Washington has very choppy writing style in this book that was unsettling at first, it felt very anecdotal, almost skeletal but it still managed to hold a lot of meaning and intent. I thought the dialogue was fantastic, it was realistic and there was a strong sense of how these characters' pasts have shaped them and the way they interact with others.

I also have to applaud the way this book explores the nuances of race, identity and queerness. Since Benson and Mike are an interracial pairing, their cultural differences sometimes creates a friction that puts pressure on their relationship. We see Mike's identity conflict when he's in Japan trying to reconcile his Japanese heritage with his Americaness. And then there's the rampant homophobia they each have to face, predominantly from their fathers, but in almost all other aspects of their lives. On the point of fathers, this book does well to explore the theme of redemption; it questions how much fathers have to be humbled before estranged relationships can once again be restored, if at all.

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