This is the 2nd book of a 4 book series. You do not need to read the 1st to understand any of this however. I devoured this in 2 days. Not only did I love this, I identified with Julia in more than a few ways. I really enjoyed the character development. I also enjoyed how the story unfolded, even though I'd guessed at some of it. I'm so glad I read this and will definitely be reading the rest of the series. (And probably her other books too.)