Mattie’s mom has remarried, and they have moved from Minnesota to California, where Mattie’s new stepfather and his two sons live. Her first day in her new school brings quite a surprise — a girl named Mercedes who looks exactly like her! But Mercedes is different — loud, boisterous, and likes attention. It isn’t long until Mercedes and Mattie discover they share a father — a man who has been absent for both their whole lives. But then they find out he is teaching for a short time at a nearby college. They decide that maybe it is just time to meet him, and their plan to accomplish that is filled with peril.<br><br>Anika Fajardo has written a story that will absolutely fascinate middle graders. Lots of kids wonder if they don’t have family secrets that would be fun to discover, and this is a good one. Mercedes and Mattie tell the story from each of their points of view in every other chapter. The voices are perfect for seventh graders. They discover a lot about themselves and about friendship, the true meaning of family, and more. The writing is excellent, the dialogue is snappy, and the characters and story are complex. A winner!