Reading through Juniors by Kaui Hart Hemmings is a search for substance and story-line. Set in a huge Hawaiian high school, Lea is the perpetual new girl at school. While maneuvering the highs and lows of teen girl dramas and the “cool guys” romantic come-on games, Lea searches for friendship and a sense of belonging . She has a loving, healthy relationship with her mother and a deep friendship with a guy friend from childhood that are her guides for what is genuine and true. The descriptive language about Hawaii and the hanging-out surf/ sun culture is a delightful addition to often redundant situations of excited nervousness and soul crushing rejection. The weak action of the story is counter point to the internal dialogue that Lea expresses as she tries to figure out what she REALLY thinks and feels. Juniors shows how the younger, next-generation mirrors the superficial qualities of an older moneyed generation. Teenagers, especially young women, will probably identify with Lea and her teenage angst.