Summary

Rita, the narrator of this story, is an "almost" fifteen-year-old girl with attitude. When she and her best friend Meli lie to their parents and get caught spending the night with two boys, Rita's parents give her a choice of punishments. She can either spend the summer with her grandparents in Puerto Rico or she can go on a convent retreat for Catholic girls. Rita chooses to go to Puerto Rico, though she really wishes she could stay in her hometown of Paterson, New Jersey.

Normally, Rita sees her grandparents once a year and spends most of her time in Puerto Rico on the beach with her cousins. This time, however, none of her cousins are on vacation at the same time. When Rita arrives in hot and humid Puerto Rico, she is greeted by her grandparents, Papa Juan and Mama...