At first I thought this book was missing some of the profound moments that other works from him contain. I mean, what does this book hold? It has a teenager who dates his girl for two years before they decide it’s time to consummate their relationship. He has frank discussions with his parents. He has thoughtful internal dialogue with himself and deeply cares for this girl. He goes through the moment of using a condom and actually rehearses so he won’t make a mistake when the time comes. Then I realize- these ARE the profound moments. I wish other teens considering their first time (or any time) would be as careful as Neon, and had people to talk to like Neon.

I’m sure that there will be those who don’t like the book because of its content. It’s not graphic; the worst that it contains is a few words of profanity and a mild, quick discussion of mast****tion. This book is not a “how to” manual at all. Some students may even be disappointed because they wanted more details. It’s more of Reynolds showing Neon’s mind and the thoughts leading up to his big decision in good detail.

This is a really unique perspective on two teens deciding to take a big step. The perspective slowly moving out in increments of 24 showcases a type of thought and consideration that I don't think are normally attributed to teens taking the next step in their relationship. And to clarify by next step I mean having sex, so if you're looking to avoid content this isn't the place for it, but nothing is explicit or even happens on page, but there is a lot of talking about it either directly or without stating what it is exactly.