If you were 14 years old and given the choice between going to soccer camp or visiting Spain, which would you choose? Most would immediately say Spain but for Avery Armisted, soccer camp is all she wants this summer. Rich, popular and spoiled by her loving parents, Avery doesn't care to see a new country or spend time with her father. She only wants to be with her friends and keep herself in a solid position to be the best player next season. Her father has kindly offered to allow Avery to bring a friend, but the catch is that he gets to choose the friend and he chooses Kayla Butts. Kayla was Avery's best friends in kindergarten and neither has seen the other for several years. Avery is shocked and disappointed by this but Kayla is excited by this good fortune. Kayla is 16 years old and comes from a poor family in the middle of nowhere, so she and her family see this as a chance of lifetime. Avery and Kayla are polar opposites and can't seem to get along for more than ten minutes at a time, making the trip a struggle for everyone involved. When a secret is revealed involving both teens, they begin to see that maybe they aren't so different after all and they need each other to fully discover what has been hidden from them by the families they love.
This book was a delight to read. The plot was interesting and I found the characters to be well-developed and unique. I did get annoyed a bit with Avery and her stuck up nature and Kayla's lack of self-confidence, but I enjoyed watching the two girls perspectives and behaviors shift and change over the course of the story. I also enjoyed the people of Spain and loved the friends the girls made while there. This is a Young Adult novel and I would definitely recommend this for middle school through high school readers.
~Abigail C.
Comments