Amy has always just lived with her mother – her father has not really been a part of her life. That is until Amy turns 16, and he tells her he is taking her to Israel for the summer to see her sick grandmother. Then he admits he has never told his family about her. While the book was interesting, including a romantic experience for Amy, I didn’t like Amy all that much. She is snarky and spoiled (although it is alluded to that most of this comes from her mother), and pushes people away throughout most of the book. Then when she falls in love and realizes that she does also love her father, it’s in the last 30 pages of the book, so her realization all feels a bit rushed. It’s light enough to be chick lit, but on the other hand, there is some political explanations and a little bit of education about Israel, so it will teach teens a little as they enjoy the book. ( )

This was a pretty average YA book. The main character got on my nerves by being too bitchy, and most of the supporting characters weren't developed at all. The girl had a sort of revelation and it was definitely a coming of age story, but it was all way too predictable. ( )

How would you feel if the dad you barely knew took you away from your boyfriend and your sweet summer job to spend the summer in his homeland of Israel? This is exactly what happens to Amy -- who is NOT excited. But when she arrives in Israel, a new culture, friendships, and maybe even romance start to pull her in. This is a funny book that also gives you a glimpse of what it's like to be an Israeli. ( )

After a call out of the blue from her father (or as Amy calls him, the Sperm Donor), Amy finds herself with him on a plane headed to Israel for a visit to her sick grandmother whom she never even knew she had. It turns out the family home is on a community farm and no one in the family even knew Amy existed before she arrived. Amy has a nasty streak - mostly because she wants to protect herself from every being disappointed or hurt. She and her cousin definitely get off on the wrong foot. Over the course of the novel, Amy learns to let her dad and family in and she lets down her guard enough to fall in love with Avi. ( )

Amy Nelson has got a big chip on her shoulder – rightly so though. Her biological father (whose appearances ‘in the picture’ are few and far between) has decided to take her away for the summer, but not to the beach or Disneyworld or anything cool like that. Instead, she is traveling halfway around the world to war-torn Israel to meet her father’s family who until now didn’t even know she existed. How is she going to survive the next couple of months with people she doesn’t know in a foreign land with terrorists, scorching heat, and no malls?

Even though Amy can come across pretentious, self-absorbed and lacking in the positive attitude department to say the least, she manages to pull it off in an amusing way. I enjoyed watching Amy’s growth from a “spoiled American brat” to, as what she describes at the end of the story, someone who has “learned about my family, my heritage, a beautiful land full of rich history, and love”. The descriptions of the Israeli landscape are vivid and interestingly follow Amy’s path from really hating that she is there to the final acceptance and love for her heritage. The author also touches on a lot of Jewish history and tradition. The way she approaches the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is done well – she lets the reader see the human side of it through the relationship between Avi and Tarik, not just the religious and political perspective we usually see in the media. The relationship between Amy and Avi was steamy and had all the tension of the initial love-hate relationship that eventually transforms into a summer fling that you can’t help but root for. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a sequel -- I’m already formulating it in my head now! That, and planning a trip to Israel. ( )