Even though I'm not in the demographic this book was aimed for, I still feel that this is an absolutely excellent read.

You read the book through the eyes of Mary-Lou Finney the second eldest of five children. For a summer holiday project, she is told that she needs to keep a journal and hand it in to her new english teacher when school resumes. At first, Mary-Lou doesn't understand what a journal is or what she needs to write in it, but eventually she gets the knack for it and starts to really enjoy writing.

Along the way, you read about her pink-cheeked boyfriend, her boy-crazy best friend, her cousin Carl Ray and her thoughts of Homers Oddysey. Combine all these factors together and you get an absolutely crazy whirlwind of a story that will leave a lasting impression.