The Lightness by Emily Temple

Olivia runs off to the last place her father was seen - a buddhist boot camp called the Levitation Center. He isn't there and while searching for clues as to where he is she begins to find clues as to who she is. She falls in with the alpha females who have been going to the camp for years to escape their own parental issues. They want to experience levitation which only comes from fully embracing the Buddhist training and to teach them they wear down handsome Luke who works at the center. Luke is dangerous and as alluring to the girls as bees to a flower. This is the quintessential coming-of-age story with girls trying to understand this new power they have over men, looking for someone to fill the hole that Daddy left and the love/hate relationship between teen girls. Each one of them has nothing to go back to at home and this quest for enlightenment that they search for is really something else all together. This amazing debut is provocative, intense and gets you into the head of Olivia from page one. It is what I imagine a dinner party would be like with the Salem teen witches, Buddha, a cult leader like Charles Manson and Einstein. For fans of no nonsense , intense coming of age stories like THE GIRLS and MY DARK VANESSA.  4 stars