Laura Bowers

The delight of this book was the affectionate portrayal of the intergenerational relationships between Abbey and the older women in her life. Intelligent "chick lit" for teens.

Abbey Garner has learned hard lessons from the women in her life. Her mother and grandmother were teenage mothers with failed marriages. Abbey is determined not to let that happen to her and she scrupulously saves her earnings so she can be a millionaire by age 35. She has been living with Granny Po ever since her show more mother tried to commit suicide. The cranky but soft-hearted Granny Po and her sprightly senior citizen friends have become surrogate mothers to Abbey. Another important woman is the glamorous Gena, who bought Granny's beauty shop and turned it into a spa. These women help Abbey cope with her mother's disappointing unreliability. Enjoyable intergenerational relationships although Abbey's lessons learned are a little pat. show less

Dee Barton wants to spend the summer being a Superflirt with her Nine Rules of Flirting and the guys that come to stay at her family’s campground. Sabrina wants to spend the summer being popular and being the perfect girlfriend to Blaine, Dee’s ex-boyfriend. Both girls dislike the other. When a secret blog gets them both involved in a lawsuit that could change their lives, Dee and Sabrina realize that they are not as different as they thought as they team up to stop the people who want show more to use them to further their own ambitions. They manage to stop the lawsuit and become friends with plenty of adventures and, of course, flirting.

Neither of the main characters in the book are particularly likeable. Dee flirts with boys just because she can and has few thoughts about the feelings of the boys she toys with, and Sabrina is self-centered and just as unkind. However, the author did a great job at showing the different characters in the viewpoints and made them seem like two distinct voices. Almost all of the characters regardless of age show a lot of immaturity and are inconsiderate towards others, sometimes just to further the plot rather than being character traits. The book has many humorous moments, but there are also many moments that go past the point of believability. It makes little sense that these two girls who started out as sworn enemies would so easily forgive each other and become a team. Still, it is a fun, light read that feels just right for summer in spite of its flaws. show less

Abbey Garner has a goal -- she's going to be a millionaire by the time she's thirty-five. A part-time job in her great-grandmother Granny Po's beauty shop means fourteen-year-old Abbey can make regular bank deposits toward her goal. For the last three years, since her mother dropped her off on Granny Po's doorstep, Abbey has been mostly happy: she has good friends, Granny Po and the "Grey Ladies" who frequent the beauty shop, and a good start on her millionaire-by-thirty-five plan. But in a show more year when the years'-old, rusty sign advertising "beauty shop for rent" actually attracts an inquiry, when her absent mother actually pays a visit, and when her good friend Mitch starts showing more than friendly interest.... Well, it's safe to say that Abbey's life is about to change.

It's difficult to believe that this is Bowers debut novel. Abbey is a wonderfully realized character, and she's surrounded by a cast that is as clearly and charmingly crafted as she is. Joining Abbey, Granny Po, Gina and the Grey Ladies for their weekly "hypothetical question" was a real treat. show less

I loved this book when I read it a few years ago. I wasn't sure what it would be like, when it was nominated for the Gateway readers list. We have used it as an alternative assignment for [b:Thirteen Reasons Why|1217100|Thirteen Reasons Why|Jay Asher|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1333822506s/1217100.jpg|2588213]. It's a great coming of age story.