Carrie Bradshaw of Sex and The City fame was once a small town Connecticut girl who wanted to live in New York City and be a writer. Fans of the television show and movies know how that turned out for her. But the Carrie in Bushnell's new book is just trying to get through her senior year of high school. As expected the plot of this story hinges on a guy, close friendships, and the usual high school and familial dramas: a friend who comes out of the closet; one who discovers sex; one who betrays Carrie; cliques and their mayhem; what to do after high school; a rebellious sister; and an overly protective father who wants Carrie to go to Brown and study science.

Carrie and her friends are smart, funny, and full of good fun. They are generally trying to do right by each other and themselves to varying degrees of success. The plot and the writing are not groundbreaking. While there is not much intensive character development, fans of SATC will enjoy watching Carrie learn to be the person she becomes in the show. But it is a brisk, enjoyable read for fans and non-fans alike. Lots of discussion of (but no descriptions of) sex as well as plenty of scenes where drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes are consumed make this book a better fit for older teens.