This has aged badly - it's rampant with tropes that are almost taboo these days: putting women on a pedestal (as I should have realised the title implied - I mean, duh), a man who feels like he is friend zoned, and a manic pixie dream girl love interest. There is no doubt that this novel is beautifully and eloquently written but neither of the characters it focuses on are likeable (honestly, Raif reminded me quite a bit of Snape from Harry Potter, and I'm not one of those people who's pro-Snape).