Instruct: Classify a given Amazon review into positive or negative sentiment.
Query: Excellent debut!

I finished this book last night, staying up much later than I meant in order to see the resolution of this multilayered story. It's a gritty tale in some respects, but Ms. Vaught handles tough issues with a deft hand, making the reader care about her characters. It goes beyond the standard teen angst book in many ways. I should mention there is humor as well, mostly in the form of Stonn, a blunt Finnish exchange student who had me laughing out loud. But mostly it's the story of Rusty, who must deal with her mother's mental illness, a suicidal friend, and her own budding sexuality. The action climaxes in the rich atmosphere of Mardi Gras, which Ms. Vaught captures quite well. Highly recommmended!