Hi, sorry ot bump this post back, but I just read it and have some comments. First of all, why on earth would ANYONE want a friend like Tess!!?? She's so rude, whiney, and unbearable throughout the whole book! I liked her book too- maybe it was just 'cause I was sitting on a real beach reading it the whole time. Kailey was pretty cute and kid-like. I think her parents' careers were sort of stereotypical. I mean come on, her father, a hippie-like painter against 'The Man". Puh-leese! My dad is an artist, and yes, he did live in Calif. in the 60's and had long hair, but he's nothing like that. All in all, it was a great book, and I liked the cultural diversity in it too.