well the first book made me cry but the second and third weren't so sad. and for me it was my first exposure to a gay male character in any book ever. Up until I read these books I didn't even know two people of the same gender could fall in love and be in a relationship. So it was quite an experience for me at the time.

though I gotta say reading later I think Van is kind of a Mary Sue character himself. Really I think these books are best read during the teenage years.