Appealing and enjoyable. Some unlikable characters show race and class prejudices. The "love child" plot component might be more unsettling for some readers than others. My main concern, however, is on the very likable girl protagonist's disordered eating: she sneaks and hides junk food and has not only put on 30 pounds, but is ashamed to have others know or see what she's been eating. While it's a plausible character and plot point so it makes sense in the story, it nevertheless concerns me as a behavior model, especially as this character is so likable. I'd think long and hard about a girl reader's own body image, and any proclivity towards disordered eating, in deciding whether to recommend the book.