Review also on Heir of Glitter.

SPOILER-FREE.

plot: 18/20
characters: 20/20
setting: 20/20
relationships: 20/20
twists: 14/20
92 out of 100

This was my first Kasie West book, and I wasn't disappointed. It was a quick, cute, and fun read. :D

First, I'll admit that the story was lacking a bit in places, and it definitely wasn't the most original. But in this case I can look past that, because I just loved it so much. Some contemporaries are just like that, and this is one of them. It also was partially original, though - yes, there are some tropes, but the major plot was unique. The story follows Lily as she tries to figure out the identity of the mysterious pen pal she acquired after absentmindedly writing lyrics on her desk in chemistry one day. Cool, right? I thought so, and the humor, among other things, definitely supported that. :)

Lily was an awesome lead. She was super quirky; buying and improving thrift store clothes, writing songs (with guitar too), and listening to indie bands. She was clearly an individual, and I loved that. She was also awkward in real life but collected and amusing in letters; very relatable, in my opinion. I also liked that she was never portrayed as perfect or trying to be as much. :)

All of the other characters were great, too: Lily's family, Isabel, Lucas, David, Cade. The only one I didn't like was Sasha, but you'd understand that if you've read it. Even she was well-written, though, so props to Kasie for that. ;)

This book, though it stayed in one town, took place in a variety of locations: high school, a few different homes, a stadium, a concert, a park, a golf course at a hotel, and probably more I can't think of. The modern setting meant not as much description was needed, so I was okay with lesser amounts. Regardless, I could easily imagine myself in Lily's (wildly awesome) shoes. ;)

I think the best part of this book was the relationships. Lily had a loud, very present family and loved them to pieces but valued peace and quiet. She had a supportive, amazing best friend named Isabel, and they told each other everything. Her gradual crush on and romance with her pen pal (I'll keep the identity secret so you can find out yourself) was very realistic and they were so cute once they got together. They're kind of contradictory, but they also are just perfect for one another. Pretend that makes sense. My point is, though, that I would love to have any of the relationships Lily does in this book, because they're all amazing. :D

If the plot lacks in some areas, the twists do as well. Normally this would be a big deal to me, but in this case it didn't bother me. There were a few small surprises sprinkled into the story, and of course, the biggest was the reveal of who Lily's pen pal was. I know a lot of people have probably guessed it, but I didn't. For me, it was kind of a shock. I also wasn't expecting that bit with *someone* at the very end of the story. So even though there was nothing mind-blowing, it was entertaining, and that's just as important. ;)

All in all, this book went beyond my expectations and is one of my new favorite contemporaries. I'll definitely have to check out Kasie's other work in the near future. :)