Everybody Knows Your Name

February 23, 2015
Through alternating perspectives, Magnolia, an introverted 17-year-old singer, and Ford, who is trying to escape a family with "a real close relationship with local law enforcement," reveal what happens when they both get chosen for an American Idolâstyle television show and fall in love. After Magnolia learns that Ford has told her (and the show's fans) a pretty big lie, she decides to ice him out. Of course, they still have to continue competing against one another while living in a mansion with their fellow contestants. Though the reality-show premise is well-trodden territory, and neither the show nor the other competitors are all that fleshed out, both protagonists grow in notable ways (especially Magnolia, who learns to see others in less black-and-white terms), and Siegel (The Kid Table) and first-time novelist Bradshaw create some steamy scenes for the characters. Like many actual reality shows, attention-grabbing secondary characters and storylines keep the story moving, but without contributing much substance. Ages 12âup. Agent: Douglas Stewart, Sterling Lord Literistic.

January 1, 2015
Talented teens from different backgrounds are hosted in grand style at a swanky mansion in Los Angeles, where they are competing in Spotlight, a combination talent and reality show. Parallel first-person narratives by the two protagonists illustrate the ways in which personal dreams can either falter or become reality, while providing a fascinating insight into the very public world of showbiz. Singing contestant Magnolia is forced to confront the fact that although she has made it onto the show, her success is due to her star-struck mother's ambition and not from an inherent desire to shine. Ford sees the contest as a lifeline out of his dirt-poor existence in rural Arkansas. Desperate to escape from his rabidly dysfunctional family, Ford races to LA on his motorbike, only to find that his domineering brother, crazy sister and deadbeat parents pursue him in their RV, angling for a piece of his success. Inevitably, romance ensues, and Magnolia and Ford discover a real bond in spite of their very different circumstances. The endearing and well-rounded character of Ford prevents descent into cliche. Readers will find themselves swept along by his narrative when he finally and dramatically overcomes the obstacles in his path. Magnolia's character is less well-defined, but perhaps her reticence befits the writer she hopes to become. Funny, poignant and worldly-wise with a light touch. (Fiction. 14-18)

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December 1, 2014

Gr 7 Up-When 10 assorted and unlikely teens are chosen to appear on a Big Brother-meets-American Idol reality TV show called Spotlight, personalities are bound to spark. These participants will live together in a fabulous mansion in the Hollywood Hills, and after each performance one will be eliminated by the panel of celebrity judges and the voting American public. In alternating chapters, Seigel and Bradshaw flesh out a distinct and often quirky personality for each of the performers, family members, and program employees through their interaction with the main characters, Magnolia and Ford. She is a pretty young Californian whose father died after leaving her and her fame-obsessed mother, and whose surfer boyfriend pops in and out of her life. Magnolia wants to change-and this show might be a terrific way to reinvent herself. Ford's family in Arkansas spends more time in jail than in their broken-down home, and needs to win Spotlight in order to pull himself out of the family's cycle of self-destruction. The teens make an unlikely couple, but their relationship makes great publicity for the show. Through costume and hairstyle changes, rehearsals, high-profile parties, and live performances, they soon learn the price of fame, and the consequences of their actions. A must-read for fans of light romance and reality TV and those who enjoyed Heather Demetrios's Something Real (Holt) and Kate Hattemer's The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy (Knopf, both 2014).-MaryAnn Karre, West Middle School, Binghamton, NY

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