Gretchen told her parents she wanted to be a doctor when she was four. She's now sixteen and a very different person, but Mom and Dad still have that mindset-she'll be a doctor. Gretchen isn't sure what she wants, but writing, especially poetry, is something that makes her come alive. When she verbally strong arms geeky James into being her chemistry tutor, it's the beginning of change, something that includes his older cousin Dean, a boy she can talk to so easily, the loss of her longtime best friend, a new somewhat bumpy friendship with food-obsessed Ashlyn and friction at home. It turns into a very painful experience that eventually sends her back into the sunlight of life, wiser, still sad, but with a more realistic understanding of herself. I read this in about two hours, deciding to buy it after reading her new book The Center Of The Universe. It was a very smart decision. ( )