I liked that while it felt hopeful, it wasn't a fairy tale ending. It felt like Matt had undergone real change in the way he viewed himself, and those around him. She was a smart, capable girl, and even when she was angry, and hurt, she didn't keep Matt from doing what he needed to do. I really liked Shauna, and how much she cared for, and supported Matt. It was a nice change of pace to read a book about a teenage boy with such a sweet crush on a girl instead of the other way around. To Matt, it was like his brother was equating him with their father, and considering how little respect they had for their father, it made Matt question how much his brother truly loved, and trusted him. I think it made him feel less connected to his brother, and considering how much he admired and looked up to his brother, knowing that his brother kept such a big part of his life secret from him was devastating. His reaction to his brother's secret isn't positive, and it isn't necessarily fair, but considering where he comes from, and what he has been brought up thinking, it is in no way out of left field. His father is not a nice person, and his inability, and unwillingness to cope with the loss of son, and his verbal and physical abuse, help to make Matt the mess he is. Matt is a very angry teenage boy, but considering his father, and the home he lives in, and losing his brother, his rage is understandable. A really hard, powerful book about love, loss, and family.
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