Halley and Scarlett have been best friends for years, sharing secrets, clothes, and crushes--but they've never had to share the kinds of things they face their junior year. Death, pregnancy, and new love put a lot of pressure on the girls' friendship.

Reviews

PW said this "realistic portrayal of contemporary teens and their moral challenges breathes fresh life into well-worn themes of rebellion and first love." Ages 12-up. (June) n Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Gr 7 UpÄQuiet, predictable Halley and Scarlett, her feisty defender, have been best friends since grade school. Growing up like sisters, they've shared everything except a bedroomÄdreams, clothes, classes, and Friday nights. Then boys step into their teen lives. Scarlett's romance the summer before junior year has serious consequences when Michael dies in a motorcycle accident and she's left carrying his child. Halley's close relationship with her psychologist mother is fractured as the girl's friendship with secretive, irresponsible Macon Faulkner deepens into romance. To top things off, Grandma Halley is dying. Halley and her classmates experiment with drugs, alcohol, and sex, and experience family problems. Asking questions and making choices, Halley confronts her fears and learns to make her own decisions on her way to adulthood. Dessen deals accurately, sensitively, and smoothly with growing up in suburbia. Halley and Scarlett's friendship resonates with affection and honesty, and the predictable but necessary separation of mothers and daughters is portrayed with tender acuity. Experiences and conversations avoid falling into clich‚; all of the characters are fully developed and worth getting to know. Without preaching or posturing, Dessen has written a powerful, polished story.ÄGail Richmond, San Diego Unified Schools, CA