You know what January is? January is CLEARLY the month of awesome books. Holly's writing is captivating. It's magical and enticing, descriptive while still giving you room to imagine. I don't know Seattle at all, but I felt like I could see it. I was sucked into the world enough to read the book really quickly at a point where I really didn't have time.The characters were amazing, especially Joy, Creed, and Asher. They were all really life like and well crafted. Creed was this mysterious guy who just seemed to be right for Joy and what she needed. Joy was complicated and had a lot of history, even though she was technically privileged. And Asher? He was done perfectly. Absolutely wonderful. Santos and May were also very complex, fascinating characters with their own back stories and subplots. I wanted to hug Creed and Joy and Santos and May and give them cookies and let them sleep in my bed, even though there's barely enough room for me sometimes. And this story? Guys, this story. I'm not big on "issue" books. I tend to like my contemporary to be pretty light, fluffy, romantic. Or funny. This is neither. It's serious and chilling and thought provoking. It's a book that haunts you. A book that gets under your skin. You feel like you're in this story and you're living on the streets and you start to appreciate what you have so much more. The story was one that needed to be told, especially to teens. Incredible, sometimes heartwarming, and often heartbreaking.I feel like this one is just a must read for all YA readers or all teenagers in general. I greatly admire Holly Cupala for her writing skills and her willingness to tackle such a difficult subject that I personally don't see much in YA fiction and want to see more of. Do yourself a favor and pick up this book.
