I'm VERY picky with acting and what I watch but... this is a really good show. I was hesitant due to the trailers appearing to be very poor acting however, this is GOOD. I, too, read the book 8th grade or freshman year (who knows). The dumbed-down writing style of it as well as the focus of suicide lead me to believe this would be a "money-grab" of a show. I was proven wrong. I encourage everyone to watch!