When you change on the outside, does the inside stay the same?
Meadow Sommersworth has never been what you would call popularβat least not with kids her age. The teachers love her, but that's a death sentence in high school. She's an exceptional girl who possesses a near-genius IQ. She breezes through math and science challenges, is a talented musician, and possesses a sweet character that is both sincere and infectious. Everything about her screams dull! She's never had what all high school girls want β popularity. But the summer before her senior year, Meadow, determined to change her image, makes some startling changes in her life. When she returns to school, her fellow classmates are stunned. Who is this beautiful young woman, brimming with new confidence, a bright smile βand a face and body to kill for?
But Meadow quickly learns that, like many dreams, her sudden popularity comes with new temptations and hidden perils. Just because she has blossomed on the outside doesn't mean she can, or should, change the deeply held principles she grew up with. She might be the newest "cool" girl on campus, but inside she's still plain, sweet Meadow, who is suddenly faced with choices that will affect her life as she goes forward. How can she navigate through new emotions, new relationships, and new expectations brought about by classmates who used to ignore her, all while balancing her social life against maintaining high grades? Above all, whom can she trust now?
Meadow's journey is narrated from the perspective of Bernhard Stecker. "Bern" has known Meadow since 7th grade. More than casual acquaintances, less than best friends, Bern witnesses Meadow's metamorphosis from ugly duckling to beautiful swan, and he dreams about their tenuous friendship developing into something deeper. But it seems he can see the mistakes she's headed for, even if she can't, and all he can do is offer sympathy when she stumbles. He's not like Meadow β popular β but he owns his status, as he struggles with both his inexperience with girls and the obstacles and challenges that he needs to deal with, as high school comes to an end. He knows the two of them have different goals in life, but as his feelings grow for Meadow β a girl he had always taken for granted, and who now suddenly seems hopelessly out of reach, he wonders. Is the old Meadow still in there somewhere, and can he help her find that lost girl before she does something that can't be undone?