Good story about a girl who idolizes her big brother, only to find out he is as flawed as anyone. Issues of pregnancy, first love, sex and friendships. 8th grade and older.

This book had it's moments but overall, I could take it or leave it. I was very bored for the first five or so chapters but thankfully it picked up after that. I was close to giving up at one point but I'm glad I stuck it out. One thing that bugged me was the way Lucy's brother, Jack, and his situation became the most important thing in Lucy's life/the book. I understand that they were close and he was a big part of her life. And yes, his situation was interesting and deserving of atteion, but I wish Zeises had focused as much, if not more on developing Lucy's relationship with Tobin, as well as her other friends and classmates. THAT was what I was interested in and by the time the end of the book came, I felt sort of cheated. I wonder if she's planning to write a sequel.

Another thing that bugged me was the way sex was handled in this book. After a while it felt like something out of an after school special on teens and sex or a "How to Talk to Your Teen About Sex" brochure for parents, kind of rehearsed and unrealistic. A little too perfect. However, this is really the first YA book I've read (And I haven't read a ton of YA fiction in which teens are having sex or are curious about it) that advocated waiting in the manner it did and to the degree it did. And that's not a bad thing. In the books I've read so far, the girls have sex first, and then have these revelations about it after the fact. It was also nice to see a girl in a setting where she wasn't left alone to figure this stuff out via trial and error.

P.S. I'm now reading "Bringing Up the Bones" by the same author and it's very good! It's also kind of cool how the two books are connected in a small (so far) way. I wasn't expecting that. ( )

For a novel that begins as another "never been kissed" story, it develops into a series of revelations. Lucy Doyle manages to get her first kiss (and even a little bit more) but along the way has to deal with disillusionment of her older brother's character, estrangement from her best friend, and acceptance of her brother's pregnant girlfriend. There is also an interesting shadow of an understanding of her parent's relationship from a more mature view than is usually afforded to a 14 year-old. ( )

The moment comes in every young girl's life when her whole world changes and all her relationships are different. Lucy, a freshman, discovers that all her friends are hooking up and dating upperclassmen while she's never even been kissed. Her brother, once her closest friend, brings his girlfriend home from college to live with them, and Lucy feels like the ultimate third wheel. Then everything is turned upside down when a cute older boy falls for Lucy and she discovers why her brother & his girlfriend have come home. This book is sweet and perfect for freshman girls. The exhiliration of that first real boyfriend is described perfectly. Although this isn't my favorite Zeises book, it is nonetheless a good read. ( )