Carol Ann and her friend Pete are ready for summer fun, but they run into some bullies who ruin everything. Things get serious when some teenagers start driving recklessly along the beach highways, but Carol Ann and her family are determined to have a relaxing beach vacation.

I enjoyed the historic 1950s information in this book, but the writing is not very good. The writing "tells" instead of "showing", and the characters use the dialogue to narrate what they are doing or feeling, instead of it being shown in what they do and how they react.

The story is good with some wholesome beach fun and a little action near the end, but there is too much description and detail about every tiny thing. The story is too long and includes too much of the same material over and over.
If the writing were more polished and edited to be shorter, this story would flow much better.

I loved the photographs of the real Carol Ann and her family that are included at the back of the book, along with a glossary of 1950s slang and a recipe for Peanut Butter Bites. I also liked that the book includes two maps, showing the layout of Carol Ann's neighborhood, as well as a map of the California coast and Route 66 where the characters in the book go cruising.

I think I could have really enjoyed this story if the writing were a little better.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publishers in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.