by
Jillian has to start grade 10 a month after the semester begins in a new school where everyone knows everyone’s business. And it totally sucks. She loves her Opa but moving from Toronto to Banff to help Aunt Steph take care of him was not Jillian’s idea. As she navigates unfamiliar hallways, bear attacks and strangers she makes choices which impact relationships and a potential boyfriend. Will the last choice Jillian makes be the right one?
There’s lots of chatter as kids wander down the locker-lined hallway. Everyone stares at me. And why wouldn’t they? They’ve been back for over a month so it’s easy for them to spot the newbie. When I registered, the secretary said it’s a good school and I’d enjoy my classes. Right. Because she knows what I like.
I pull my shoulders back. Please let me make a friend. Someone who’s not already tight in a group. Someone I can walk down the halls with and hang out with so I’m not the loner kid.
On my third attempt at the combination, the lock pops open. I shove my backpack into the bottom and grab my cellphone.
“Be sure to turn it off before class. Better yet, leave it in your locker.”
I pull my locker door back to see a tall, skinny, blond guy with crooked glasses staring down at me.
“Pardon?”
“No phones on in class. No drugs. No smokes. Pretty much no fun allowed.” He shrugs. “School rules.”
READ MORE“That’s archaic.”
“Yup. But you’ll lose your phone if the teachers hear it.” He raises his hands and waves them. “Huge hassle. Easier to leave it behind.”
“Whatever.”
I turn my back to skinny blond guy and flip screens to see if Steve texted. Still nothing. I check Find My Friend ® app. No Steve listed. What? He ghosted me. Already? I’ve only been gone a few days. What a jerk. I suck at picking a good boyfriend.
COLLAPSEAmazon wrote:"Jillian’s life is a mess…she’s being seriously bullied in her new school, her grandfather is not doing well, she has to meet her biological father for the first time at fifteen years old….life is really complicated and no one seems to understand what she’s going through. This is the story of a young girl trying to make the right decisions when things keep going wrong. Baker again captures the emotional roller coaster that is teen life while never losing sight of the immense wildness and challenges of her setting in the Alberta’s Banff National Park. A wonderful adventure for any reader."
"She did it again. Barbara knows how to connect the reader to her main character. She puts us in Jillian's head, wraps us around her emotions, and makes us worry about her and the decisions she is making. We become invested in her character because we know her so well. We see life through her eyes giving us a different perspective or maybe a perspective we once had as a teenager. It is relatable. Barb's writing style is succinct creating a fast-paced engaging read. I loved the book and am a fan of her unique writing style."
