" Hands down. Absolute must read. With every book I finish, I am starting to really like Ellen Hopkins' writing. Ellen Hopkins' books are easy to follow and easy to read and understand. She has mastered her writing style, like the lines within the poems that could be read by themselves to create a second poem inside of a poem. I know, it sounds confusing but it really isn't. She tends to be very blunt and in your face. I really like that about this author and this book. There is no sugar coating. Life isn't good or fair all of the time and it astounds me how Ellen Hopkins captures the tough moments in her books.I think I have figured out the reason why this author is so beloved by the YA community. It is because she has this way of being able to create overly human-like characters that everyone can easily relate to. When you read her books, you can imagine that the characters you are shown could easily be your best friend, a family member, or even yourself. There is nothing unrealistic about her characters, especially concerning this particular book. I also found out in my first E. Hopkins book that she uses people's real experiences in these topics and uses them to help her create a believable and well written plot. Books are always so much better when they pull from real life experiences, and that is just another talent Ellen has mastered. The issues in this book, like her others, are controversial. I really enjoyed this book, like I knew I would. This book, is well... not perfect (excuse the bad pun), but pretty close. "
— Sharif, 2/1/2014