The Good Girl’s Guide to Getting Kidnapped is about Michelle Pena, who finds herself living a double life – that of a straight A student and track star who is trying hard to qualify for a scholarship to prep school -- and that of an East L.A. gang Princess. Michelle’s mother Reina heads up a gang called the 99’s, and her brother Samson was the one-time ruler of the 99’s youth group, The Snakes.    

        For a time, Michelle’s family ruled Montebello, California, but now it’s all fallen apart. Reina has gone to prison for robbery, and Samson is in juvenile detention for a drug deal gone wrong. It’s just this drug deal, and the money that Sam owes as a result of it, that rips Michelle away from the good life she’s been leading with her foster dad, Frank Redman.  

Michelle’s been busy in the past two years that her mother has been in jail:  She’s worked hard at racing, studying, and has also become best friends with Kiki Markson, an aspiring filmmaker.  Both girls are struggling to qualify for entry into Yale Westview, the premiere prep school in Los Angeles.  It actually looks like all their hard work just might pay off . . . but then, on the eve of their application, the Snakes (including Michelle’s completely hot ex-boyfriend, Silver Mendoza) kidnap Michelle in order pressure Samson to give them the money he lost in that drug deal.  Kiki finds herself in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and is snatched, too.         

In the ensuing hours, Michelle must decide if she is going to continue acting the “good girl” part that she’s been playing with Frank and Kiki, or if she’s going to get her hands dirty in order to ensure that she and Kiki survive this terrible ordeal.  She goes through a kind of crazy Cinderella transformation – that is, if Cinderella could beat dudes up, mesmerize a whole room with her dancing, steal cars, and pick locks.  As it turns out, Michelle has a lot more than her gang history to help her. She’s a fast girl, nearly the fastest in the state – and in the end it’s her speed that could save Kiki’s life, and her own. 

Check this blog for musings on other strong, awesome, talented, and dangerous girls and women. In the spirit of Michelle and Kiki, I’m going to be interviewing girls who are doing amazing things in academics, sports, and the arts. I’ll also be profiling incredible women leaders through history.  As you'll see in future posts, I'll have a "Good Girl Hall of Fame" -- and I'm also planning a "Good Girl Hall of Infamy."  In addition, I’ll offer thoughts on books and cool things to do in general.  

Thanks for reading! Yxta(“eek-stah”)