When Sydney's brother, Peyton, was sentenced to prison after paralyzing a 15-year-old while driving drunk, it was the culmination of an escalating stream of lawless behavior. Sydney coped by closing in on herself, drawing away from her charming brother's popularity now infamy and spending most of her time at home alone watching reality TV. After transferring to public school, she has a chance meeting with Layla, a whimsical and opinionated girl who works at her family's pizzeria with her handsome brother, Mac. Sydney finds herself inexplicably drawn to Layla, who becomes exactly the kind of fiercely supportive friend she needs as she struggles to carve out a space for herself in her mother's Peyton-centric orbit. As Sydney grows closer to Layla (and deliciously closer to Mac), her sense of agency and determination grows, too. In classic Dessen style, the book plumbs the depths of Sydney's interior life, lightening the mood with well-timed moments of witty banter, often between Layla and Sydney, whose friendship is the emotional centerpiece of the novel. Another incisive and sensitive character-driven story sure to please her many, many fans. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Dessen's hordes of fans probably already know about this novel and are lying in wait, lurking behind the corner of your circulation desk as we speak.--Hunter, Sarah Copyright 2015 Booklist

In Dessen's novel, the teenage Sydney comes to terms with the incarceration of her golden-boy brother Peyton while navigating a new high school and the vicissitudes of first love. Reader Meskimen's excellent performance is centered on the unassuming, quiet tones of the main character, but she also offers other voices, including a delightfully whimsical narration for Sydney's new best friend Layla and a tight intonation for Sydney's controlling mother. Other characters include Ames, a creepy hanger-on whose constant presence as a substitute family member during Peyton's absence is a source of much of the novel's tension; Meskimen captures his outward charm as well as the more sinister subtext. In all, this is a very satisfying audio performance by a young narrator worth following. Ages 12-up. A Viking hardcover. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Gr 9 Up-Good girl Sydney has always lived in her brother Peyton's shadow. Her parents doted on him, even as he spiraled into reckless behavior. When Peyton's drunk driving incident lands a boy in a wheelchair, Sydney realizes life cannot continue this way. She transfers to public school, where she meets Mac Chatham, a cute boy who sees her for who she is, and his sister Layla, who befriends her immediately. As the Chatham family embraces her into their lives, Sydney learns what it feels like to be accepted unconditionally and finds hope that she can spark change, if not with her family, then within herself. Dessen hits another home run with this novel, which is well narrated by Taylor Meskimen, as she tackles the themes of substance abuse, belonging, and hope. VERDICT This will appeal to Dessen fans as well as those looking for a feeling of belonging or to find how others cope with difficult situations. ["Taut, tightly structured with well-rounded characters, this novel is sure to please Dessen's many fans and attract new ones": SLJ 4/1/15 review of the Viking book.]-Amanda Stern, Northwest Village School, Plainville, CT © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

After her ne'er-do-well older brother, Peyton, is sent to prison, demure, obedient Sydney leaves her sheltered private school for a new start.Avoiding her family after her first day at Jackson High School, Sydney fortuitously stops for a snack at Seaside Pizza. There, she meets siblings Mac and Layla, who quickly befriend her. Sydney is drawn into the warm world of their family and the pizza business, and crisp, unusual details bring each character and set of relationships to life. At home, Sydney's mother throws herself obsessively into "supporting" Peyton and pressures Sydney to become as involved in visiting Peyton and talking to him on the phone as she has, without respect to either Sydney's or Peyton's wishes. Although Sydney's mother's character sometimes feels one-note, Sydney's frustration with her mother's willful denial and relative neglect of her is palpable and poignant. This tension shows itself most unsettlingly when Sydney's parents go out of town for a weekend and leave Sydney in the care of Peyton's friend Ames, whose sinister interest in Sydney is clear to everyone who pays attention. Overall, the story moves slowly and subtly, creating a rich emotional landscape and letting small changesLayla finds a boyfriend; Sydney's mom and brother have a fightripple out gently. A many-layered story told with a light touch. (Fiction. 14-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

After a long downward spiral into substance abuse, Sydney's brother Peyton--still a golden boy in their mother's eyes--is in jail. Starting at a new school, Sydney is befriended by kind, free-spirited Layla; Layla's handsome brother Mac; and their ragtag group of friends, whose support helps Sydney confront feelings of guilt and betrayal. Dessen creates complex, three-dimensional characters, especially secondary ones. (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.