Miles From Nowhere

Gr 9 Up—High school senior Chelsea Morris has the perfect life: Todd, the devoted boyfriend; a loving family; a good job; and the opportunity to attend performing arts school to study costume design in the fall. All she needs is to pull off the responsibilities of lead costumer for the summer production of Grease at the local playhouse and secure a recommendation for her portfolio. Chelsea attracts the attention of Dylan, the handsome lead actor in the play who is older, more experienced, wealthy, and a sophomore at university. Dylan and Kylie, Chelsea's assistant costumer, gradually convince Chelsea that she should live it up during her last summer break before college. The teen begins to attend private cast parties at Dylan's invitation. She loves socializing with all of the actors and finally feeling like she belongs. The only problem is that she begins to lie to Todd, her parents, and her friends, participate in underage drinking, and sneak out of the house to attend these parties. Todd eventually breaks up with her, she loses her job, and she is caught up in a web of lies with her family and friends. Chelsea struggles from within to identify who she really is: the Christian she has always been, or the new person she has become? Can she repair her damaged relationships? Clipston satisfies with her subtle introduction of each temptation and her depiction of a teen's struggles to find herself.