two chapters. (The author was 16-years-old when she wrote the novel, so I do have to give her great credit for writing so well at such a young age as it is still miles above what a good portion of adult writers are able to accomplish. Her application of teen ideas and thoughts were very well captured.)

The is definitely not my usual style of story, but it was full of good reflective lessons that I think are highly relatable and is still a great choice for teen readers. It is something I definitely should have read earlier. Actual rating 3.5, but rounded up because I think it would have rated higher if I had read it when I was part of the intended audience.