While I think I liked the characters more in this book than Rooney's first, and I still loved this novel, which is essentially a modern love story, I guess my happy astonishment at discovering her work had faded a little giving it 4-stars rather than 5. I also feel like some of the themes were the same (both had writers who apparently had such a natural talent that their very first submitted stories were accepted and published - or is that me just being bitter!) and both main male characters had a slightly too ambiguous darker/cooler side, while the female MCs' problems felt much more extreme and detailed for the reader to make more judgments of. But none of this took away from the great writing, the brilliant pacing, and the way in which young love is depicted here. Also love how Rooney writes a sex scene!