The Education of Hailey Kendrick

Hailey Kendrick always does exactly what’s expected of her. She has the right friends, dates the right boy, gets good grades, and follows the rules. But one night Hailey risks everything by breaking a very big rule in a very public way...and with a very unexpected partner in crime. Hailey gets caught, but her accomplice does not, and Hailey takes the fall for both of them. In the process, she loses everything—her best friend, her boyfriend, her popularity, and her reputation. But some secrets are worth keeping, no matter the cost...aren’t they?

"Set at Evesham Academy, an ultra- exclusive boarding school in Vermont for the children of celebrities, politicians, CEOs, and the like, Cook's romantic comedy is narrated by a 'good girl' senior with a distinctively dry, arch voice. After yet another disappointment from her widowed, absent father, popular student Hailey implodes and sneaks out after curfew, vandalizes a school statue, and gets kissed by her longtime boyfriend Tristan's best friend, Joel, whose identity as her accomplice she keeps secret to protect both his standing at the school as well as Tristan's feelings. Cook (Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood) effectively builds both Hailey's (justified) feelings of rebellion and the social dynamics of her ostracism, especially in her growing friendship with a challenging townie, Drew, who supervises her punishment working with the janitorial staff. After an accident spurs reconciliation between Hailey, her father, and her friends, they rally behind her once again. Though some secondary characters can feel flat, Cook coaxes considerable empathy for the otherwise privileged Hailey as she abandons the achievement treadmill to explore her independence. Ages 14 — up. (Jan.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright PWyxz LLC)

Dating a popular boy and adhering to every rule ever written, a high school senior at an elite Vermont boarding school begins to shed her good girl identity after an angry incident with her distant father.

Eileen Cook spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer. When she was unable to find any job postings for world famous author, she went to Michigan State University and became a counselor so she could at least afford her book buying habit. But real people have real problems, so she returned to writing because she liked having the ability to control the ending. Which is much harder with humans.

You can read more about Eileen, her books, and the things that strike her as funny at eileencook.com and on Twitter at @Eileenwriter. Eileen lives in Vancouver with her husband and dogs and no longer wishes to be anyone or anywhere else.