This book was definitely not what I expected, although that's a relief. A majority of the book takes place before the incident that results in Cameron being sent away to a conversion therapy retreat. The descriptions were almost too detailed for me at first, though I eventually accepted that each pleasurable moment and relationship in life that Cameron described was an important protective factor that kept her from losing herself entirely in an environment designed to force her to. While her experience in conversion therapy is sometimes horrific, Cameron mostly feels a creeping emptiness from being told that everything about her self-expression is somehow wrong and misguided. This was a more nuanced depiction of conversion therapy than what I expected to read. Danforth rarely sensationalizes Cameron's experience, and instead focuses on how homophobia and transphobia can be difficult to fight because the ideas that established them are so ingrained in society that they are not only the territory of religious fanatics, but highly respected psychologists and gender theorists. This is something that every person subjected to these hatreds has likely experienced, yet can be difficult and disillusioning to notice and describe. Despite its difficult subject matter, I felt that the book was rewarding to read. Cameron is a rich character with a unique voice and a wisdom that grows over the course of the novel. I would recommend it to everyone who feels they're able to read it.