This was quite the book to read during the pandemic since the main character can't touch anyone. My empathy was definitely higher on that aspect given the state of the world right now. It actually reads as an exploration of mental health; when you've lacked close relationships and contact all your life, how do you react when you finally get this kind of attention, even if it's not from the best people? This wasn't my favorite book but it was one where you could actually see the characters grow and I liked getting introduced to Persian lore. Some of the characters needed more development, particularly the side characters like Paravaneh. This was also touted as a queer romance and while the romance is there, it's not as central to the story as I was expecting which was disappointing. Overall, it's got that teen figuring out who they are and their place in the world storyline that I think YA lit fans will like.