With this third novel set at Hundred Oaks High in small-town Tennessee, Miranda Kenneally (Catching Jordan; Stealing Parker) delivers her best work yet.
The book opens with 18-year-old narrator Kate Kelly buying a pregnancy test for Emily, her best friend of 15 years. From the first line, readers get a strong sense of Kate's background and personality: "Girls like me do not buy pregnancy tests." From there we shift to Cumberland Creek summer camp, where Kate will work as a counselor. It is immediately clear that Kate's upbringing heavily involved her church and her faith, and the rude awakening of life outside her youth group forces her to work past many of her long-held opinions and to accept others (and herself) for who they are. Kate's initial attitude may make it hard for some readers to connect with her, but as she learns more about herself and the world around her, she becomes more sympathetic, and readers will appreciate her journey and undoubtedly become fans of the story.
Kenneally's skill shines as Kate evolves as an individual. The growth isn't instant or easy, and each character and scene plays a part in Kate's development. Readers will fawn over Matt, a love interest who doesn't like to wear shoes and chooses to introduce himself as "Marsupial Matt" during a game at camp. Those who have read Kenneally's previous books will enjoy the bonus cameos from characters introduced earlier in the series. --Shanyn Day, blogger at Chick Loves Lit