This book had buzz long before it was released. It was being recommended as a book to read if you enjoyed Gone Girl (which means pretty much everyone would supposedly like this book, too). I knew I just had to read it–otherwise I would be missing out. I patiently waited for weeks for this title to become available at the local library. Was the wait worth it? Yes, I think so. But, (and there is always a but, isn’t there?) I wouldn’t necessarily say that this book was one that I couldn’t live without reading. Don’t get me wrong, I really liked it, but I think it may have been hyped-up a bit too much.

The main character, Ani, was someone that I found hard to really figure out. This was probably intentional on the author’s part, so that the reader never knows what to expect from both the plot and the characters. That was fine, I could deal. There were times the storyline jumped around, and I had a hard time picking up where exactly I was supposed to be in regards to timeframes and when things took place. This book might be one that you should try to read in a quiet place, and mostly all at once.

So, if you have had this book on your list of books to read, I would say bump it up nearer to the top. It has a lot of mystique and sex, a little bit of a complex story, and just enough wit and smartness to keep you on your toes. This book is about not only how time can change you, but also about how you can change you, and the consequences that might occur when those changes take place.

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  41 religious exclamations; 10 mild obscenities; 9 religious profanities; 22 derogatory names; 27 scatological words; 8 anatomical terms; 1 offensive hand gesture; 90 F-Word derivatives.

Violence/Gore:  A character mentions she is tempted to stab another with a knife; a man is physically aggressive towards a woman; a character is shot and collapses in a scary scene involving a chase by a student through a school to attack some  students; sexual harassment is reported and violence is implied.

Sex/Nudity:  Sex is implied several times; a woman is mentioned to enjoy doing “weird things” in bed, these things are briefly named with no description; an unmarried couple is mentioned to share a bed; a character reports that they have had sex in college; girls are referred to as “hoes” (endearingly); a girl is said to be sexually attractive; adults are mentioned to enjoy porn, both sexes admit they like to watch it on occasion; adults kiss several times; a mature sexual discussion is had between teens and in another scene, between adults; sexual touching is mentioned to occur at a party by a minor boy to a minor girl; oral sex is referred to several times and implied to occur; a woman has a conversation about an article on sex that she is writing; a man and woman are reported to have “hooked up”; birth control is obtained and used by a teen; a minor is mentioned to go to Planned Parenthood to get help after a pregnancy scare; a minor is implied to be sexually active; a minor reports that she was raped; a minor implies that she got an abortion; a few minors talk about sex they had; an adult couple is reported to have had nude sex, no explicit detail is given; a woman and man that are unmarried shower together, some sexual innuendo occurs; a woman talks about how she was sexually violated; a sexual scene between adults is discussed with some explicit detail.

Mature Subject Matter:

Sexual harassment, death, violence, personal crisis, teenage sex, rape.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

Minors drink; pot brownies are served; smoking weed is mentioned; adults drink vodka; adults drink wine; marijuana is used at a party by minors; an adult is referred to as drunk; adults drink beer.