I hope this book will make you laugh at moments. I hope this book will make you cry at moments. I hope this book will open you up to understanding the people you may have never spoken to because of their differences from you. We are not as different as you think, and all our stories matter and deserve to be celebrated and told.
-- The Author (Narration) (Author’s Note)

Importance: In this quote, the author addresses readers that may not be part of the core audience to whom the book is ostensibly addressed. Those core readers are Black, queer youth; here he addresses readers who do not fall into either of those categories. As such, it foreshadows and evokes a key aspect of the author's intent. At several points throughout the book he addresses his core audience directly, with the implication that what he is saying is applicable to persons whose identity and whose struggles exist...