After Jake's parents divorced, his mom became more religious (Orthodox), while his dad went the other way and married a non-Jew. When Jake goes back and forth between their households now, he performs an extreme version of code-switching, because he feels pressure from each parent to be what they want. It's also been tough for them to agree which school he should attend, which means he's starting yet another new school.

At first, Jake is reluctant to accept Caleb and Tehilla's overtures of friendship, but eventually the three become good friends, and they convince him to come to Camp Gershoni. Only, it's the school problem all over again: not religious enough for his mom, too religious for his dad. Elaborate subterfuge ensues, capped off by a truly cinematic airport scene in which both stepparents are let in on the scheme. (Kayla and Shmuel both seem like kind, reasonable, understanding, loving stepparents; yet, they leave Jake to fight his own battles with his parents, when they might have stepped in to run interference more forcefully.)

Camp is everything Caleb and Tehilla promised, but Jake is still obsessed with keeping up the pretense for his parents, and draws Caleb into a plot to row across the lake to a more religious camp to film a scene for his mom there. Tehilla gets more and more upset with the two of them for ruining the summer, especially during Color War, and continually urges Jake to tell the truth. She is also frustrated with Jake for being so consumed with his own "show" that he doesn't seem to care about her or Caleb's problems (Caleb came out as gay the year before, and lost friends over it; Tehilla lives with her mom, and they've been evicted repeatedly).

In a dramatic finale, all of Jake's parents attend Visiting Day, with their lawyers, and the ruse is revealed; but Jake finally insists on talking to the judge, and they all come to an agreement about school (and camp). Jake's underlying fear - that his parents will stop loving him if he changes, as they stopped loving each other - is revealed in the courtroom, and this, finally, seems to help his parents listen to him.

See also: Blended by Sharon Draper; Two Tribes by Emily Bowen Cohen

Quotes

Making friends I had to leave behind was worse than never making them at all. (7)

Better to be a few different people that everybody love than one person everybody hates. (15)

"Sometimes...how a person seems and how they are isn't the same." (Rabbi Allenby, 85)

"They love you, you know. Your mom and dad. They just have a little trouble seeing you for you. They've put so much energy into becoming who they are, they're afraid you might make different choices. But they'll be yours to make." (Kayla, 107)

"But just because a person is brave enough to do something doesn't mean it isn't scary." (Caleb, 179)

"...being afraid isn't a reason not to try." (Caleb, 180)

"You think you're the star of the show....The only one with a story. But you're not." (Tehilla, 200)

Here's the thing about watching a lot of TV, about seeing the same scenes play out again and again: you start to expect them in your own life. Conflict to resolution. Problem to solution. Bad to good. A deus ex machina... (206)

"The whole point of being friends is that you stick toether, even when things aren't perfect." (Caleb, 215) ( )