Fantastic example of what a coming-of-age novel can be. Avoids sentimentality and really moves forward thanks to Charles's ability to write really profound, wonderful sentences. Essentially the tale of a kid graduating HS in the early 90s. But it takes place in Michigan, so it has this great feeling of uniqueness. I never felt like Charles was writing a cliched story. Amazing how that can be accomplished with a setup that has been done to death.