This was such a book of two halves for me. 
 
The relationships, queer/race conversations, and character work was so well written and powerful. I was so invested in the relationships. I was so moved by the conversations on race and queerness. Buddy Lee and Ike were some of the most distinctive and developed characters I've read in a long time. I was scared at times by just how powerful the writing was. This meant the beginning and end of the book were great for me.
 
However, I was not the biggest fan of the action/fight scenes, they didn't pack much of a punch. I'm also realising I'm not the biggest fan of gang stories, however well written they are, an idea reading this book solidified. This meant that I really didn't care about the plot, especially towards the middle of the story where there was a lot of action and minimal 'emotional' content. I spent the book waiting for the emotional/character moments, and when they came they were brilliant, but weren't enough to carry the rest of it. 
 
It's obvious this book is really well written, but some of it just wasn't for me. Definitely a taste issue rather than a quality issue.