Emma wishes her mother would have said her name out loud before she named her, because Emma Freke, pronounced "freak," certainly feels like one. She doesn't look like anyone in her family, and at twelve years old, is almost six feet tall. School is painful and lonely and when she is given the opportunity to be homeschooled, she takes it. Her mother is young, eccentric, and irresponsible and she doesn't even know who her father is. When she gets an invitation to the Freke Family Reunion, she decides it is time for her to see who her people are and see if maybe with the Frekes, she belongs.

This is a wholesome, quick read with a great message about figuring out where you belong. Main character Emma is an outcast with only one friend who is several years younger than she is. Emma's mother is a promiscuous single parent who doesn't act much like a grown up, and as a result, much responsibility falls on Emma's shoulders. There is some very mild sexual innuendo. Traveling halfway across the country to meet relatives she doesn't know turns out to be a great learning experience in many ways. Emma finds that there are people like her who accept and welcome her and she gains family members and some much needed self esteem. A main character has two mothers, and alternative family is celebrated and portrayed in a positive light. A great opportunity to attend an alternative school for gifted and talented kids turns out to be a great fit for Emma, and the story ends with her having met the father she never knew and feeling better about herself than ever.

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