"In the tone of confused brilliance unique to precocious seventeen-year-olds, Downers Grove is the haunting and tender story of Chrissie Swanson, a paranoid high school senior for whom graduation has become a matter of life or death. She's an unusual girl in an ordinary town, looking for role models but not sure where to find them.

Her mom's sex life is overshadowing her own, her brother is on board his own private Enterprise, her best friend is hornier than a Prince song, and her eccentric grandmother has become her only source of wisdom in a rapid downward spiral. As Chrissie tries to take control of the events that shape her life, she finds the events beginning to take control of her, and in the end, she is cornered by choices with everlasting consequences."--BOOK JACKET.

"As Chrissie, her friends, and her family struggle to understand one another, Downers Grove paints a searing portrait of suburban America - and the odd, moving moments that redeem even the most imperfect lives."--BOOK JACKET.