Four lit candles stood inside a cupcake…awaiting to be blown into nothing by a birthday girl. This is what I exactly thought to myself as I picked up the book and looked at the cover.

By the time I finished reading the book, I found out that there was more than just cupcakes and candles. There was a lesson entwined deep inside every part of the story. I didn't learn how to pick fashionable styles or how to get your crush to talk to you but, I learned lessons that I will never forget.

The first section was called Rose, after the eldest daughter of the Walker family. Her sixteenth year taught me how to not follow the crowd. Before she turned sixteen, she was dating a pretty rich boy that all the girls swooned and dreamed about but, when she turned sixteen, she found out that not following the crowd can lead you to good things. In her case, she found someone that really cared for her. In my case, I found that I can have good things from not following the “normal crowd”. I don’t have to stress myself out about what I should wear to school because everyone will be judging me on how I wear my hair or what I wear for the entire school year. No one should stress themselves out because they want to be with the popular group. Embrace YOU!

Laurel’s section: her story showed me how to believe in yourself and to have hope and faith during any struggle.

For example, when I found out my grandfather died, I was heartbroken. I never gotten to meet him and I felt really horrible about it but, I remembered all the funny and enjoyable stories about him that my dad told me and my siblings and I realized that he would not want me to sulk around all my life because of one thing. He would want me to move on and continue to enjoy my life because no one deserves to live their life with regret in their hearts.

Finally, Lily’s section. For me, her section taught me to try to find who I am as a person and that I shouldn't dress to impress anyone. High school is the place where you start realizing “hey, who am I?” Am I ______ or ________? No one knows who you really than you, so why would you let someone else rule over who you are and who you are not. It just doesn't work out.

After reading Lily’s section, I found that I am a shy, fourteen year old girl that WILL get ghetto if provoked (just joking about that last part). I love to read and I am a writer, poet to be more specific. I already know who I am going to be when I grow up and I even know which college I will apply to in the future. The only question I have to ask you is “Do you know who you are?”