Chapter 1
Summary:
Auden Penelope West is an eighteen year-old girl who just graduated from high school and is
entering the summer before freshman year of college. Auden has spent the past half of her life
living with her college professor mom, Dr. Victoria West, who is an extremely intelligent woman
and doesn’t relate to her sex at all. Auden and her mother are very much alike in personality and
physically. With Auden’s mother raising her, Auden has become a reserved girl who never had a
real childhood because of her parents’ divorce. Because of this divorce, Auden has become
nocturnal due to experiences she had in her childhood to try to save her parents’ marriage. Her
father has never been a presence in her life after the divorce, and remarried a woman named
Heidi who is Auden’s step-mom. Auden also has a brother named Hollis who is completely
different from Auden in almost every way. After he graduated, Hollis left him home and went to
travel around the world as Auden finishes up school. Heidi attempts to re-unite the father and
daughter by e-mailing Auden asking her to come down and visit her dad, herself, and her soonto-be step-sister. At first Auden is reluctant to go because she hasn’t spent much time with her
dad or his new family, and has never really been on a real vacation. It takes Auden a few days,
but she finally decides to take up Heidi’s offer and spend the summer down with her dad. So
Auden packs up her car and leaves her mom who is shocked at Auden’s decision to go.
Analysis:
Auden West is introduced to us as a brainy girl who was never given the chance to explore other
personalities. Her mother has determined Auden’s life since the day she was born, and has
assumed that Auden not only didn’t protest to this, but agreed in her decisions. Up until now,
Auden has followed her mother’s instructions and never questioned her one bit. Now, she is
starting to wonder if her mother is right, and defies her by deciding to go to spend the summer
with her father. It is also a chance for Auden to get away from the constant graduate students that
flood her house following her mother around all day.
Chapter 2-3
Summary:
In these chapters Auden arrives at her father and Heidi’s house and immediately learns that her
father still hasn’t changed from the last time she saw him and her mom together. Also, Heidi has
had her baby, and her name is Thisbe (a famous author) at the expense of her husband’s wishes.
Since Heidi just had her baby she looks completely different from what Auden remembers, and
sees that her father has done nothing to help with the baby either. He claims that he has a novel
to work on, and the Thisbe is a distraction to his working ability. So Heidi takes care of the baby
and Auden assumes responsibility for preparing dinner for the family. She goes downtown to the
local hot-spot and picks up some burgers. While there Auden sees a group of local boys who
invite her to go to the Tip (the teen hangout place). At first she just ignores them, but by the end
of the night she decides to go so she can get out of the house. She meets up with the guy who
invited her, Jake, and by the end of the night she ends up drinking and sleeping with him. She
returns home, and immediately goes back to caring for Thisbe so Heidi can get some sleep.
Analysis:
In these chapters, Auden realizes that while she is spending time with her dad and Heidi she is
going to be more of a nanny than a guest. Auden’s dad is still the same old father she knew
before by putting work before the needs of his family, and pushing the responsibility onto the
shoulders of Heidi and Auden. Heidi appears to be exhausted and irritated by this amount of
responsibility, but we also see that she like to do things herself. She is not used to having people
help her out, but she clearly can’t take care of a newborn baby all by herself which is most likely
why Auden is there.
Chapter 4
Summary:
Auden wakes up and faces the reality of what she had done the night before with Jake. She goes
downstairs and sees Heidi in a panic juggling Thisbe and her business, Clementine’s. Auden
decides to help her out, and goes down to the store to help balance the checkbooks. When she
walks into the store, Auden is surprised to find out that one of the three girls (Maggie, Leah and
Esther) who work there was Jake’s ex-girlfriend. She overhears them talking about what
happened last night, and Auden’s name pops up into the conversation. None of the girls realize
that Auden is Heidi’s step-daughter and are shocked when they find out the truth. The meeting
becomes extremely awkward, and Auden explains that what she did the night before was a
mistake and she didn’t have any feelings for Jake whatsoever. That day Auden’s mother calls and
they catch up on their summers, and later that night her father, Heidi and Thisbe all go out to
dinner. Heidi gets a business call, Thisbe starts crying and Auden is asked to help take care of
her. Seeing as she couldn’t say no, Auden takes Thisbe for a walk on the boardwalk. It’s there
that she meets Eli, a quiet and tall guy who just stares at Auden for a long time and is also the
brother of Jake. He shows her the "elevator" which is a move that quiets Thisbe’s shrill screams.
Analysis:
In this chapter, Auden is starting to get a glimpse of what her summer seems to be turning into:
accounting help and babysitting. She doesn’t want to take care of Thisbe, but by being asked by
family she has no other explanation other than yes. Auden is also introduced to three girls who
work at Clementine’s. She is intimidated by them, but isn’t scared. Auden also meets another
person in the town, Eli. He is another boy she happens to run into and immediately makes a fool
of herself to him. He helps her quiet down Thisbe. Auden feels something at the pit of her
stomach when she met Eli, but she isn’t sure what exactly it is.
Chapters 5-6
Summary:
Auden’s brother starts these chapters out by calling her after many months of nothing. They
converse about their current situations, and eventually hang up as usual. Auden then tells Heidi
she’d like to help out with Clementine’s’ accounting so she can start getting some cash. She
walks into work, and is greeted by the three girls again but this time they are neither kind nor
unkind. They show Auden where she is to work, and she gets right to it. By the time nine o‘clock
rolls around, Auden hears music being played from the front of the store. She is told it is the
annual nine o’clock dance which all employees must partake in. Eventually the store closes and
the girls are deciding what they are going to do that night, and kindly try to include Auden too.
Maggie and the boys from the other night decide to go to the bike jump park. That is when Jake
comes and starts talking to Auden. She tells him that what happened the other night was a
mistake and left him. After she leaves him, she runs into Eli again and they both just walk away
like the other times. Now Auden has developed a routine that she gets into which involves:
waking up early in the afternoon, working at Clementine’s around five, then walking around the
town until about 3 or 4 in the morning by sitting in the only 24-hour place, the Wheelhouse. One
night Auden decides to stray from her normal routine, and follows the groups of kids who are
heading to the jump park with their bikes. Its there she finds that Maggie is one of the best bike
jumpers in the place. After watching for awhile, Auden leaves and once again bumps into Eli. This
time they have a conversation, and they get onto the subject of bikes. Auden lets it slip that she
doesn’t know how to ride a bike but quickly recovers by leaving to finish her normal nights’
activities.
Analysis
In these chapters, Auden is starting to find out who the girls who work at Clementine’s really are.
Leah and Esther are more of the girly girls who like to party during the nights while Maggie is
more sporty and enjoys jumping bikes at the local bike jump. Auden also introduces us to her
brother Hollis. We don’t really hear much about him, but we know that he is a free-spirited guy
who just goes where the wind blows him. We also see Eli again, and this time we learn that he
also rides bikes at the local jump park.
Chapter 7
Summary:
This chapter begins with Heidi explaining to Auden how her father had wanted to name Thisbe a
famous literary name and not a common and "non-unique" name. She tells Auden that her first
choice in names was Caroline, and got her wishes for her middle name. That time is also when
Auden decides to name Thisbe "Isby" as her nickname. Auden then goes to work at
Clementine’s, and during her shift her mother comes into the store to visit her. They both go out
for lunch, and get onto the topic of her father and Heidi. From that point on their lunch and
conversations don’t get much better and they end up in a fight leaving Auden back at
Clementine’s and her mother back at her hotel. Auden is feeling hurt by her mother’s words to her
and is happy to have the company of Maggie nearby to help her out.
Analysis:
Auden is starting to fit into life down at her father’s house, and has changed since her arrival. She
has become more "girly" in a sense, and has changed her sense of wardrobe as well. When her
mother comes down to surprise her with a spontaneous visit, she notices this change and picks
on Auden about it. Auden isn’t used to being picked on and is offended by her mother’s words.
This leaves them in a fight, and giving Auden the first ever experience of having "girl-time" with
Maggie. She isn’t sure what to expect from this experience but knows that she feels better than if
she had to be alone.
Chapter 8:
Summary:
This chapter begins right where the last one left off. Auden and Maggie are together on the beach
with the other girls from the store. At first Auden is uncomfortable being with them at once, but
after awhile she loosens up and they begin to talk about her mother and slowly onto the Jake
situation as well. Everything is cleared in the air and the girls’ friendships are starting fresh again,
and that is when their adventure begins for the night. Auden, Maggie, Leah and Esther all end up
at one of the homes of the girls’ who lives in the town for a party. Little does Auden know that the
girl whose house is hosting the party is the ex-girlfriend of Eli. Auden sees Eli and goes to talk
with him, and the ex-girlfriend sees this happen and gets angry. She confronts Auden who still
doesn’t know about their past relationship. The girls fix the situation without aggravating the girl
and tell Auden of Eli’s past. One of the stories they tall her include one of his best friend Abe who
died in a car accident while coming back from a biking competition. They also tell Auden that after
that accident, Eli hasn’t talked to anyone about anything ever, and that she is the first person
anyone has seen him talk to. After the girls leave Auden, she goes out looking for Eli to confront
him of what happened back at the party and what she just learned. She find him at the bike store
where he works, and he tells her that he talks to her because she is different from the other girls
he knows around town. After they finish talking, Eli decides to let Auden in on a secret of his. He
takes her to run some errands first, then they go to a hidden coffee shop. Auden then realizes
that she has found someone who is better at staying up later than her. After the coffee house they
go to the Park Mart, and of course the gas station where Auden had spent many nights out by
herself at. At that time Auden is exhausted and they go home.
Analysis:
Auden is finally starting to get real girlfriends whom she can talk to for the first time, and actually
confide in them and know it is a safe circle. Auden and the girls also go to a party where Auden is
introduced to the history of Eli. Eli’s history is complicated including a death of a friend which has
affected him dramatically causing him to close himself off to the rest of the town, but yet talks to
Auden because she is different. Eli is the person whom Auden needs most because he not only
understands her personality but they also share the same late-night activities.
Chapter 9:
Summary:
This chapter begins with Auden’s dad telling the whole house that he has finally finished his
novel, and decides that he and Heidi need a night out to celebrate; so Auden is elected to babysit
again. Auden then tells the reader about the many nights she spends with Eli doing all sorts of
things at the dead of night. One night they both go bowling after Auden tells him that she has
never been bowling ever. Since that night, Eli and Auden have been on a quest to do all the
things that Auden has never done in her childhood that a normal kid would have experienced.
She brings Thisbe with her when she goes to see Maggie, Leah and Esther, and they are
shocked to find that Auden has dressed Thisbe in all black. They explain to Auden that usually
babies aren’t dressed in all black, and then teach her the many things that all girls should know.
Then one of the girls’ friends, Adam comes over and tells them of an IHDP (Impromptu Hot Dog
Party), which is one of the things that Eli and Abe did all the time before the accident. The girls
are hesitant to going because of that reason, but decide that they would make an appearance.
While at the IHDP Auden receives a call from her brother who tells her he is in town with his new
girlfriend. This is the first time that Auden has ever heard her brother mention the word "love"
about anyone and they plan to get together soon. Auden then realizes that Eli was waiting for her
to do their nightly errands, and calls him to pick her up from the party. Once Eli shows up,
everyone is silent and acts awkward. To break the silence, Auden starts a food fight which just so
happens to be on the quest that she and Eli are on.
Analysis:
Auden, in this chapter, goes back to normal life of babysitting Thisbe even though she doesn’t
want to, but knows that she needs to consider her father had just finished his novel that he had
been working on for the past 10 years. This chapter is also the point in the story where Auden
realizes that she likes Eli more than just as a friend. They bond over a food fight, and Auden sees
Eli looking the same way at her.
Chapter 10-11
Summary:
Auden and Eli continue their quest by going to a club for Auden to dance with a boy for the first
time, and it is also Auden’s first kiss. While they are dancing, Eli leans down to her and kisses
her. Auden doesn’t know what to do other than enjoy the moment, and thinks to herself that that
night was the best one ever. The next morning Auden wakes up to find that her father is spending
the weekend with some friends at a writing convention. Heidi is not happy about this, but being
the way she is she can’t tell her husband to stay home to help her with the baby. Later that day,
Auden finds Heidi sitting on the couch crying with Thisbe in her lap. Auden tries to help Heidi
move, but she refuses which is when Auden calls Eli for help. Eli comes over and brings his
mother who takes Thisbe from Heidi and tells her to go get some sleep while she takes care of
the baby. The next day Auden’s mom calls her to warn her of Hollis’ new girlfriend is in her eyes
terrible. In reality his girlfriend, Laura, is the exact same (if not a little bit smarter) than her mother,
so Auden infers that her mother must feel inferior to her. Later that day Auden is working at
Clementine’s, when Maggie comes in and confronts Auden on her relationship with Eli. Maggie
explains to Auden that Eli cannot be hurt for any reason by her because this is the first time that
she has seen Eli do anything since the accident. While they’re talking Hollis walks into the store
and him and Auden go out for lunch and discuss Laura, and other things that are going on in their
lives. He tells Auden that he is glad she left her mom’s house and is spending the summer down
there. He also mentions that she has changed a lot for the better.
Analysis:
In this chapter Auden and Eli finally give into their feeling for each other and have their first kiss.
Also, Auden shows the author that things between her father and Heidi are starting to get shaky.
He is completely oblivious to what Heidi and the baby need, and only cares about himself and his
work. So when Eli’s mother comes over, it is a turning point for Heidi to not only gets the needed
rest she deserves, but gives her some time to think. Hollis also comes over to the house with his
new girlfriend, and has changed completely from the last time Auden saw him. Hollis also tells
Auden that she is changing, and is glad that she has. Auden doesn’t know what to say to that, but
knows that he is right.
Chapter 12-13
Summary:
Of course since Hollis mentioned the change in Auden, her mother calls again the next day to
confront her about this. She isn’t sure how to feel about this new change in her daughter, but in
the end she tells Auden it’s good that she is finally becoming involved with boys. She quickly
changes the subject after saying this and brings up college, and the dorm situation for the
upcoming year. Auden, for the first time ever, stands up to her mom and tells her that she wants
to fill out her dorm application instead of her doing it. Auden’s mom is completely shocked and
doesn’t know what to say, so they hang up. Auden then goes downstairs and hears Heidi telling
her husband that he is going to take care of the baby while she goes out for the first time in
months with her friends. Auden goes out for the night with Eli as usual, but when she returns
home Heidi and her dad are still up and having a big fight. Auden overhears them saying stuff
about the baby and how her father isn’t ready to be a father at this point in time, and is basically
blaming Heidi for this. Auden doesn’t want to hear/go through this again, so she goes over to Eli’s
place and stays the night with him. They talk about her family’s situation (past and present) and
eventually she falls asleep. The next morning Auden leaves Eli’s before he wakes up and heads
home to find her father packed up and leaving the house for a "few days" to a hotel nearby. He
leaves, and Auden is left in the house with Heidi. To deal with this major change, Auden spends
most of her time at the store working on the checkbooks. While working, Adam comes in and
announces that they are all going to partake in a town-wide kickball game (one of the things on
Auden’s quest), but Auden is too overwhelmed with her family situation so she doesn’t go. Auden
then meets up with a boy from her old school, and re-visits her past and doesn't know if she likes
or dislikes that part of her life.
Analysis
In these chapters Auden is bombarded by problems all over the place. She finally takes a stand
for herself against her mother who is good, but then finds out that her father is taking the easy
route once again by leaving Heidi and Thisbe. After this happens, Auden shuts down and doesn’t
know what to do, so she takes a step back from her new life to think things through. Auden also
kind of tells Eli that she needs a break from him in order to figure out her life.
Chapter 14-15
Summary:
Since Auden told Eli she needed some time her nights have become quiet and lonely., and during
the day she takes great lengths to avoid the bike shop where he works. She started doing some
summer school courses and falling asleep at early times compared to the late nights she has
always fallen asleep at. One day at work Auden finds the group of girls and Adam crowded
around a computer watching a video of a biker at a competition. Before anyone can tell Auden
who it is, she knows its Eli. Later that night Heidi and Auden are talking and Heidi tells Auden of
the Beach Bash that happens every year before school starts and how this year’s theme should
be prom. Heidi of course is in charge of the event and tells Auden all about it. Auden then goes to
visit her dad at the hotel where he’s staying, and they discuss his situation. Auden tells her dad
that he needs to go back and try to fix his and Heidi’s marriage, but of course being her father he
says it’s too hard and is ultimately scared. Auden leaves her dad furious at him, and decides she
has to do something about it. So she calls up Maggie and asks her to help teach her how to ride a
bike (one of the things on Auden’s quest). After multiple tries, Maggie decides she needs help
and calls Adam to come help. Adam takes her on a ride around town, and then teaches her the
basics to riding. For the next few weeks she keeps on practicing determined to learn how to ride
the bike. Also, Auden has been avoiding both of her parents seeing as both of them have made
her angry, but after a while she decides to call them back. After she calls her mom, Auden finds
Heidi and the girls planning the Prom Beach Bash and decides to help out.
Analysis:
These chapters are major turning points for Auden and her relationships with not only Eli but with
her parents as well. Auden is angry at both of her parents for their relationships with each other,
and uses that anger to help her do something she’s been meaning to learn: how to ride a bike.
Learning to ride the bike is hard for Auden to do because it is something she has never done
before and is uncomfortable doing something she has never done before. But this also sets her
up for her life and relationships which she doesn’t know much about either.
Chapter 16-17
Summary:
At the beginning of this chapter, Auden is practicing riding her bike and runs into Adam. They
chat for awhile and Auden finds out that Adam has a huge crush on Maggie. Auden tells him to
ask her to the Beach Bash Prom and he tells her to go ask Eli. Auden isn’t easily convinced to do
so, and goes back to work. Later that night, Auden finds Heidi and is told that her father and Heidi
are going to keep separated for the time being and see how things go. The next day Auden, the
girls and Heidi are looking through Heidi’s wardrobe looking for Prom dresses for the party when
Auden finds "the dress". Once she finds that dress, Auden realizes she has to go to the dance,
even if it meant going with the guy from back home that stood her up at her original prom. The
day of the bash, Auden wakes up and hears Heidi talking to her father on the phone and is clearly
telling her that he couldn’t watch Thisbe that night while she was running the event. Auden helps
her out by saying she’d watch Thisbe, but Heidi tries her best to tell Auden she can’t do that, but
in the end she gives in. Right at that moment Auden’s date calls her up and tells her once again
that he can’t make it to the party. So Auden stays home to take care of Thisbe. Before that night,
Auden tries to save her prom by going into the bike shop where Eli is and asks him if he would go
to the prom with her. He says he can’t because he and a few friends are going to a bike
competition. Auden is hurt, and buys a bike instead. Auden tells Maggie, Esther and Leah what
just happened, and the truth behind her and Eli’s relationship.
Analysis:
In these chapters Auden is starting to realize that she needs Eli even though she likes to think
she doesn’t. After everything that has happened to her with her family, and the boy from back
home she realizes that she and Eli should be together. Auden takes responsibility and goes to tell
Eli what happened, which is hard for her to do considering she has always been on her own her
whole life. Eli shuts her down, but Auden understands why he does so and keeps on walking
through life.
Chapter 18-19
Summary:
It’s the night of the Prom Beach Bash and Heidi is still asking Auden if she is sure she can watch
Thisbe instead of going to the dance, even if she didn’t have a date. Once Heidi left, Auden’s
mom stops by and asks to talk with her. She explains to Auden how she was hurt when Auden
told her to not fill out the papers for her because she realized that Auden had changed and was
not like her anymore. They talk for awhile and come to a consensus. At that moment, her dad
calls as well, and she tells him straight up what he needs to do and to stop acting like a little child.
She leaves him in mid thought to think about what he has to do, and makes a big decision to go
to the beach bash. She asks her mom to watch Thisbe so she can go, and starts riding her new
bike to the party. While biking over to the party, Auden rides past a truck where Eli and his friends
are. She decides to show him that she has really changed and pulls a jump over the curb. He
stops ahead and they talk for a little bit, and he tells her that he won his competition and after a
while he asks her where she is going. Auden replies that she is going to prom, and he says he is
going too. The story then moves forward to the following fall and Auden and Maggie are now at
college together and are finally happy. Maggie and Adam are finally dating, and Auden and Eli
are better than ever.
Analysis:
Auden at first is set on the fact that she will be spending her night with Thisbe while her friends
are dancing the night away at prom until her mother shows up at her house. The conversation
between Auden and her mother is not only good for both of them, but also helps them both
realize that even if they don’t have the same beliefs on a subject they can still be close to each
other. Auden also has a needed conversation with her father, and tells him that he has to come
home so he doesn’t quit on his new daughter, Thisbe. Auden at that point has faced two
important relationships in her life and decides to go for the third one. She meets up with Eli and
without having to say anything they both realize that they need each other.