Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning

When Eddie B. dared me to walk the net bridge where we'd seen an alligator and another kid got bit by a coral snake, I wasn't scared — I just didn't feel like doing it right then.

Spunky, headstrong Violet Raines isn't scared of much; she's lived in the sleepy Florida town of Mitchell Hammock all her life, and things are just the way she likes them.

But Violet's world -changes in a flash when Melissa arrives from big-city Detroit. All of a sudden, Violet's supposed to want to wear makeup and talk about boys? It'll take the help of Violet's friends, her momma, a few run-ins with lightning, and maybe even Melissa for Violet to realize that growing up doesn't have to mean changing who you are.

From debut novelist Danette Haworth comes a one-of-a-kind story as satisfying as a cool drink on a summer day.