I read this based on a recommendation from my daughter's English Teacher and had very little idea what I was in for. Reading the back blurb: I would never have picked it up. But I'm SO GLAD I DID.

The back of the book sets the tone pretty well, in that it uses some inflammatory terms that should scare off those who would find the book too real/too raw/too much.

Because let me be clear: It is real, raw, and a lot.

The book has 13-15 year olds smoking pot, having an active sexual life, drinking, partying, dealing drugs, lying to parents, and cutting. It is also very open about how often the main character masturbates and engages in pornography/pornographic dreams. He objectifies women and stress vomits regularly. He has what I would call a "Pippin Complex," where his desire to be special and remembered becomes destructive.

It's told from a young male perspective, which might be difficult for some teenage girls to stomach, especially the talk of what he does in the bathroom, how he physically reacts to girls, etc.
It's a bit like reading Ender's Game, but with the bodily functions more of a focus because I think the author is validating that hormones play a part in the character's depression.

And all of that is a brilliant set up for his spiral into depression/anxiety, near suicide, and his incredible growth. It doesn't BLAME any one thing, but lets the reader discover cause and effect with the character.
I found the author to be careful of suicide ideation; relating it without glorifying it - which is a far cry better than what kids get when they watch 13 Reasons Why.

There are three pretty strong sensual scenes where the author pulls a few punches, but not many. I believe some kids WILL be uncomfortable reading that. I can't hate on the scenes, though, because each one serves an important role in the character's growth - especially in respecting women and discovering that respect has more to do with love than lust does.

There are some parts that were hard to read for a number of reasons, and other parts that were so gloriously enlightening - awakenings I will never forget - that I wish everyone could read it!

I truly believe that for a junior high age group it's a book that should be read WITH DISCUSSION, not just in a vacuum. Although I bet that for a few kids: reading it alone would be exactly what they needed to carry on.

Multiple times in the book, I just cried and cried, and didn't understand for like 20 more pages why it was affecting me so much. It's a well written book with an incredible message, for sure!

An easy read, but difficult to put down.