Cyd begins her story after being kicked out of a preppy East Coast boarding school. She has returned to San Francisco to live with her mother, her step-dad (whom she refers to as Sid-dad) and her half-siblings. Her only friends are her new surfer boyfriend Shrimp, and her nursing home elderly hip and clairvoyant friend, Sugar Pie. Cyd met Sugar Pie while doing community service for a shoplifting incident.
Cyd is constantly fighting with her mother, while trying to settle back into family life in San Francisco. After her rebelliousness gets out of control, Cyd's parents send her to New York to spend three weeks with her biological dad (whom she refers to as Frank-real dad). Summer in the city is not what Cyd expects - and Cyd is not what her newfound family expects, either. Cyd only met her real dad one time, when she was five years old. That is when he bought her the rag doll, Gingerbread. Cyd carries Gingerbread with her wherever she goes.
While in New York, Cyd meets her half-brother and sister. Cyd also finds out the secrets about her dad's side of the family. Cyd does not find the perfect family on either coast, but she learns to appreciate both sides of her family. After spending time with her read dad, Cyd comes to understand that her step-dad has always had faith in her throughout her life. He has supported her through her troubles and has always treated her as a beloved daughter, without hesitation.
Throughout the story, Cyd periodically imagines setting up future communes to which she will only admit those she believes are deserving. The deserving ones change throughout the story, as Cyd learns she needs to deal with her problems, and starts to mature. By the end of the book, Cyd is developing a sense of personal power and personal responsibility.
Teens will recognize themselves in Cyd's complex mix of self-aware and self-destructive behavior, her vulnerability and her struggle between her freedom and the protective safety of her family.
I would recommend this book to anyone age 15 and older, as some material may not be appropriate for those under 15 (references to sex and drugs).
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