Actually I'd rate this 3.5-3.75 stars, but Goodreads doesn't allow decimal stars, so that's life.

This book went in a way different direction than I expected and pleasantly surprised me in it's surprises and the way it proceeded.

The writing in this book was very true to teenagers, but still excellent for a debut novel. I wouldn't have guessed this was Flynn's first novel and I think she crafted a great, insightful, raw novel about teenage sexuality and friendship and facing past demons without too many fatal flaws.

The main problem I had with this book was that the twists sometimes actually came out of nowhere. Some of the character development was weak, and the characters actions didn't always make sense, but maybe that was part of building to the surprises that came.

Overall, I enjoyed this book more than I thought and it was a very different YA contemporary than most of the others I've read. It tackled teen sexuality in a very blunt way, but I loved that, because it's too often glossed over or severely downplayed and I liked how truthful Mercedes was in her experiences and her actions.

Also, extra points for the CUTE love interest.