This was unexpectedly sweet. Ari is fifteen and trying so hard to figure out who he is and who he wants to be. His parents have kept a lot from him about his brother, who is in prison, and just isn't talked about. His dad never talks about his time in Vietnam. And he's working his way through huge growing pains of being a teenage boy.
Dante is happy. Too happy. How is anyone that happy? Ari likes him, though. A lot. And Dante seems to have his life figures out way more than Ari does. Dante knows who he is, what he wants. Life keeps coming at them and coming at them until Ari is just so angry and everything comes out. His parents finally tell him about his brother. Dante's confession comes back into the conversation, and the adults stage an intervention to point Ari to what they've already seen.
This was a truly emotional story of loyalty, loss, family, and love. I really enjoyed it and can't wait to start book 2.