ALA Booklist

In this concluding volume of the Avery Sisters trilogy, oldest sister Quinn gives her side of her family's financial crisis. Sixteen-year-old, type A Quinn is known as the intellectual, responsible one in her family. But she questions herself when her executive mom is accused of financial impropriety and loses her job, forcing everyone to tighten their belts. If her perfect mom could mess up, what hope is there for Quinn? She starts acting more like middle-sister Allison: partying, drinking, and kissing random boys. But it only makes her feel worse. Can she leave the labels behind and embrace both sides of her personality? Quinn's introspective search for self is realistically complex and exceptionally well drawn, and teen readers will sympathize with her urge to break free of the good-girl box her family has put her in. Like Quinn, this timely series defies the label of chick lit as Vail sensitively and accurately explores topics of individuality, social class, and what it means to come of age during a national recession.

Horn Book

Quinn has always been the level-headed, dependable, studious daughter. But it's a difficult image to maintain, especially since she's anxious about her family's financial problems and impending move. The theme of accepting imperfection--both for Quinn herself and for her parents--is a relatable one, and a little romance doesn't hurt, either. A satisfying ending to the Avery sisters trilogy.

Kirkus Reviews

This final book in the Avery sisters trilogy (preceded by Lucky , 2008, and Gorgeous , 2009) centers on introverted Quinn, the oldest and most responsible of the three. On the surface, Quinn is dealing well with her family's losing their home and many of their possessions, but her first-person narration shows a fair amount of inner turmoil. Not entirely sure of how to deal with the feelings no one expects her to have, Quinn engages in reckless boy-kissing and party-going. The only boy she's really interested in kissing, however, is her piano teacher, college student Oliver. Her insecurities about herself and her future lead her to make poor but understandable choices about her friendships and romances. Quinn's intelligence, which she expresses while still sounding authentic and often funny, allows for full exploration of her mixed feelings. Her calm nature also plays well against the personalities of her high-strung sisters. Vail ends this trilogy on a high note, one that should especially resonate with teens whose lives have changed with the economy. (Fiction. 12 & up)

School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-This final, stand-alone book in the Avery sisters trilogy that includes Lucky (2008) and Gorgeous (2009, both HarperCollins) is told from 16-year-old Quinn's point of view. The eldest child, she has always been the dependable daughter, loyal to her parents and a good girl who works hard and excels at everything. But her mom's loss of her high-paying joband her need for a lawyeris taking a toll on the whole family, Quinn included, as they prepare to move out of their home and face an uncertain future. Suddenly her behavior is very un-Quinn-like (kissing her sister's ex, making out with guys at parties, admitting her feelings to her longtime crush), but ultimately freeing, as she comes to acknowledge her parents' flaws as well as her own. Good girls and rebels alike will be able to identify with this adolescent rite of passage; Quinn's response is realistic, her friends and family are well drawn, and her happy-enough ending is hard won. A natural choice for teens waiting for their next Sarah Dessen fix. Laurie Slagenwhite Walters, Baldwin Public Library, Birmingham, MI

Voice of Youth Advocates (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Quinn has always been told she is brilliant, but she works hard for her good grades. That's not brilliant, is it? Her piano playing is not brilliant either, so how is she brilliant? Perhaps the answer lies in how Quinn deals with all of the trouble in life. Right now her mother is losing her job and is even under criminal investigation for her activities as an investor. Their house must be sold, and the family will move in with Quinn's grandparents. Quinn appears to take it all in stride, giving no outward sign that she is worried about the future of the Avery family. In this third book about the Avery family, Vail creates a moving story of a teen who does not want to be known as the sensible one, the responsible one, the one who can deal. Quinn's emotional turmoil and her reaction to all the changes in her life are realistic and will draw readers further into her story. Readers unfamiliar with the other two books about this trio of girls will find it simple to step into Quinn's story and will want to read Lucky (HarperTeen, 2008/VOYA August 2008) and Gorgeous (HarperTeen, 2009/VOYA August 2009) as well. Here is a story that skillfully combines family, romance, and coming of age, never allowing the story to become melodramatic despite it's sometimes melodramatic collection of teen characters.—Teri S. Lesesne.