Life hasn't been easy lately for twelve-year-old Allie Carroway. Not only does she have to be careful about what she eats and keep her asthma treatment with her at all times, but rumor has it that if she has one more serious asthma attack, her family may move to Arizona--far away from the Louisiana Bayou and the extended family that she loves and stars with in the reality TV show, Carried Away with the Carroways.
And now would be a terrible time to go. Uncle Wayne and Aunt Kassie are about to adopt twelve-year-old Hunter--the first boy to join the Carroway family in a long time. Allie and her cousins--Kendall, Ruby, and Lola--have never allowed a boy to set foot in their treehouse meeting place, the "Diva Duck Blind." And if Allie's cousins have any say, they'll keep it that way. But Allie can't ignore that still, small voice inside her, telling her things must change if Hunter is to be honored and accepted into the family.
The cousins devise an initiation for Hunter at Mamaw and Papaw's house with four challenges--Louisiana bayou style--including frogs, hunting, and a scary shed rumored to be the place where a mysterious long lost uncle disappeared. A blackout on the bayou the night of the initiation heightens the stakes when Hunter goes missing, and Allie and the girls must face unfamiliar obstacles to bring the family back together.
This first book in the series explores the nature of a family filled with social, cultural, and physical diversity. In a world splashed with class and camouflage, the cousins are constantly looking for ways to love unconditionally through all the hiccups, with the love and faith of family.
