GAHHHH!!! Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back IN!... I can't get out of YA-land!!!! (ummm...yes, I quoted the Godfather to describe my YA kick...and yes, I am sorry for that...)3.5 strong stars...again!Ok, ok...so…since I am, admittedly, in a YA phase…I can write this review w/o being embarrassed of how much I really enjoyed this book! :)Yes, it’s formulaic. In fact, for the first 1/2 of the book, I was having some serious déjà vu. It was plot point by plot point the exact same book as the other YA I had read the day before! (and at the time, with characters that were less charming and adorable to me). But, what this book did well…it went BEYOND that formula. All the things I was complaining about in my head for the first 1/2 (I don’t get their chemistry. I don’t find the characters that developed. No way this goes beyond 3 stars for me…) were all faced head-on and dealt with. Nothing swept under the carpet. It felt like a Part 2…and I liked it more and more as I continued to read it!Kieran is the social outcast, the lonely, awkward boy. But he was not weak as this type of character is oftentimes written to be. And I really grew fond of him as he started to grow into himself. Plus, he’s like uber-awesome sci-fi, graphic novels fan…adorbs.Drew is the popular jock, terrified of being outed, with the weight of the world on his shoulders. I loved this kid. Despite his confusion and his inability to handle it all, his heart was so pure. HE was the one I wanted to take into my arms and take care of. Their relationship was nothing really outside of physical in the beginning. But, as their second chance came around, I really came to enjoy the friendship and love they were building. The author did such a good job of writing real teenaged boys: teasing each other, struggling to open up and be vulnerable to one another…and even their fears of the unknown in intimacy…just good stuff. The end was predictable…but the epilogue was a nice “the end” to the story. Really enjoyed this one…a tiny bit of angst and a whole lot of sweet…
