Lizzy Swift is a senior in high school, shyly emerging from her nerd chrysalis to take her first gamble on the Argyll social scene. She braves a relationship with her longtime crush, Matt Ashley, and befriends the reckless, enigmatic senior transfer, Claire Reynolds, who introduces Lizzy to downtown Philadelphia--its clubs, street life, and vibrant art scene. Soon art and passion take priority over homework, after-school jobs, and her longstanding Ivy League ambitions.

But almost as quickly, these delights and distractions are clouded by suspicions and doubts. Sometimes Lizzy feels that she and Matt are soul mates; other times it seems he's holding back from her. Claire can be moody, and while she confesses bits and pieces of a breakup so heart-wrenching she changed schools, she won't tell Lizzy the whole story. Lizzy wants Claire to confide in her, even as she keeps her own secrets from her new best friend. When startling revelations inevitably come to light, they just might shatter these delicate bonds of love and passion, friendship and loyalty.

Set against the neon pop of the late eighties and told with authentic voice and inimitable prose, Adele Griffin's heart-racing novel takes readers on a journey through the thrill of rebellion and the complications of first love.

.