Folding Paper & Spilling Ink

This is one of those books you could easily sit down and read in one sitting. As is I read it in two days, and wish I had forced myself to parse it out a little more - I already miss reading this book. Albertalli now joins a short list of authors that I feel really captures an authentic young gay voice. Simon comes to life in this book so fully that I feel like I know him. (He reminded me a bit of Vladimir Tod, from Heather Brewer's books, except obviously not a vampire.) The supporting characters were also well developed, and I particularly appreciated the racial diversity represented in their ranks. Everyone felt authentic, as did their motivations, for better or worse - ultimately that's what made the book such a success. This book is charming, sweet, and at times very sad. It's a coming out book, but it's also a book about falling in love for the first time, and that universal teenage experience of beginning to really discover yourself. If you're a fan of David Levithan, teen love stories, queer reads, or just want to read a story with a sympathetic and well developed main character, move this book to the top of your list.