Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr, Read by the Author

This little YA novel packs a whopper. Deanna is caught in the backseat of her boyfriend's car by her dad.  Only problem is that she's 13 and in 8th grade and her boyfriend is 17 and a loser--obviously, since he's going after children. That one event haunts her--years later and she's still considered the school slut, even though she only had sex with that one boyfriend.  No one has wanted her since, not even her dad as a daughter.  Her family life stinks and her friends aren't the most faithful after she's "caught."

Now that she's turning 16, Deanna gets a job at a local pizza place and finds an unlikely friend in the store owner. She also finally faces up to the boy who took advantage her and her parents. It's a good tale for a teenage girl to read--about strength, character, and how one mistake can haunt you for years.