Summary

Book Cover

Since her parents' bitter divorce, McLean and her dad, a restaurant consultant, have been on the move-four towns in two years. Estranged from her mother and her mother's new family, McLean has followed her dad in leaving the unhappy past behind. And each new place gives her a chance to try out a new persona: from cheerleader to drama diva. But now, for the first time, McLean discovers a desire to stay in one place and just be herself, whoever that is. Perhaps Dave, the guy next door, can help her find out. (Goodreads review)

REVIEW

Personally, I loved this book. This book is very honest to the point that it's almost painful. I understood McLean's pain when she decided that it was time to be herself and stop hiding behing different masks. It's about friendship and making friends. It's about leaving the past behind and learning to forgive. It's about confronting your problems and overcoming your obstacles in a very realistic way. The situation that gave her problems was not really all that realistic, but her issues were very real and were dealt with in a very real way. The end annoyed me a bit because you don't find out what happened to each of the characters, but I guess you never really do. I guess you just have to assume that there was a perfect happily ever after.

QUOTES
from Goodreads.com

These quotes give you a little taste of what the book is like. Enjoy.


>“Outside, the ocean was crashing, waves hitting sand, then pulling back to sea. I thought of everything being washed away, again and again. We make such messes in this life, both accidentally and on purpose. But wiping the surface clean doesn't really make anything neater. It just masks what is below. It's only when you really dig down deep, go underground, that you can see who you really are.”

>“When you can't save yourself or your heart, it helps to be able to save face.”

>“But all the love in the world won't save a sinking ship. You have to either bail or jump overboard.”

>“Home wasn't a set house, or a single town on a map. It was wherever the people who loved you were, whenever you were together.”

>“All those clean, fresh starts had made me forget what it was like, until now, to be messy and honest and out of control. To be real.”

>“She was so emotional, on the verge of tears. This was what I'd wanted to prevent with all those quick disappearances, the tangledness of farewells and all the baggage they brought with them. But now, looking at Deb, I realized what else I'd given up: knowing for sure that someone was going to miss me. What happened to goodbye, Michael in Westcott had written on my Ume.com page. I was pretty sure I knew, now. It had been packed away in a box of its own, trying to be forgotten, until I really needed it. Until now.”