This is the second Janet Gurtler book I’ve read, and I was not disappointed.
I love the growth of the characters throughout the book. Jess begins as an unlikeable spoiled brat, but working at a soup kitchen definitely changes her perspective, and allows her to do something more than act out to hide her own frustration. She is such a sweetheart to the people that use the services of the soup kitchen, and makes some friends that show her just how nice she is. She has family drama she’s dealing with but can’t talk about, and she makes ridiculous choices because of it. I really like Flynn. He’s real, and will tell it how it is. He’s got his own hangups about the differences between him and Jess, and it frustrates the hell out of her.
Like I said before the character growth is my favorite thing. Also the relationships between friends and family are a big concept in this book. How can you fix what is broken, and still be okay in the end? Each character deals with the circumstances in the book differently. Some are empowering, and others are not so great. I love the friendship Jess forms with Wilf. It’s sweet and had me laughing at their interactions. He also tells her when she’s acting an ass, and I think she looks up to him for that.
By the end of this book I was a tear-streaked mess. So many awesome things in this book, and I can’t wait to see what Gurtler brings us in the future.
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