After her parents' separation, twelve-year-old Shari is forced to deal with her resentment. Even worse, her mother relocates to New York, leaving her father and two brothers in California. We get to see how Shari eventually resolves the conflict that is marring her relationship with her mother, but the story introduces another element. Readers are invited to travel with Shari as she makes new friends, takes a thrilling tour of the Bronx Zoo and solve an exciting mystery.

Jo has always been sensitive to what she calls the rip tides of society. In a seemingly calm ocean, rip currents can easily suck you in. There, as in the real world, your survival will depend on your knowledge of the currents, your ability to swim in the deep, your will to live, plus luck and a prayer.