Fans of the Alice stories will like this most recent installment. Alice is 17 and is headed to Chicago to be a bridesmaid in her cousin's wedding. Her boyfriend goes to college there and she plans a weekend with him before the wedding. Preparing for the weekend includes purchasing condoms and sexy underwear, neither of which she gets to use. The summer also includes working at a soup kitchen, house sitting for her brother, discussing religion with her friends and facing a tragic loss. The topics in this one make it a high school selection, not for younger readers.