In this smart and sexy summer beach read for teens, Beth Ann Bauman (Rosie and Skate) writes about a group of friends the summer and fall of their senior year, when they know that everything is about to change.
On Angel Cassonetti's 17th birthday, her half-siblings, Mimi (age 10) and "little man" Mossy (age 8), wake her with greetings and gifts. Angel, who narrates, loves her family. But there's trouble of Angel's own making with her on-again, off-again boyfriend Joey Sardone. Occasionally Angel needs space and tells Joey so. But this time, Joey's had enough of Angel "toying" with him. While Angel and Joey are "off again," Angel is on with someone else. Bauman makes no judgment--Angel is responsible (she's on the pill and keeps a couple of condom packets with her) and she enjoys her sexuality; it's part of exploring who she is. Angel's best friend, Inggy Olofsson, has only ever been with John Cork. Inggy will be heading for a top college out of town, and Angel worries their friendship will change. When Angel and Cork begin a secret tryst, she worries that if Inggy discovers it, their friendship will also be affected.
Bauman's authentic characters speak frankly about their sexuality and weigh its impact on other areas of their lives. With humor and keen perception, her novel respects teens' need to explore their feelings and desires and the complexities that go with them. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness