A Separate Peace is an amazing book with a great story. Knowles captures the world of an elite New England boarding school and an interesting summer during World War Two when a tragic accident changes the lives of friends Gene and Phineas. The setting and themes of adolescence and rivalry are very impactful, although, I felt the pacing of the plot slows down a bit too much in parts. The final section of the book also left me wishing for a bit more closure. The complex relationship between Gene and Finny drives this novel and Knowles portrays how friendship, jealousy, and internal conflicts can tangle together during the coming-of-age years.
In the end, A Separate Peace is absolutely a book worth reading and it brings up many questions about friendship, guilt, and understanding oneself and others. I'm rating it at four stars because of some pacing issues and it would have been better if the ending tied up more neatly. But don't let that discourage you.