ISBN-13: 9780670011308
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Published: May 2009
336 pgs

Hello, my dear friends! I manage to sneak in some time here, so my apologies if I could not visit or comment on your blog sooner (I promise I will try to play catch up if possible)! My reason for this post is I finished reading this book on Monday and I want to review it before my opinion all fades away as the time passes (yes, I can be quite forgetful at times).

Fifteen-year-old Marisa lives in a small town in Connecticut with her parents; other than having anxiety disorder her life is pretty simple and peaceful. She often tells herself she is fortunate to have a happy and a secure family, and a best friend whom she could share all her problems and secrets with, and be there for her whenever she needs her.

She has a crush on a guy named Derek for a while, but just never muster up the courage to approach him. And then, there is another boy Nash whom she knew for a long time likes her, but it is just a one-sided attraction, for Marisa thinks he is not her cup of tea since he is geeky and not as sociable, unlike Derek who is so great looking and popular.

Then, things start to change in Marisa's life in some ways when Derek begins to notice her after his break up with his girlfriend, and it is at this time that she started to notice there is a distance between her parents. Though she is thrilled that she and Derek became an item finally, there are times she felt lonely without her best friend and Nash, now that they have someone in their mind. She did not want to share her problems with Derek, thinking that no one would want someone with issues and she wants to be portrayed as the perfect girl for him anyway. But after a while, Derek's attention begins to waver as he became friends with his ex-girlfriend again, and to heighten the anxiety Marisa's parents are thinking of having a divorce and Marisa has never felt so lonely and helpless in her life. All this while, she has been seeking solace in listening to an anonymous DJ who seems to understand the problems of most of the students face in school and like others, Marisa is curious about him but he never reveals his identity.

Though awkward in the beginning, Marisa starts to hang out more with Nash. Slowly, she began to see him in a new light but would he be on a par with Derek, and that of course has to leave it to Marisa to think about and decide.