The Unexpected Everything

Gr 8 Up—Andie Walker had planned to spend her summer in the Young Scholars Program at Johns Hopkins with other aspiring doctors. Unfortunately, when her politician father gets caught up in a minor financial scandal, the campaign contributor who recommended her for the program pulls his support and Andie is left facing a long summer at home in Connecticut. All of the internships and summer jobs that could have helped bolster her college applications have long since been filled, so Andie takes a job walking dogs to fill her days while her friends give tours at the local museum and manage community theater productions. Andie and her dad haven't spent much time together since her artist mother's death, and navigating their new day-to-day routine is difficult for both of them. And though the teen has long had an ironclad rule about keeping relationships with guys under three weeks, cute, awkward Clark has her rethinking it. The most interesting things tend to happen when plans are upended, and Andie's story is no exception. Though the outcomes will hold few surprises for most readers, it's a genuine pleasure to watch Andie explore her relationships with her father, her friends, and Clark (especially once his delightful secret is revealed) and to see her channel her smarts and ambition into new career goals.