Brilliant (Avery Sisters Trilogy Series #3) »

Rachel Vail is the author of the Friendship Ring series; the Avery sisters trilogy, which includes the critically acclaimed Lucky, Gorgeous, and Brilliant; and the novels If We Kiss; Do-Over; Ever After; You, Maybe; Daring to be Abigail; and Wonder. Rachel is also the author of the picture books Righty and Lefty: A Tale of Two Feet and Sometimes I'm Bombaloo. Rachel lives in New York City with her husband and their two sons.

Everything is going to be fine . . . .

Quinn Avery can handle change. It's just paint, right? Bright, blinding white paint covering her once dazzling red bedroom walls. Quinn knows she shouldn't be angry at her mom—she's doing what she must to sell the house—but still, Quinn is beyond mad, and she doesn't know what to do about it.

Until now, Quinn was doing a pretty good job at pretending to be her old self—calm and brilliant Avery daughter, responsible big sister to Allison and Phoebe, piano virtuoso, girl who makes everyone proud—but without the sanctuary of her room, a new, wild Quinn is emerging. Lying, sneaking out, partying, Quinn is practically asking to get caught. When Quinn adds kissing the wrong boys—including her sister's boyfriend and her own piano teacher—to her list of crimes, has she gone too far to save herself?

Brilliant, the final book in Rachel Vail's critically acclaimed sisterhood series, which includes Lucky and Gorgeous, follows Quinn through a summer of change as she discovers that while letting go is never easy, hanging on can be even harder. Witty and poignant, Brilliant is the perfect ending to this addictive trilogy of interconnected sister stories.

VOYA

Quinn has always been told she is brilliant, but she works hard for her good grades. That's not brilliant, is it? Her piano playing is not brilliant either, so how is she brilliant? Perhaps the answer lies in how Quinn deals with all of the trouble in life. Right now her mother is losing her job and is even under criminal investigation for her activities as an investor. Their house must be sold, and the family will move in with Quinn's grandparents. Quinn appears to take it all in stride, giving no outward sign that she is worried about the future of the Avery family. In this third book about the Avery family, Vail creates a moving story of a teen who does not want to be known as the sensible one, the responsible one, the one who can deal. Quinn's emotional turmoil and her reaction to all the changes in her life are realistic and will draw readers further into her story. Readers unfamiliar with the other two books about this trio of girls will find it simple to step into Quinn's story and will want to read Lucky (HarperTeen, 2008/VOYA August 2008) and Gorgeous (HarperTeen, 2009/VOYA August 2009) as well. Here is a story that skillfully combines family, romance, and coming of age, never allowing the story to become melodramatic despite it's sometimes melodramatic collection of teen characters. Reviewer: Teri S. Lesesne