I really wanted to like this story. It started off pretty strong - a girl, Viola, is shipped off to boarding school in Indiana while her parents jet off to Afghanastan for a documentary. She has to get used to small town life after growing up in Brooklyn as well as learn how to share a room with other girls. Viola seemed like a likeable character at first - trendy and snarky - and it seemed like she would be a lot of fun to live vicariously through. Then, Trigiani started throwing all these different curves into the plot. I kept finding myself thinking that the plot was going to change to be something different and, instead, none of these story lines were ever developed.
Viola experiences being away from home for the first time, having her first boyfriend (I think? Did they ever establish anything), and pursuing her dreams of becoming a filmmaker. However, towards the end of the book, things come to an abrubt end. Nothing was tied up nicely or, in some instances, even resolved.
Overall, I was pretty disappointed.