My Unscripted Life

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.