Girl Overboard

Girl Overboard is a true-to-life adventure written by Justina Headley. This book takes place in the modern 21-first century. The main character is Syrah Cheng, the daughter of a billionaire named Ethan Cheng. Being a daughter of one of the richest men in the world is not all that it's cracked up to be. Her half-siblings hate her, her boyfriend only likes her because of her money, and her mother expects her to starve herself so that she can be as skinny as the rest of her family.
Syrah feels lost. Early on she learned that the only reason people liked her was because they liked her father's toys. Her parents are too busy flying to business meetings to give her the time of day. She dumps her supposed "boyfriend" when she finds out that he only likes her because of her father's money. So when she falls in a snowboarding accident and fractures her leg she feels totally and utterly alone.
One day a girl from Syrah's school invites her to come help at a party for the local Children's Hospital. Syrah would usually decline, but feels that this girl, Lillian, is being sincere. Later, she finds out that Lillian's little sister is in the hospital fighting Leukemia. Lillian's family is having a hard time finding their daughter a bone-marrow match, and as a result is spending almost every day at the hospital. To make matters worse, if they don't find a match soon, the six-year old may not live.
That's when Syrah stops feeling sorry for herself and starts to change. She decides to use her father's connections to do something worthwhile. Syrah organizes the first-ever "Race for Our Lives". It is a snowboarding competition that raises money for people with Leukemia that can't afford treatment. It also is a chance to have everyone attending the benefit to register to be a bone-marrow donor. They can see if they are a match for children in need. This sudden urge to do something worthwhile attracts the attention of her parents and siblings. They start getting involved in Syrah's life, and she realizes that they loved her all along and she was just pushing them away.
This book has a great message. There are always people out there that are going through harder times then you. It points out that petty friendship arguments are shallow compared the the real problems out there. On top of it all, this book helps you realize that most of us have it pretty good, and even when we are having a bad day we need to stop thinking about ourselves and do something good for someone else. When we do this we can make a big difference and end up helping many people. "Nothing is impossible."
I really liked this book. It had everything in it; drama, adventure, fun, and an amazing theme. I would definitely give this book an A! If you are looking for a fun, feel good book I would strongly suggest giving this one a shot!