As a 68 year old grandmother, I highly recommend this book. Picoult describes the feelings and anger of a child living his entire life with bullying, day in and day out and the rage it leads him to. The sex scene, though explicit, also tells a story of a vulnerable young girl, trying desperately to fit in with the popular crowd and the popular boyfriend, as well as his aggression, sexual violence and possessiveness over her. Both stories are vital to understanding what goes on in our young people's lives.