First and First

One thing I really enjoy about Hassell's books is how an unlikable character in one book might come to the forefront of the next book and really shine. Strong point-of-view writing means you experience a character's feelings and opinions about other characters. I was really surprised that this book centered around Caleb, who I didn't like in Sunset Park. By the end, though, I definitely felt like I'd seen a human side to him – with his baggage and all.

Overall, I preferred the first two books to this one, but I did like how Caleb and Oli dealt with their backgrounds, experiences, and desires. Hassell also incorporated sneak peeks about what was happening behind the scenes with Michael, Nunzio, David, and Raymond too, which is refreshing. You feel that the books are very sequential as opposed to happening in parallel, so you see how characters who were once protagonists mature in their relationships as supporting characters.