Crystal Bay Girls: Quincy Jordan by Jen Storer

Puffin, 2014. ISBN 9780143307594.
(Audience: young adult) Recommended. Themes: teenage identity, family drama and coming of age.  A story of 14 year old Quincy Jordan who is struggling to find out who she really is and whether she wants to be the person people think she 'should' be. Quincy has her life in order - a best friend, great private school and a future career as a surgeon. After her father cheats and her mother falls apart, Quincy and her mother move to hippy seaside town of Crystal Bay to stay with her newly discovered aunt, uncle and cousins.
Quincy is determined that this situation is only temporary and struggles to accept her father's faults and that her dream career is not actually what makes her happy. With the help of her cousin Esme and her new friends, Quincy slowly adjusts to life in the Bay and even discovers that life might not be as bad as what she thinks. She meets a boy who helps her to settle in and becomes involved in the school musical. This ignites her passion for life and helps her to realise what she really wants to do as a career.
This is the first story in a series of books about the girls from Crystal Bay. It contains themes that a lot of teenagers can relate to - family breakup, adjusting to a new school, romance and friendships. I would recommend this book to teenagers and am interested to read the next in the series.
Larissa Kalms