Oh hey, Laurie Halse Anderson, thank you for plunging me directly back into the high stress times of senior year of high school waiting to hear from colleges. ACK, high intensity! Very well done. I liked the cameo from [b:Speak|439288|Speak|Laurie Halse Anderson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1298540261s/439288.jpg|118521]'s Melinda, too. This book's narrator, Kate, is a good foil to Melinda. Very opposite high school issues to the ones Melinda faced. The second half of the book--the catalyst for change--is kind of high drama, but it plays out realistically. I liked Kate a lot as a narrator. Smart, funny, and painfully honest.