This is a good coming-of-age story written in diary format, which is enjoyable--and makes it easy to read. I like the characters and the setting, which is Florida and the world and the Olympics in 1972... Williams catches the hot, humid feeling of Florida in the summer perfectly, btw. She also captures the feeling of the women in that family--and, possibly, women in general. So there they are: the grandmother, the boy and girl with the hots for each other, a dog, and a rooster, off to fetch a mother wishing to be rescued--and it's to Vegas and back again in a "borrowed" motorhome--though the story doesn't end there. It's a satisfying story, and recommended for girls, boys, and the rest of us.