While the story is really interesting, and the characters jump off the page like they do in all of Dessen’s other novels, there is that small something missing here, especially between Ruby and the boy next door. Maybe it’s because Nate doesn’t seem as fully realized as Dessen’s characters usually do. He’s kind, courteous, friendly, an all around good guy, but he seems just a little too good to be true. Of course, there is more to Nate than meets the eye at first glance, as there is with any guy in Sarah Dessen’s world. He and Ruby just don’t seem to have the same chemistry as her pairings usually do.

That being said, I do love Ruby’s struggle with learning to let people in and learning that she may have to rely on other people once in a while, which is what the novel is all about. Because of the life she had with her mother, Ruby tries to be entirely self sufficient, but different people around her keep getting closer and closer, whether she wants them to or not, and it’s a fascinating experience to read about. As with any Dessen book, it’s written beautifully, and it does make you want to read it straight through in a single sitting.