Capers

Piva fuses romance, family, food, travel, and a touch of mystery in this charming, character-driven story narrated by 17-year-old Hazel. She%E2%80%99s been anticipating a fun summer at her family%E2%80%99s beach house, since (in one of the novel%E2%80%99s few contrived turns) the girl Hazel has a crush on is moving in next door. Instead, Hazel is recruited to spend the vacation in Italy with her Aunt Vix, so %E2%80%9Cshe can work on her next book and I can experience life.%E2%80%9D Hazel does exactly that as she makes friends in the Italian town where Vix rents a house, most notably the alluring and effervescent Isabella. The two share a mutual attraction and a passion for cooking, both of which intensify as Hazel resolves her conflicted feelings about love. A suave Italian boy and an outspoken American girl round out the likable cast, joining Hazel and Isabella%E2%80%99s quest to catch the thieves responsible for a string of robberies. This mystery angle adds some intrigue, though the solution holds little surprise. Hazel%E2%80%99s credible and often funny narration keeps Piva%E2%80%99s novel moving at a bracing clip. Ages 14%E2%80%93up.