Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss

November 15, 2018
In this companion to Love, Life, and the List (2018), Lacey Barnes, 17, gets a shot at stardom when she's cast as the female lead in an indie film.OK, it's a zombie movie, but Lacey's co-star is Grant James, 19, a genuine action-hero star who's been looking for redemption since vicious reviews of his last film went viral. Lacey knows she's lucky to get this opportunity, even if it means leaving her Central Coast home, friends, and school to live with her father in his cramped, two-bedroom apartment. He's even hired a straight-laced peer tutor, Donavan Lake, to see she does her independent-study homework. More challenges await on the set, especially the absence of chemistry between her and Grant (Lacey's zombie makeup doesn't help). Co-star Amanda plays coach, telling her to imagine she's kissing a guy she likes, difficult for the career-driven Lacey until she realizes she's attracted to Donavan. Mishaps on the set proliferate until Lacey suspects sabotage, although the target is unclear--is it Lacey or the entire enterprise? The snippets of screenplay provided, too blunt and juvenile for satire, are wince-inducing misfires, as is a climactic scene in which journalistic ethics are casually thrown under the bus. While far-fetched plotting occasionally weakens narrative plausibility, the lively, likable characters--Lacey especially--sustain reader interest. Amanda has dark skin, and the other main characters are white.Lightweight fluff, a virtual beach read for cold days and long nights. (Romance. 12-16)

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December 1, 2018

Gr 9 Up{amp}mdash;This companion to Love, Life, and the List is set in Los Angeles and written as a standalone novel with crossover characters. High school senior Lacey spends her days covered in elaborate zombie makeup on set, playing the love interest of famous heartthrob, Grant James. Grant is hot and he knows it, but he and Lacey lack chemistry on set of the campy horror film, Dancing Graves. Lacey begrudgingly and occasionally completes her schoolwork in between filming. When her overprotective father hires a tutor, she heeds his advice to buckle down and finish school in case acting isn't an option in her future. Donovan Lake, her easy-on-the-eyes tutor, at first seems uptight and boring, but as she spends more time with him, her math grade isn't the only thing progressing. Working on set brings Lacey into some unfamiliar social territory, but she manages to make new friends. When odd coincidences that could jeopardize Lacey's acting career keep occurring, she must decide who to trust and how to look out for her own happiness. Snippets of movie scripts are included between chapters, allowing readers to feel like they are on set with the characters. VERDICT Fans of Jenny Han and Sarah Dessen will enjoy this lighthearted, wholesome romantic comedy.{amp}mdash;Laura Jones, Argos Community Schools, IN

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