[6] It was given two separate reviews by The Times: Nicolette Jones called it "a life-affirming, witty, romantic read",[7] while Amanda Craig said that Rowan is "a heroine you warm to because of her perceptiveness and total lack of self-pity in a devastating situation.

After her father leaves, abandoning the family, and her mother slips into a depression, Rowan must take care of her little sister, Stroma, as well as the house.

A plot twist reveals a few secrets about Bee involving Rowan's dead brother, Jack, as they two work together to develop the negative and solve the mystery.

Rowan begins to rely heavily on Bee and Harper when dealing with her rough home life, especially when her mom tries to commit suicide (Kirkus, 2009).

She is dependent on Rowan and looks up to her greatly as a maternal figure in the absence of the care of their real mother.