On a car trip with his parents, 17-year-old Theo spots a beautiful young woman at the motel swimming pool. She turns out to be Theo's former babysitter, Ronnie, who is traveling with her toddler, Zach. Awed by her beauty and frustrated by his parents' lack of trust in him, Theo quickly accepts her invitation to share the drive to Hollywood. Once there, Ronnie takes advantage of Theo's infatuation by leaving Zach with him for a full day while she goes on a drinking binge. Theo gradually sorts through Ronnie's lies, learns about her drinking problem, and realizes that he is fortunate to have protective, caring parents. This sudden revelation and Ronnie's equally quick decision to finally address her drinking problem strain credibility. The first-person narrative and reliance on dialogue (with occasional profanity) make this suitable fare for reluctant readers, but they may find the old-fashioned cautionary tale quaint.

Fed up with his parents, seventeen-year-old Theo ditches their family vacation for a Hollywood road trip with his former babysitter, Ronnie, and her son. Theo finds himself in over his head, however, when he realizes that Ronnie isn't telling him the whole truth. Reluctant readers will appreciate the straightforward writing style and mature exploration of kidnapping and alcoholism.