June 19, 2006
Sixteen-year-old star Theodora Twist needs to improve her well-deserved bad girl reputation, so she agrees to return "to her hometown for one month to live in the house she grew up in." Her life—and those of the family members who live in the house now, including former friend Emily—will be filmed for a reality show called Theodora Twist: Just a Regular Teen!
Senate (See Jane Date
, for adults) sets up a tantalizing premise, and the plot is equally entertaining, if predictable: Emily gets a taste of fame (even participating in a photo shoot in New York City), learning along the way that looks are not everything. Meanwhile Theodora—suddenly dumped by her twin musician boyfriends—finds a healthy relationship of her own. The story unfolds through Theodora and Emily's alternating perspectives, incorporating press releases, e-mails and news items. Readers may be troubled by some of the book's grittier material. To land her first role at 13, Theodora is coerced into performing oral sex on a producer. Later she reveals to Emily that sex helps her deal with her troubles, including the death of her father ("When I am fooling around or having sex, I feel amazing. I forget about everything. It's like magic"). These heavier moments seem out of step with the overall lighthearted tone. Even so, this is a fast-paced read, and goodhearted at its core—just like Theodora. Ages 14-up.
February 1, 2007
Gr 10 Up-This novel is told in alternating first-person voices by two very different teenagers who discover that they have a lot in common. Theodora Twist is a hot 16-year-old actress whose bad-girl reputation is threatening her career. Straight-laced Emily Fine has just been dumped by her dream guy because she's not ready to have sex. She and her family now own the house in Oak City, NJ, where Theodora grew up and lived until she hit it big and moved to California. The two girls had shared a brief friendship when their fathers died around the same time. When the paparazzi catch Theodora skinny-dipping with identical-twin pop stars, her agent decides to fight the negative press by staging a reality TV show about the actress returning to Oak City for one month before the junior prom. Theodora dreads the idea of living in her old home with the Fines and still struggles with her feelings about her father's death. The school goes wild over her, and many students try to win influence through Emily. This time, the girls strike up a deeper friendship. The plot is all tied up in a neat package along with Theodora's hilarious stunts. Senate provides a unique look at teen stardom and reality TV. The mature sexual content makes this fun read most appropriate for an older audience."Karen Hoth, Marathon Middle/High School, FL"
Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
May 15, 2006
Gr. 8-11. Teen starlet Theodora and plain-but-insightful teenager Emily both have roots in Oak City, New Jersey. Theodora, who left home at 13, has led a wild life, and Emily's family now lives in Dora's former house.\b \b0 To sanitize her image, Dora returns to her hometown to star in a reality television show--and she moves in with Emily and her family. Neither girl is pleased by the situation, but they discover an affection that allows them to learn from one another. Senate uses stereotypes generously but to good effect here; there are beautiful, brainless boys; snarky girls; addled mothers; and aggressive business people, as well as the two 16-year-olds, who aren't as mature as those around them presume. With the exception of a few antigay sentiments couched in thoughtless teen cant ("it's another hour . . . while some gay guy with bad breath does your face"), the story, told from the girls' alternating viewpoints, is still an entertaining read. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)
July 1, 2006
Hollywood's It Girl, Theodora, needs to revamp her increasingly tarnished image. She moves back into her childhood home, currently inhabited by former friend and basic nobody Emily, to have her stint as a so-called average teen filmed for television. The plot is thin and the writing tepid, but vivid characters keep the story appealingly lively.
(Copyright 2006 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)