Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

While high-school sophomore Annie's father is on trial for real estate fraud, she and her older brother move to Breckenridge, Colorado, to live with her mom's estranged sister and her husband. There, Annie gets a job at her uncle's restaurant, loses her virginity, and learns a family secret. Annie's spoiled attitude is initially trying, but the maturity she displays by book's end feels earned. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Perfection proves illusory in this modern portrait of a high-living family brought low.Sixteen-year-old Annie Tripp seemed to have it allbeauty, a picture-perfect and wealthy family, a private school education, and a promising ice-skating careerbut always yearned for something moreauthentic. Then Annie and her older brother, Jay, are shipped off to her estranged Aunt Nicole and Uncle Skip in Breckenridge, Colorado, while her father's on trial for real estate fraud. Dumped by her coach, shunned by her best friend, Cee, and judged by strangers for her last name, anchorless Annie accepts a job as a dishwasher at Skip's restaurant. Expected teenage restaurant escapades ensue (ill-advised hookups, lots of drinking, occasional culinary scenes) as ice-queen Annie attempts to reinvent herself while also struggling to understand her father's crimes and the reason why her mother has kept them away from Nicole for so long. Hart Hemmings (How to Party with an Infant, 2016, etc.) continues her usual analysis of privilege and familial dysfunction but targets teen audiences with a melancholy, mildly angst-y tale. Aloof and abrasive, Annie isn't always likable. Her sudden fall from grace may elicit sympathy but feels more like an inconvenience than a high-stakes crisis or a chance for a humbling epiphany. Annie and her family are white, and there are few characters of color either in her elite circles or what Annie deems the "ghetto" ski town.A mumblecore, morally ambiguous "Cinderella" story, sans prince. (Fiction. 14-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

School Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr 8 Up-High school sophomore Annie Tripp has lived a charmed life. She gets excellent grades at her private school, takes ice-skating lessons from an elite coach, and is the perfect daughter. That life is upended when her father is accused of real estate fraud and must go to trial. Annie and her older brother Jay are shipped off to live with an aunt and uncle they barely know in the laid-back ski town of Breckenridge, CO. Annie knows her father must be innocent of the crime he is accused of, but as time goes on, she begins to discover that her family has more secrets than she ever realized. On a mission to uncover the truth, Annie might finally realize that the life she has always known is not the one she truly wants to live. With complex family dynamics, friendship woes, and a touch of romance, this is a story about how uncovering one's family's truth can lead to finally figuring out one's true self. VERDICT A great contemporary choice for YA collections.-Jayna Ramsey, Douglas County Libraries, Parker, CO © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

A competitive student and ice skater, Annie is driven, connected, and wealthy. However, everything comes crashing down when her father is accused of embezzlement and fraud. The novel begins as aloof Annie and her older brother are told by their parents that they need to spend winter break with their estranged aunt and uncle while their father's trial occurs. As they attempt to adjust in their new, working-class town, Annie takes a job in her uncle's restaurant, uncovers family secrets, experiments with alcohol and sexual relationships, and tries to become a more open person. Hemmings refreshingly allows Annie to be brusque, awkward, naive, and unlikeable at times, yet some of her problematic statements (like referring to Breckenridge, Colorado, as ghetto ) are allowed to stand unchecked. Because the entire book takes place over the course of winter break, the sheer number of life events and character realizations seem unrealistic. Whether intentional or not, the implied message is that wealth (or, rather, lack thereof) is the true marker of authenticity. Nevertheless, superficiality and secrets will never want for fans.--Susannah Goldstein Copyright 2019 Booklist