It Started with Goodbye

Gr 8 Up—When 16-year-old Tatum Elsea is arrested for being a getaway driver for her best friend Ashlyn and her boyfriend Chase, she is charged with a misdemeanor. Her punishment is a $500 fine and 100 hours of community service. In addition, Tatum's father and stepmother decide that she should be under house arrest for the entire summer, allowed to leave only for work and community service. Luckily, Tatum's stepgrandmother will be around to act as a buffer between her and her strict stepmother. Ashlyn has been sent away for the summer and refuses to respond to Tatum's emails. But Tatum becomes close to Abby, a schoolmate who is doing the same community service. Abby suggests that Tatum spend her "jail" time productively and encourages her to advertise her web-design skills. With very little effort, Tatum ends up with a few clients, one of whom is her perfect stepsister Tillie, who at first has no idea that Tatum is behind TLC Design. Tatum's decision to come clean with Tillie transforms their previously frosty relationship into true sisterhood. The quick changes in Tatum's stepmother's and Tillie's attitudes add to the fairy-tale quality of the story. A glib contemporary coming-of-age novel loosely based on "Cinderella," this book is suitable for teens who enjoyed Meg Cabot's The Princess Diaries.