So...I loved this?

I was very hesitant to pick this book up, and I'm not sure why. I kept hearing it was beautiful, and I don't know that I've read many negative reviews, and maybe that's why. It was very hyped up when it came out in 2017 and I tend to push hyped books to the back burner because I don't want my expectations to be unreasonable.

I don't even remember the last YA contemporary that I've enjoyed this much. The writing is superb, the characters have depth, and the story itself is beautiful and sad.

This is the kind of magical realism I like because it's grounded in the real world.

I also love the friendships in this book, especially in the first half. June's friend Hanna isn't just some random background character and the scenes between them are some of my favorites in the book. She isn't as present in the last part of the book, because of circumstances, but I never felt like she was unimportant. The book didn't fall into the tired YA tropes as far as the friendships go.

I really enjoyed the romance as well. I thought Saul and June had great chemistry and I liked that they were friends and could have conversations that didn't revolve around them as a couple. Their attraction was immediate, but I liked that their relationship progressed throughout the novel.

There are some really impactful scenes and lines about love and grief. There are more than a few tear-jerking moments. And I wouldn't have it any other way.