4.75 stars rounded up

Who knew such a quick read could have such a high impact?

This is a beautiful HI/LO story about a girl settling in with new friends after years of military life and discovering her sexuality and a new interest in music.

As a veteran, I really appreciated the military aspects, especially that Tate's mom was in the service. Music always held a special spot to me also, so I enjoyed that as well. Except Tate's skill level with the violin seems suspect, but it works for the purpose of the story. This book also tackles difficult topics like grief and suicide in a respectful way.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

CW: Suicide, drug abuse, alcohol, death of parent, grief

Given that I am not the biggest fan of YA or modern poetry, I enjoyed this book surprisingly much!
The main character is a teenage girl that moves to her first permanent home after her father retires from the army. At her new school, she develops a crush on the girl that everybody else calls a "freak". She has to come to terms with her sexuality as well as decide what is more important to her: her crush or her reputation?
I think the verse format works well here to add emphasis and meaning to the sentences and overall, the story was well told, though a bit fast paced. From an adult viewpoint, the main conflict falls a bit flat, but I think it works well within the YA genre.