Although I like bold, colorful cover designs, I'm not sure that this particular cover really conveys the first-person narrator's personality or situation. When I think about strong male YA voices in urban settings, I visualize covers more like 'Long Way Down' or 'Promise Boys.' I like a lot of YA literature even though I am not the intended audience, but somehow this book didn't quite draw me in. However, the voice of the male protagonist seems authentic, so I am going to rate this novel the way I think YA readers will.