Slacks for Ella Funt

I hadn’t picked this up, despite great reviews, because I was afraid that it was going to turn out to be religious at the end, messages from God or something. As soon as I started it, however, I was pretty sure that wasn’t going to be the case. This is one of those gritty realism types of YA books, the kind I’m sure schools and parents try to ban. The characters are 18-19 years old, and they smoke, drink, and have sex.
The plot line is a little gimmicky. The main character gets messages. He’s not sure where they come from, but they instruct him to help people, generally in unclear and difficult ways. In obeying the messages, he frequently gets hurt and has to make morally ambiguous decisions. The grittiness makes the gimmick feel more realistic, though the ending felt a little too pat.