Ruby’s 16th-birthday party is interrupted by the arrival of her father whom she hasn’t seen in years. She manages to escape with her three friends: the loyal Beth, the gossipy and wild Maria and the angry Katherine. They attempt to distract her with their own party, complete with pin the tail on the donkey and a stolen bottle of champagne, but nothing can distract Ruby from the sinking feeling that her life is about to change for the worse. She attempts to juggle her three friends, a new boyfriend and her mother, but she is sinking fast. It seems only confronting her father will help. Populated with real characters who have authentic emotions, this debut novel manages to be at once uplifting and heartwrenching. Vivian is clearly an author to watch. (Fiction. YA)
