Suspenseful and wonderfully detailed, the well-crafted story maintains its page-turning pace while adding small doses of cultural insight and humor.'-School Library Journal, Starred Review 'This is self-confessed travel junkie Autumn Cornwell's first novel-and she's hit one out of the park.

Suspenseful and wonderfully detailed, the well-crafted story maintains its page-turning pace while adding small doses of cultural insight and humor., 'As the setting shifts, so does the story's tone, from Vassar's stilted home life and stuffy parents to a vividly described environment and array of colorful characters. On a journey from Malaysia to Cambodia to the remote jungles of Laos, Vassar is faced with things she isn't prepared for-adventure, danger, a Malaysian cowboy-slash-bodyguard her own age-and in learning to 'live in the moment' uncovers a family secret that turns her world upside-down.As the setting shifts, so does the story's tone, from Vassar's stilted home life and stuffy parents to a vividly described environment and array of colorful characters. Surprise! Enter a world-traveling relative who sends her plans into a tailspin when she blackmails Vassar's parents into forcing their only child to backpack with her through Southeast Asia. Vassar expects her sophomore summer to include both AP and AAP (Advanced Advanced Placement) classes. and Pulitzer Prize,' claims sixteen-year-old overachiever Vassar Spore, the daughter of overachiever parents, who named her after an elite women's college. 'I've got my entire life planned out for the next ten years-including my Ph. Summary: A witty coming-of-age travel adventure about a teen and her grandmother backpacking through Southeast Asia together for a summer.

Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell