The pacing in the beginning of this was a bit wonky for me. Once we got into the part where he was in high school and onto college, I realized that perhaps I would've enjoyed the beginning more had his childhood been delivered throughout the novel as flashbacks that give context. The later 60% of the book, however, was pretty solid and more than made up for the slow pacing in the beginning. There were definitely some lines that hit me in the gut, and I think telling this story in verse was a smart move. I definitely recommend!