Ruby Cooper lives a pretty messed up life, moving every couple of months, living with an alcoholic, abusive mother who can barely keep a job. She's grown to be dependent on no one, that is until she has to go and live with her sister Cora and brother-in-law Jamie, it's more than she can stand. Spending their money taking up their time and space, she doesn't understand why they want to help her. Along with other things she's having trouble figuring out like calculus, her old life and her friendly neighbor boy Nate. She can't help but wonder why he's so nice, what's the secret about his father, and where in the world her mother is. Soon she is struggleing with several problems all at once, and many of them are life changing.

Sarah Dessen does a great job at filling this book with teenage life experience, romance, suspense and she wraps it all up with the meaning of family. She leads us along while Ruby tries to figure out what does family really mean anx in the end she finds out what it truely means to herself. Many people can relat to this book because it discusses the topic of family, which sometimes is a tough topic for people.

I would recommend this book, mainly for young adults but it can also be An enjoyable read for adults as well. Some books that go along with this one and that I find entertaining to read are if we kiss by Rachel Vail, Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen and also by Sarah Dessen the truth about forever.