As with any intense and interesting story, it was a real challenge to put this book down. Matthew Quick did a really nice job of starting off strong, by giving a short but sweet first chapter that outlined the rest of the book. As the story progresses, it highlights real-time action, while also indulging in flashbacks every few chapters. The book follows 17-year-old Leonard Peacock, living in Philadelphia, who is struggling immensely with his mental health. His parents, a one-hit-wonder rockstar and a ludicrously vain fashion designer, refuse to help him or even give him attention. However, he has made a few friends at his school, which is what the story is centered around. In the very first chapter, Quick tells the reader how the book is going to end: Leonard will, with his grandfather’s Nazi P-38 pistol, kill his former best friend and commit suicide. But before that, he will give gifts to each of his 4 friends he made along the way, all on his 18th birthday. The novel shifts from giving backstories of characters to them receiving the gifts in real time, and eventually concludes with the final gift being given, and of course, Leonard’s plan to “go out with a bang”. Overall, this was a really interesting book with a lot of cool characters, and I would definitely recommend it to someone who is looking for something good to read.