A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger

The summer before college is going to be great for Whitley because she gets one last hooray with her father at his condo near the lake. She's also getting away from her mother who is always complaining about her ex-husband, even though they've been divorced for 6 years now.

But everything changes when Whitley and her father don't go to the condo. Instead, he drives her to a house in a suburb.

Where there's a woman hugging her. And two teenagers in the background...

Apparently Whitley's dad is engaged, and didn't think to tell her about that BEFORE driving to the house.

And the other bad part? The son of his fiance, Nathan, just happens to be the guy she got drunk with and slept with at his graduation bash...

Can you say awkward?

So now Whitley is stuck living with her father and his new family, has an almost step-brother that she slept with and might still have feelings for, a new younger step-sister that wants to be just like Whitley, and an almost step-mother that notices a lot more than Whitley's real mother and father.

All she wanted was a summer of drinking and hanging out with her dad, who she only gets to see once a year. And some input on what she might major in college from her father would also be nice. But for some reason, he is "too busy" to hang out with her anymore. She hasn't seen him all summer.

When people start taking photos of Whiltey in drunken circumstances then post them on Facebook, where her father gets tagged in them, things are about to get very intense. Whitley's relationship with her mother, father and Nathan might not make it through the summer...

Read A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger to find out what happens!

My Thoughts/Reflections
I think I've become a fan of Kody Keplinger! I need to read her third novel before I make that official, but her other two novels are great and I loved them!

So, the book review. Whitley would not be my friend. Well, she doesn't "do" friends, so it would be problematic, but she's very dramatic and a partier, which I'm not.

I do have to admit, though, that I might have acted childish and upset if my dad did what Whitley's dad did to her. Actually, I would have threw a fit the moment I found out instead of waiting til the end of summer and got it off of my chest, because I wouldn't be able to keep it to myself.

The thing with Nathan was a little odd. But they met before they found out about each other and their new "living" arrangements, so it wasn't too weird. Just a little.

I almost feel bad for Whitley. I can't blame her for acting out and being a partier, for not having any friends, because of her life style for the last 6 years. Dad left, mom starting being a pain, older brother moved to the west coast - it's a lot for a 13 year old to go through.

Overall, I liked this book. I liked the way Whitley opened up, especially to Bailey, her younger almost step-sister. She couldn't say no to the girl and started to become protective of her.

And Harrison. The gay hot guy that Whitley suddenly found herself becoming friends with. He was a hoot and was very good for Whitley.

So yes, I liked it and while I may not have loved every aspect of it, the message was good and I grew to love it by the end of the novel :)

Now I just need to go find the third novel that I haven't read and see if Keplinger is an author to keep!

I would recommend this novel for older teen girls because there is content in here that might not be suitable for younger girls.