Collins' writing was poetic which I really enjoyed but I wasn't captivated by the plot and some of the content points which might be problematic e.g. the age difference between Neil and Ryan, aren't addressed at all. Overall, not a book I would pick up again but I would still like to read Collins' writing again.

This book was written very beautifully. It was lyrical and the flow was great! I loved Lia and Ryan'c characters and their friendship. There is something so subtle about the gentleness with which Camille writes! The plot fell a little flat, but I enjoyed rreading about these characters!

With “retro” books and television shows having a moment, it’s great to read a novel set in the 80s which has a black girl as the protagonist, particularly as it does not gloss over or ignore what life would have been like for someone like Lia during this era.

The author’s writing is phenomenal: beautifully crafted and emotive. The characters and their relationships are also really well conveyed and convincing and the author does a great job of illustrating the twists and turns of teenage life. The punk element added a quirky spin to this book, which I liked, despite it not being a movement I am overly familiar with. It’s familiar enough with just a touch of something magical: I’d definitely recommend this book!

This is hard to review simply because my criticism of it is the very thing I liked about it--and that I like about most books.

It was beautifully written. It was poetic and lyrical--but because of the nature of the book and the ages of the main characters, I found that it weighed down the story with its flowery prose.

It was almost too beautiful if that makes sense?!

The characters are barely teens--and one of them is missing caught up in the onslaught of fast approaching adulthood in the body of someone too mature for her own age. A precocious young girl who finds love sooner than she's ready for.

As a whole I thought, the book was interesting and again wonderfully written--but I found some of it was lost in its beauty. Some of the raw truth covered in a language to beautiful for its ugliness.

The author is obviously a gifted writer, with a knack for telling an interesting story--but it was a bit too much.

I appreciated its grapple with racism, though mild--it was effective and realistic. I also appreciated the way it dealt with two girls growing up at the same age but dealing with all of the things that came with it, with care.

I'd like to see what else this author comes up with, possibly something lighter--or something heavy with a raw tone.

This is definitely one of those books that's going to garner as many opinions as readers. It's unusual. It's rather off-beat. And it's cool.

I found the story both hard to follow and hard to relate to.

Camille Collins' language was whole new waters for me:
<i>Lia's rendition of the death of her very best friend was not especially morbid, or as gruesomely detailed as it might have been. It was the quixotic rendering of a burgeoning poetess.</i>

That being said, this book is a valuable and educational experience. It really is a unique journey.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this in exchange for my honest review.