One might think Knowles isn t creating but channeling the adolescent mind. A fascinating study of misperceptions consequences and the teen condition. -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Thanks to a bully in gym class unpopular Nate suffers a broken finger--the middle one splinted to flip off the world. It won t be the last time a middle finger is raised as ten voices speak loud and clear about the complex dance that is life in a small town. They resonate in a gritty and unflinching portrayal of a day like any other with ordinary traumas heartbreak and revenge. But as on any given day the line where presentation and perception meet is a tenuous one hard to discern. Unless of course one looks a little closer--and reads between the lines.