Initial thoughts: This is a book with heart. Pen's drive and desire only pushes her into one direction but also makes her blind to other people's feelings, especially her family. I thought her character development from beginning to end was really strong. It took me a while to warm up to her but I think that was the point because she always put on a front to appear strong in front of others. Xander's story arc wasn't as developed as Pen's but I was still rooting for him, and for things to turn out well, what with the loss of his parents at a young age, and his fear of being discovered as an undocumented immigrant.