Lucky Me

April 1, 2016

Gr 8 Up-Gia Winters, a high school senior in L.A., is living the high life. When Gia's movie star father informs the spoiled girl that she must have a bodyguard for protection, she is worried it will cramp her style. But the bodyguard, Jack, looks like a Calvin Klein model, and Gia is instantly attracted to him. Her father reminds her to keep the relationship professional. Besides, Gia has a boyfriend: pretty but dumb Brendan. In his duty to protect Gia, Jack has to go everywhere with her-but they must keep his true identity a secret. Acting as a family friend, Jack attends a raging party with Gia the first weekend on duty. There, Brendan is poisoned by a dumpling meant for her, and Gia starts to take the bodyguard business a little more seriously. Gia and Jack decide that they need to figure out who is after her, and the pair begin some reconnaissance. A series of stunts, disguises, and haplessly stumbled upon clues lead the pair to the LAPD, where Gia meets yet another attractive guy, named Milo. Meanwhile, Gia is nominated to be "Miss Golden Globe" (she gets to wear an amazing dress and hand the winners their awards), and she does not want anything to get in the way of her big break. While the plot deviates far from believability and the characters' motivations are not always clear, fans of chick lit will enjoy this light romantic mystery. VERDICT Add to YA collections in need of light beach reads.-Tara Kehoe, New Jersey State Library Talking Book and Braille Center, Trenton

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