16-year old Martin and his family are enjoying a vacation on a Caribbean island. The foursome joins two other families on what is believed to be an adventurous trek through some of the mountains of the island. However, it goes horribly wrong; they are kidnapped and taken hostage by guerrillas and forced into the heart of the Santa Clara wilderness. They are scared for their lives, and for those of Martin's brother and two other tourists, who supposedly escaped their capture.
Lena, Tibby, Carmen, and Bee have just finished their first year of college, and are hoping for some time together. As in summers past, that doesn't work, and they rely on the pants to keep them together as their worlds are rapidly changing. Bee is upset to find that her boyfriend, Eric, is going to teach at a summer camp in Baja without her; as a way to get back, she signs up for an archaeological dig in Istanbul- finding more than just "ancient dirt." Tibby is trying to find out if Brian is the one.
11-year old Harlie has everything going for her-great friends, great parents, and she might even qualify for the Team USA Junior Gymnastics Championships in Miami, Florida. She even had a cool birthday party to see a comic book exhibit at the museum with her friends, Miss O, Juliette, Isabella, and Justine! Her life is pretty much perfect-and she's happy with it. But then things start happening all at once; a new family moves into her apartment building, and Harlie's expected to entertain their very annoying Kindergartener, Lanie!
Emily Wu is Chinese-American, working with her immigrant parents in their Chinese restaurant in Richmond. Like her mother, she has a great love of art and is entranced while drawing. A new boy at school, Alex (also the son of family friends of the Wu's), moves to Richmond with his aunt and uncle while his parents continue working in Taiwan. He has a great love of art also, and he and Emily are both picked to paint a mural for the school's hallway. At first Emily is weary of the idea, but soon becomes friends with Alex.
Morgan Carter is a teen Hollywood actress. She becomes addicted to drinking, and almost dies from it. Her mom, Bianca, finds out and wants Morgan to get back on track with her life. She sends Morgan to go live with her friend in Fort Wayne, Indiana for a year and go to an actual high school there. Morgan is devastated. What will she do in such a lousy place like Fort Wayne? She knows it's for the best, but Morgan still thinks her mom sent her away so she wouldn't have to deal with Morgan herself.
Chloe Says: DO: Read this book if you, like me, love any and all things related to clothing, shopping, designing, and accessorizing, and believe that everything should always go together but never be too matchy-matchy. DON'T: Spend all your money on clothes! Leave some for my book! Chloe Leiberman (Sometimes Wong), A Novel by Carrie Rosten, is full of fun and quirky do's and don'ts like the one above, and has an hilarious fashion-obsessed-enhanced air to it.
