As frustrating as Lee Fiora can be, her narration is the most relatable portrayal of self inflicted isolation and loneliness I’ve ever read, and other passages show the thought patterns of talking yourself into emotions and “crushes” in a way I have never before seen represented.  

In high school, I loved this book. I had never felt so seen by any piece of work/media/art, ever, and I thought that to truly understand me you needed to read this book. I (jokingly) called it my bible. I read it a few times in a short period in high school, and went back to reread some passages over and over.

Then I reread it for the first time in full after some distance, several years later. I definitely still liked it, and for now I'll keep my five-star rating. However, I think what I really loved about it was how in Lee's head it is. I'd never read anything quite so inside of one person's experience, that follows all their self-conscious thoughts and small detailed everyday social interactions. I have anxiety and I'm autistic, and even though I don't think Lee necessarily has anxiety or autism, I still felt less alone when I was in her head going through what she did. She overthinks everything, and takes so much so personally, and you get to see every random thought process and awkward interaction she has. 

This book will always be special to me in the way it affected me as a teenager, and I do think it's very well-written. I'm not sure I'd recommend it to people as ardently as I used to though, and I don't think it's everyone's cup of tea.