Getting Lost with Boys

Cordelia Packer hates the unexpected, but she's in for a surprise when Jacob Stein offers to be her travel companion, all the way from San Diego to her sister's place in northern California. Before she knows it, her neatly laid out summer plan has turned into a wild road trip, where anything can – and does – happen. Who knew getting lost with a boy could be so much fun?

Cordelia Packer hates the unexpected, but she's in for a surprise when Jacob Stein offers to be her travel companion, all the way from San Diego to her sister's place in northern California. Before she knows it, her neatly laid out summer plan has turned into a wild road trip, where anything can – and does – happen. Who knew getting lost with a boy could be so much fun?

Children's Literature

Cordelia Packer, 16, "one of the most anal-retentive people on Earth," is about to embark on a life-changing road trip; she just doesn't know it yet. As the novel opens, Cordelia and Paul, her "exceptionally wonderful" (and bossy, and unbending) boyfriend, are camping out before going their separate ways for the summer. When Paul puts the moves on her, for reasons she cannot fathom, Cordelia makes an excuse and turns him down. Confused and upset by her actions, Cordelia's unhappiness escalates when--thanks to mom--she is stuck sharing a road trip with Jake Stein, whom she "remembered as much as she wished she could forget him." To her great surprise, since she last saw him, Jake has turned into a Greek god. Looks aside, however, Cordelia still finds herself frustrated with his laissez faire attitude. Along the way, they share numerous cliched misadventures, including the car breaking down in Death Valley, and losing all her money in Vegas. Of course, by the time she finally reunites with Paul, Cordelia's feelings have taken a 180-degree turn. As she sees Paul's faults and Jake's charms, she realizes it is time to break up with the former and, hopefully, hook up with the latter. Although highly predictable, sometimes contrived, and derivative of the romantic comedy "When Harry Met Sally," this companion to "The Secrets of Boys" offers a generous amount of humor and sweetness, and--gasp!--no sex. Just good, (relatively) clean fluff (laced with occasional profanity) and likeable characters. Overall, a fun read.

Hailey Abbott grew up in Southern California, where she split her time between creative writing and creative beaching. She is the author of Getting Lost with Boys, The Secrets of Boys, The Perfect Boy, Waking Up to Boys, The Forbidden Boy, and The Other Boy well as the Summer Boys books and The Bridesmaid. Hailey now lives in New York City.