A FEELING LIKE HOME

Paige’s irresponsible behavior results in her being sent away; her road to redemption is paved with emotional minefields.

As the youngest of five kids, Paige feels overlooked. When she finally lives up to family expectations and makes the National Honor Society, her parents don’t attend the ceremony. Hurt, Paige starts vandalizing structures in town. She lets bestie-turned-boyfriend Griffin take the blame when she’s busted, but her parents still send her away from Seattle to her older sister’s home in Texas for the summer, hoping for a change. Despite her resistance, Paige begins to enjoy new activities plus a burgeoning romance with boy-next-door Joey. But worry over her father’s health (he has Crohn’s disease) plus concerning health symptoms of her own threaten to tip her back into self-destruct mode and send her ping-ponging between Griffin and Joey. The reveals about family dynamics are well paced. Paige is filled with pain and lashes out when confronted with additional challenges: Initially self-centered and difficult to like, she ultimately learns to take responsibility and work to resolve relationships rather than blow up. Slowly, her interpretations of events and reactions to them evolve and mature. Grief and heartache are not minimized, but the story shows that a fresh start is possible. Most of the cast is White by default; Joey’s mom is from Brazil.

Satisfying fare for fans of romantic and family dramas.