My Unscripted Life

July 15, 2016
Dee falls for Milo, a pop singer-turned-movie star, during a summer job working on a movie crew.Her artistic confidence shaken by a rejection from an honors arts program, Dee's summer before her senior year looks miserable. But it improves when an Oscar-winning director arrives in her small town to film a movie. Working with on-set props soon reveals another side of Dee's artistic talent, and her descriptions of movie production from a behind-the-scenes perspective are some of the novel's most interesting moments. Less successful is the romance, which feels more like a storm of confusion between privileged white teens than a passionate whirlwind. The novel spans just a few weeks, and the teens' chemistry never really develops, perhaps because working on the film and avoiding the press mean few dating opportunities. Many readers will expect phone and text messages to fill the gap, but both are conspicuously absent, though each character has a cellphone. The spotty communication eventually makes Dee's quick claim, after a single make-out session, that Milo is her boyfriend surprising; even more surprisingly, he seems to agree. And the storyline involving Dee's jealousy over Milo's gorgeous ex-girlfriend co-star nearly ends before it begins. Messages about the pitfalls of social media harassment also feel underdeveloped. Best for readers hoping that someday Justin Bieber might appear to sweep them off their feet. (Romance. 12-16)

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September 1, 2016

Gr 7 Up-Reminiscent of the author's earlier works, this contemporary romance has likable characters and lively dialogue that will appeal to fans of the genre. In the small town of Wilder, GA, 17-year-old Dee Wilkie is devastated when she is rejected by a prestigious summer arts program and is left wondering what her future holds. Luckily for her, she finds a job as a production assistant on the set of a feature film starring world-famous teen singer Milo Ritter. Unluckily for her, Milo comes with his own personal baggage. Breezy, light humor, largely conveyed via Dee's internal monologue and exchanges with secondary characters like her friend Naz, makes this a fast-paced read. Even though we meet Milo's former girlfriend, Morrill does not resort to the awful ex-girlfriend trope but rather allows misunderstandings and slowly revealed truths to guide the budding relationship between the protagonist and her love interest. In a nice touch, some of the chapters are framed by small snippets of Dee's "unscripted life," including stage directions and the movie analogy throughout. And while the romance is at the forefront, Dee's process of self-discovery adds a layer of depth to the plot and will ring true with teens trying to figure out who they are postrejection and where they are going after high school. VERDICT An additional purchase for larger collections where romance and a "behind-the scenes" look at movie-making are of interest. Similar in style and plot to Jennifer E. Smith's This Is What Happy Looks Like.-Eva Thaler-Sroussi, Glencoe Public Library, IL

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