Alison has many rules about life. They aren't your normal rules, like Don't Talk to Strangers. No, one of her rules is not using her locker. Another is avoiding Boston at all costs. But then Patrick comes to town. Alison's best friend, Laurie, is falling for him, and Alison is, too. And it scares her.

The school newspaper goes to Boston on a field trip, and even Alison doesn't abide by one of her rules and she goes. When she's in Boston, you see why she has so many weird rules. You find out why she's afraid of the city. You also find out why she's so afraid of being close to people.

If you are looking for a happy book, don't read this. I was actually crying at the end, and it takes a lot for me to cry. It's sad, but it also makes you think about your life. I haven't read any other of Catherine Clark's books, but you'll be sure I'll be getting another one now. This book had me hooked from the beginning, and I read the whole book on Tuesday because it was just so addicting and had me wondering what was going to happen so much that I stayed up and finished it on Tuesday night, I couldn't wait until the next day to read this.

If you are looking for a good book that is written well, and that will make you think about your life, I recommend this. However, if you want all that minus the sadness factor, then this definitely isn't the book for you.