Now that she's finished freshman year of high school and survived her first breakup, Alice is pretty sure that she's finally got a handle on life. Dad and Sylvia are going to live happily ever after, Pamela can always be counted on to do something outrageous, Lester will always be there when she needs him, and Alice is way over Patrick. But when she heads off to be a camp counselor for three weeks with Elizabeth, Pamela, and Gwen, Alice is shocked to come home and find that everything has changed -- and not necessarily for the better!

Patrick surprises Alice by turning to her for help, Pamela's mother (who ran away with the NordicTrack instructor) is contemplating coming home, Lester's been offered a deal he can't refuse, and what's worse, Dad and Sylvia's happy future seems to have encountered some unforeseen complications. Finally, Elizabeth, who once felt that kissing was too much, goes further with a boy than any of them have yet! As Alice tries to cope with her changing world, she learns that life is never totally what you expect it to be and that even people you've known your entire life can still sometimes surprise you. Phyllis Reynolds Naylor does it again, proving that she understands what real girls think and feel, with the newest book in the beloved Alice series.