“Tyrell had fat fingers, fat knuckles, and the kind of hair like the seats on public toilets. U-shaped, rimming the side of his head, while the rest of his scalp was completely bare.”

These lines reveal Del’s humorous voice as the protagonist. Del has a unique sense of humor, and his witty irreverence is realistic for a teenage boy.

“I’m not built that way though, not the smash-on-the-couch-after-school-before-some-adult-got-home type. I liked the way Dad sat on one corner of the sofa with Mom wedged in his armpit, her feet tucked under her, while we all watched Jeopardy! or Black-ish. I liked watching them hold hands in the Costco before I was old enough to skip the trip. That’s the kind of thing I wanted. With Kiera. And it wasn’t unattainable. I wouldn’t let it be.”

Del’s desire to find true love reveals he’s unlike other boys. Instead of being a stereotype, Del has depth. He’s imperfect but likable, and his singular point of view keeps readers invested in his growth.

“My sister said, ‘Sometimes I think simple hurts worse. So people make stuff complicated because there’s more ways to toss around blame.’”

Cressie’s comment refers to the alleged pregnancy pact the prior year at the high school. Inventing complicated reasons for issues with a simple cause gives the adults a sense of control; in this case, they can blame various societal ills or failures of parenting or moral collapse. The kids know the reason is far simpler; but the adults can’t analyze or control a stretch of snow days and boredom. This excerpt also recalls Jameer’s parents, who want to blame the fact that he’s gay on technology, the corrupting influence of others, and anything else that they can remove from his environment. If they acknowledge the simple fact that their son is gay because he was born that way, they lose any sense of control over who he is or becomes.