I'm not normally a non-fiction reader, so I was surprised at how engrossed I was in this book. That can probably be attributed to the solid, guileless writing. The prose managed to be poetic. I found myself wishing it was fiction as I read some of the passages.

The content itself was eye opening, even for one who prides themselves on being in touch with the state of the union. I was taken aback by the depths of inequality in education in this country. Sure, I know it exists, but I wasn't really aware of the daily ins and outs of it. Coming from a place where a high school diploma is pretty much a given, reading about a place where it's someone's highest wish and greatest achievement made me realize just how big of a gap there is.

It's been two days since I finished the book, and I'm still going over the issues raised and the points made. It's a lot to chew on in a good way - I wish this was a must read for a lot of people in this country. Kirn points out all the places where the system is failing, and we all have a part in how to fix it.