Fourteen-year-old Kentucky girl Ricki Jo Winstead, who would preferred to be called Ericka, thank you very much, is eager to shed her farmer's daughter roots and become part of the popular crowd at her small town high school.

She trades her Bible for Seventeen magazine, buys new "sophisticated" clothes and somehow manages to secure a tenuous spot at the cool kids table. She's on top of the world, even though her best friend and boy next door, Luke, says he misses "plain old Ricki Jo."

Caught between being a country girl and wannabe country club girl, Ricki Jo begins to forget who she truly is: someone who doesn't care what people think and wouldn't let a good-looking guy walk all over her. When Luke reveals that he's the victim of domestic violence, Ricki Jo realizes that being a good friend and being true to herself are more important than being popular.

There are 356 pages in this book. This book was published 2013 by Little, Brown & Company .

Alecia Whitaker grew up on a small farm in Cynthiana, Kentucky. She is the author of The Queen of Kentucky , as well as an actress, and currently lives in New York City with her husband. Visit her at www. aleciawhitaker. com.