Geek Magnet

May 5, 2008
On the surface, Scott's (A
Non-Blonde Cheerleader in Love
, also due this month) novel sounds familiar: smart good-girl KJ is too decent to brush off the socially inept or “unsavory guys” who glom onto her, even though they make it hard for KJ's crush, basketball star Cameron Richardson, to notice her. But when she takes up the job of stage manager for the school's production of Grease
, popular Tama, playing the lead role of Sandy, gives KJ some strategic advice: tell the losers to get lost, and go for the guy she wants—and Tama even offers to talk up KJ to her buddy Cameron. Scott shores up this obvious plot in several ways. First, she frames the novel in five “acts,” lightly inviting readers to measure her characters against the good/bad stereotypes poked at in Grease
. More substantially, she gives KJ an alcoholic father, supplying an insightful foundation for KJ's personality and grounding her story realistically. The result: a genuinely moving heroine and a far stronger story than the cliché-ridden cover art would suggest. Ages 12–up.

June 1, 2008
Gr 9 Up-KJ is a girl with problems. All of the boys she likesthose who are cool and suavedon't seem to know she exists, but the geeky guystheater types, intellectuals, nonhottiesare attracted to her. Since she is nice to them, they hang around and won't leave her alone. When she lands the coveted position as stage manager for the school production of "Grease", popular girls befriend her, and, in turn, popular boys. With guidance from a new "friend," she alienates her old acquaintances and best friend in trade for a cute guy. KJ's other problemsan alcoholic father and an unstable home situationenter into the story, adding a bit of depth to KJ's character and allowing for the final friendship showdown. Written in a chatty, chick-lit style, complete with realistic teen-speak, the book will appeal to older readers. Though there's not much sense of place (other than high school), and the secondary characters are thin, the play's the thing, and this story will appeal to readers who enjoy a funny romance and friendship novel, and will be nice filler for collections that can never have enough "pink" books."Angela J. Reynolds, Annapolis Valley Regional Library, Bridgetown, NS, Canada"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2008
Tama, star of the school musical, takes stage manager and narrator KJ under her wing, convincing KJ that the only way to be free of her geek posse is to be nasty to them. It takes a family crisis for KJ to realize she has bigger problems than nerdy boys following her around. The story's predictable, but distinctive characters keep it interesting.

(Copyright 2008 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)