This was a delight!!

I'm not a YA contemporary person. In fact, I usually really dislike YA contemporary and have accepted it's simply not a genre for me. However, after seeing this recommended again and again (and seeing the video of the author using the dedication to propose to his partner) I decided to give it a chance. 

I'm so glad I did. 

Admittedly, it was a bit of a rocky start for me. Not because the book was bad, but because I've been in an infernal reading slump and found myself struggling to get involved in the story. But the more the book progressed, the easier it was for me to completely settle into the story. 

I loved how this felt like a coming-of-age academia movie. I loved how the friendships were handled in here. I loved seeing Charlie grow into himself. 

The plotting itself was a bit weak (such as with the STRIP resolution/some pacing issues) and I did struggle to connect with the romance (which is completely subjective), but those things didn't really detract from my enjoyment of the book. 

Overall, this was lovely and if it sounds interesting to you, I highly suggest giving it a try.