Riding the Universe

Riding the Universe
By Gaby Triana
HarperTeen, 2009. 266 pgs. Young Adult

Chloé Rodriguez is failing chemistry, and in order to prevent her parents from taking away her motorcycle, which was her recently-deceased uncle's gift to her, she goes to peer tutoring sessions and quickly finds herself falling for her tutor, slightly geeky Gordon. Gordon is super-focused on school, but Chloé seems to be able to get him to lighten up a little. However, her chemistry scores aren't getting any better and her best friend Rock, who she's always viewed as being a player, tells her she's the one for him, and she has to figure out how to keep her friendship with him and date Gordon.

Tough girl Chloé , who has a softer side than most people expect, is a the type of character many readers will relate to--still dealing with her beloved uncle's death, she's adopted and started to wonder about her birth parents, and she's experiencing her first love.

AE