Full-Ride by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Simon & Schuster, Nov. 2013. ARC received for review.

Full-Ride by Margaret Peterson Haddix is a realistic fiction book in which a girl named Becca is getting ready to apply for college. The only problem is that her father is a well-known criminal. Ever since her father’s scandal, she and her mother had to flee their home in Georgia and start a new life in Ohio. Becca tries as hard as she can to fit in and stay under the radar, but with college applications coming up, it’s getting harder and harder to keep her secret.

I’ve never read any of Margaret Peterson Haddix’s other books, but this one was really good for the following reasons. First of all, I liked how I’ve never read a book like this before. This book tells the story of an innocent person’s point-of-view when under severe pressure. Becca comes across to me as a very well-rounded and smart person. I think that the characters were well-adapted. I also loved the ending! I can’t tell you what happens, but I assure you it was surprising! And a little bit cliché. But good overall.

The only thing that I didn’t like was how, in some chapters, all of the business and economic terms were a little bit confusing. When they talked about the father’s crime and other things like that, I felt puzzled. Then again, if that wasn’t there, the story would have no meaning. I feel like they should be there, but not as much.

Otherwise, I really enjoyed this book. I’d recommend it to anyone who likes to solve mysteries or would want to be a detective if they grew up. It’s interesting to follow Becca as she discovers more and more about her past with every single click of the computer. I’d rate it 4.5 out of 5 stars!