How to Build a House by Dana Reinhardt

Harper's father and beloved stepmother, Jane, are getting divorced. Her longtime friend Gabriel has betrayed her in a way she can't put words to. She no longer speaks to Tess, her stepsister and former best friend. She decides to get away from it all and spend a summer building a house for tornado victims in Bailey, Tennessee. With the help of a wonderful bunch of volunteers who become friends, a sweet guy named Teddy, and the process of building a home, she manages to move past what has happened back in Los Angeles. One of those sweet, sad, and sometimes funny books - a cross between Sara Zarr and Sarah Dessen! Grade 8+