First Date

Gr 7 Up—When 16-year-old Addy's small Christian school is randomly chosen to appear on a reality TV show, with the prize being a prom date with the son of the President of the United States, the teen agrees to participate to bring publicity to her school. She vacillates between being a shy girl who would prefer to shun the limelight and being a peevish whiner who is intentionally unpleasant. This is jarring, and her adherence to God's word and will seems less a result of a struggle with her faith and more of a lack of plot consistency. Random subplots like assassination attempts and digs at paparazzi and fame-seekers feel somewhat dissonant and heavy-handed, but this book's humor and wish-fulfillment aspects might appeal to some teens. Didactic religious references and story elements make this title of interest to those readers looking for Christian fiction.—Natasha Forrester, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR