This book absolutely wrecked me, which was obviously the intention. I savored every single word of this book. The depiction of adolescent love was so searingly accurate - every word that Connell or Marianne expressed about how they felt for each other just hit me to my core. I appreciated how realistic the narrative was about the transition from high school to college and how lonely it can feel as you grow up, and how deftly Rooney handles the issues of class at play. I also so rarely see books engage deeply with male mental health, and that was refreshing. Rooney is so strong in the personalities of Marianne and Connell, and so consistent. Marianne and Connell feel real and fully realized, and like people I might know, people I know in passing but might never know their full depths. I also felt like the ending was exactly how it should be for the narrative and the relationship. Tying a neat and pretty little bow on things would have felt wrong, and I loved how it centered around the good they did for each other. I choose to believe that they do end up together, but the ending really highlighted how you can have a positive impact on someone without it necessarily being forever. This book hit me so hard and I will immediately go watch the TV show now.