Real As It Gets (Rumor Central)
Gr 9 Up—Maya Morgan's adventures as a teen gossip show host reach new levels of drama in this addition to the series. As an only child, Maya is used to her independent lifestyle, but it is suddenly turned upside-down by the arrival of her troublesome cousin, Travis. He hooks up with her BFF Sheridan, against Maya's wishes. Soon thereafter, Travis introduces Maya to his friend Sammy, a supposedly successful music producer, and they start dating. In the midst of all the romance, there is a new synthetic and dangerous drug on the streets of Miami, K2, ruining the lives of both average teens and celebrities. Maya decides to go undercover and infiltrate the drug ring. Things go awry when she is kidnapped, and she discovers that sometimes the people closest to us are the ones with the worst of intentions. Unfortunately, the novel has a vapid plot, corny dialogue, and characters whose stories barely intertwine. There are better choices within the urban YA genre.—Lindsay Klemas, JM Rapport School for Career Development, Bronx, NY