3.5 stars, rounded up. There are some big things to dislike about this book--the fabricated conflict in Penny and Sam's relationship, the disjointed timeline, the way Choi portrays parental relationships--but I read it extremely quickly. And I identified with the unlikeable characters and unsettling dialogue in a very real, upsetting way.

Many reviewers have called this book "unrealistic," but there were aspects of Penny's thoughts and character that hit me like a punch to the gut. I was a smart-ass teenager who loved maintaining text- or IM-based relationships (friendship or romantic) in a way that was no doubt problematic, and I hadn't really seen that played out in a YA book before. (I'm sure there have been some; don't @ me.) Plus, Sam was EXACTLY the kind of dude I would have been attracted to at that age.

Ugh. Like I said, upsetting.