Fighting every instinct, every bone in my body to not give this book five stars. Only excuse I can give is that it was written by a white woman! But God, it's SO good! Dare I say it's perfect!!!

Speaking as a person who is not of Asian descent whatsoever.... The white woman who wrote this kinda ate this up. Miss Smith kinda gobbled. Kinda signed sealed served and delivered.

They have sex on page 169. That's iconic.

Now that I'm 22, Reiko being a teenager still (and the age I was when I first read this) makes so much sense. She's so angsty, just like I was. I can almost see how this book shaped bits of who I am now. (But disregard my bias for this review!) Some of the lines are so funny, but not in a I'm laughing at you way, in a This is so honest and real to a slighted teen's experience and view of the world. I love her with all my heart. Thank you to the white woman who wrote this book because it's truly in my top 5 favorite books. And it's not number 5!