Life as she knows it is about to change completely for 13-year-old Irene. While most teenagers have to deal with the frustration of having little control of their lives, Irene has even less control than usual as some major life changes come about for her. Irene’s frustrations continue with what she anticipates will be a boring summer with little to do and no friends around. Then things start to look up for Irene.

The author does a great job of developing the characters which made it easy to relate to them. This is an excellent book that deals with the emotions of financial hardships, young romance, great friendships, worrying about struggling parents, and all the changes that come with moving to a new town. A fun and light, yet somewhat emotional read that will appeal to both teenage and adult audiences alike.

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Carolrhoda Lab

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language: 4 religious exclamations; 1 mild obscenity; 2 derogatory names; 2 F-Word derivatives.

Violence/Gore: 1 second-hand report of hit-and-run accident resulting in injury.

Sex/Nudity:  4 instances of kissing and holding hands; Touching face; Dad’s swim trunks fall down while climbing out of pool and show 2” of his behind.

Mature Subject Matter:

Job loss; Parental conflict; Mild lying; Minor having a crush on adult teacher; Chronic illness/health condition.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

13-year-old drinking champagne with parents and grandfather during a celebration.