Life as a Poser (The 310)
Gr. 10-12. This first title in the new 310 series introduces Eva Cordes, who graduates from her Massachusetts high school a semester early, and heads to Los Angeles, where her aunt is a high-powered talent agent. Eva hopes to become a star ("fame, fortune, and free Dior"), but her first assignment is to room with (and babysit) her aunt's clients, including Jacinda, a young heiress, whose similarities to Paris Hilton include numerous tabloid scandals. What begins as bitchy rivalry turns into a semblance of friendship as Eva rallies her glamorous roommates and confronts her family about long-simmering secrets, including the identity of Eva's dad. The cultural references already seem dated, and the soap-opera plot is played out with a colorful cast of caricatures. What is most memorable is Eva's sharp, wisecracking voice, reminiscent of Lola's in Dyan Sheldon'sConfessions of a Teenage Drama Queen(1999). Expect high demand from fans of the A List and Gossip Girl series.Gillian EngbergCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved