I loved the choreography and the dance aspects to this, and I felt like there was good bi rep. I have a lot of thoughts about the sex in this and how casually the second part is treated--that should have ruined Sophie far more than it did and been far bigger of a conflict. Just not a huge fan of the execution, I guess.

Oh, and I wasn't a fan of them calling early Regina Spektor "clunky"! Fight me! Regina is perfection. ( )

When her best friend needs a kidney transplant, there’s no doubt in Sophie’s mind that she’s going to be the one to donate. But when she develops feelings for Peter, that’s when things get complicated. Sophie and Peter are lifelong best friends who have always been there for each other but once Peter receives his transplant, the two start to grow apart. Peter has found new freedom and independence he hasn’t yet to experience due to the world of dialysis and his parents overprotection. Sophie is continuing on with her life until one night where everything changes and Peter and Sophie have to make a decision that will affect both their lives. I devoured this book and couldn’t put it down due to wanting to know what happens. ( )

Oh man, what I love about both books I’ve read now by the amazing RLS is the way she creates these really complicated, sticky, uncomfortable, emotionally messy scenarios where there really aren’t any bad guys, but still you can end up with a LOT of hurt feelings. And ooohhh I could tell this was going to be so juicy from chapter one. Sophie and Peter are best friends. Peter has been chronically ill his entire life because of a kidney problem. Sophie has a thing for Peter which is sort of brewing below the surface, but they’re 18 now and with all her hinting around, Peter has never really acted on it. Sophie is a donor match, and offers a kidney to Peter. You can guess where this is going. Where do those lines blur between doing something purely from the goodness of your heart for a friend versus because there is some sort of expectation attached? Especially when that something is HUGE and impossible to take back.

This was seriously heartbreaking to read, from both perspectives. Codependence is brought up here, and absolutely fits. You really feel for the situation, of the difficulty of chronic illness and the hardship it presents on everyone involved, and also the way Sophie might have while of course wishing Peter wasn’t sick, and being selfless in her friendship with him, liked the closeness it brought them, and turned that into a crutch rather than expanding her social circle and forming a life of her own outside of him. Both wind up getting terribly, terribly hurt in the end by what their relationship has turned into, and what it couldn’t ultimately be for one person. Well written. Also, bonus points for ADORABLE CHINCHILLA 😊.

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
( )

Twobest friends that have grownup living next door to each other find that hight school changes them and strains their friendship. Those of you that loved Five feet apart will like this one. ( )

This review can also be found on my blog.

I had honestly expected this to be a more emotionally piercing book than it ended up being. The themes here are so deep, and complicated. This book follows Sophie and Peter over the course of a year, starting just before Sophie donates her kidney to Peter, who was born with failing organs. The relationship between the two is complicated to begin with, so this exchange only serves to muddy the waters further.

There is a lot to love about this book, and plenty of rep: more than a handful of lgbtq characters, two Jewish protagonists, and a biracial love interest. Sophie’s sister is a teen mom, and she herself is dyslexic. The story is an important one and encompasses a plethora of issues; there’s really something for everyone. At its base, it’s a story about the relationships between people and how they change, which I think anyone can relate to.

Unfortunately, I just didn’t vibe super well with it. It was well-written, the premise was interesting, and I appreciated a lot of the things it discussed. It just didn’t reach to a deeper level. I didn’t get that spark I feel with other books. As I said to begin with, I was expecting much more of an emotional connection that I just didn’t get. I felt sort of distanced from the characters, through no fault of the author. This book just wasn’t for me, for whatever reason.

Regardless, I highly recommend it if it’s of interest to you! I think this is yet another book that’s important for young adults and I’m glad it was written. I’m certain there are readers who will just adore this, I just wasn’t one of them. ( )