In books, when you read something like, "everything is great," you just know that something terrible is about to happen. But in real life, you can miss the warnings. And then, wham, slam, sneak attack. Everything skids out of control.

Before the first day of seventh grade is over, Kat Randall's year is nearly ruined. When her beloved dog, Cheddar, is run over by a woman with Alzheimer's disease, Kat reacts impulsively, leaving school on a "borrowed" bike to get to the vet. Then the bike gets stolen. Kat often does the wrong thing for the right reason, but now she...