Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published May 2010
224 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
Zen and Xander are sisters - truly, madly, deeply sisters, and this is their last summer together.
Zen is the "good" girl with a black belt in karate and a newfound penchant for kicking heads. Xander is a wild scientific genius with a self-destructive streak a light-year long. They have three things in common: they’re brown-eyed blondes, they’ve noticed the boy next door has turned into a hottie, and they miss their mom, who died almost a year ago.
These sisters are surviving just fine - except Zen keeps getting into fights that are harder and harder to finish, while Xander spirals into a vortex of late-night parties, scary men, and drugs. What’s worse, Xander has scholarships to the most coveted universities in the country, but she’s about to ruin everything. Should Zen keep trying to protect Xander, or finally let her go?
"Vivid emotions and unexpected events keep the reader engaged as the characters grow and find a way back to themselves."--Booklist
"The themes of the negative influences of drugs and alcohol never overpower the story; instead, the focus remains tightly on two young women at a sensitive time in their lives." - School Library Journal
"Starred Review. Zen's frank narration-full of longing and hard-won insight-draws readers in and won't let go." - Kirkus Reviews
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Amy Kathleen Ryan earned an M.A. in English literature and graduated from the New School Creative Writing for Children Program. She now lives with her family in Colorado.
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