Review Detail

Reader reviewed by LJK

There were times when I wanted to stop reading this book. I didn't want to read about Cailin, who gives into her boyfriend when he's cruel to her, or about Nick, who spends the early part of the book trying to justify his behavior. Half of the story is told in flashbacks, so as we follow Nick's life after Caitlin gets a restraining order and his friends dessert him, we are also reading Nick's entries in his court-mandated journal. The more I read, the less I wanted to get to the moment when Nick's world falls apart (at his own doing). It was also hard to read about the cruelty of his classmates, who pretend to help Caitlin by torturing Nick.

This is a very well-written book, which asks many questions about domestic violence amongst teenagers. No one emerges unscathed, and at the same time all of the characters are painted with empathy. This is an important book that teachers and students should read.