Cool Like That: A So For Real Novel
Gia is ready to spend the greatest summer ever in New York with her best-friend-turned-hottie, Ricky, while attending Columbia’s summer enrichment program. But Ricky puts the kibosh on their budding romance out of respect, leaving Gia more than a little confused and definitely heated. She is quickly distracted when she meets Rashad, a gorgeous and well-traveled fellow writer, on the plane. Before long she finds herself in drama central with two boys fighting over her—what’s a girl to do? This is the fourth title in the So for Real series, which focuses on contemporary African American teens, but the book easily stands alone. Readers will feel as if they’ve known the characters for ages, and the playful, conspiratorial tone will keep them engaged. Gia is a conflicted, spirited, and charming main character, and Carter’s development of the group dynamic among Gia’s friends makes the secondary characters realistic. Although briskly paced, the plot skips around and fumbles a bit toward the end, but this is easy to forgive when the rest is so much fun. Grades 7-10. --Courtney Jones