With as much care and warmth as found in the first novel, this book continues the struggles of the two new friends in a way, which digs even deeper than before.

Now, in high school, the two girls continue to build their friendship and deal with the various issues still left off in book one. Especially Missy finds herself in new territory as she tries to accept her father's new girlfriend and continues to search for information surrounding her older brothers' death. Amber tries her best to mediate between Missy and her father but also finds herself in a new situation as she meets the guy of her dreams.

This is the 2nd book in the series and should be read as such, since it builds from where the first novel let off. There's a bit of an age shift as we leave middle school and enter the world of high school, but it's the life problems, which this book swirls around, anyway. Missy gets more of the plot in this one as she is forced to deal with the situation of her father finding a new girlfriend and also continues her research into the death of her older brother. Amber receives the role of helping her cope with everything. Of course, Amber doesn't fall by the wayside as she's still dealing with her own health issues (however, this didn't come into play nearly as much as before) and hits romance themes as well. While I was wondering about this second path, especially considering the stronger issues Amber still needs to handle, it did add a lovely balance to the tale and needed development to her personality.

I'm not a huge fan of slow passages, and this book begins even slower than the first. It does keep interesting tidbits dribbling in, though, which did keep it from growing boring. Still, I prefer a bit quicker pacing. For those who love character depth, this works very well, though, and does draw in.

The girls' decisions and actions are very understandable, and actually quite mature, which I do appreciate, since many YA novels miss this beat. The relationships come across realistically and both characters handle everything as best they can. The friendship remains key, and the added dash of mystery surrounding Missy's brother's death adds a lovely spark, which promises all sorts of possibilities. I was a bit disappointed that Amber's problems didn't hit a little more, but it doesn't really cause issues for the tale, either. This is a solid book to follow the first and just as interesting. I received a complimentary copy and found the characters very well done ( )

Every now and then a book comes along at the perfect time. This is the sequel to the book "Being is Better". In the second book Missy is still trying to help her mother put her life back together. She is also crushing on her best friend's brother. Her best friend Amber is still fighting to get her seizures under control. Both of them have entered high school. Missy is once again "strongly encouraged" to visit her father. She agrees to do this only if her best friend Amber can come with her. Her father agrees. Things are very tense between Missy and her father. Amber is there to help Missy keep her cool. This is especially important when they meet someone very important to her father; his girl friend. While visiting her father they walk around town and stop into a yogurt shop. It is here that Amber meets the boy of her dreams, "Dev".

From this point forward you know as you read that things aren't quite what they seem. Missy is still trying to find out what argument her brother Frankie had with her dad. This is the argument that sent her brother off into the military where he was killed. Maybe with Amber, and her brother Mase's help they can solve this puzzle and figure where all of the other characters fit in.

This is a book of hope. We get a look at Missy's father and what a first class jerk he is. For kids who have gone through a family divorce and their life has been turned upside down, it shows them there can be a silver lining for them. I am thrilled to put these two books on my shelves. May it reach out and touch so many lives. ( )