Paula Chase continues the Drama of Del Rio Bay High in Don’t Get It Twisted. Mina Mooney and her clique are cruising through the first semester of freshman year. There are some ups and downs, but so far the friends have all stuck tight. However, as Christmas break approaches, each friend has their own personal issues that they are struggling with.

Mina’s relationship with school hottie Craig is hard to navigate, especially when her parents don’t allow her to date. When Mina sneaks out to a party, she feels bad lying to her parents, but she feels like it’s worth it if it means she can spend time with her honey.

JZ, the clique’s resident athlete is having trouble keeping his grades up to his father’s high standards. While basketball is the only thing on his mind, he knows that if he lets his grades slip, he won’t even be on the team anymore. JZ calls on Lizzie to help tutor him, and she readily agrees. But when her tutoring is not enough, well, desperate times call for desperate measures. Will JZ compromise his morals and cheat to pass a test? And will he bring Lizzie down with him?

Jacinta is having some major problems with her boyfriend of two years, Raheem. Ever since she moved to the suburbs, they haven’t been getting along as well. It seems like every time they hang out, Raheem is questioning Jacinta’s loyalty to him and their neighborhood. Why does making new friends have to mean betraying her old friends?

Kelly has been talking more and more with Angel, one of Jacinta’s friends that she met in the Cove. She knows that he’s involved with dealing drugs, but at the same time, he seems like a genuinely nice guy. Can somebody who disobeys the law be good boyfriend material?

Chase’s latest installment in the Del Rio Bay series explores the importance of loyalty and trust in relationships and friendships. Picking up right where So Not The Drama left off, Chase doesn’t miss a beat. Her ability to create a unique storyline for each characters while having their individual plots intertwine so smoothly is quite remarkable. People change so much during high school, and Chase isn’t afraid to let her characters develop and grow. Her writing is very succinct, and she frequently uses IM conversations and modern slang to tell her story. Kids who are up-to-date on their slang will appreciate this touch, and the story will seem more real to them. But if you don’t know what “dag” means, you might be more than a little confused by some of the terminology and incorrect grammar used in this book. There are not enough current young adult books that portray strong, realistic characters of mixed races, and Chase’s Del Rio Bay Clique novels are an excellent series for showing friendship that crosses racial and social boundaries.

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