Chelsea Matice (USA: MI) (2007/11/10): Grade 8 Up–Buddies Madison, Holly, and Lina all become the talk of their high school when they start their own Web site, giving advice and setting up those in need with dates. Holly is dealing with her overdeveloped body and the rumors it has caused while Lina is trying to get her barely-out-of-college teacher to treat her as something more than a student. Madison is trying her hardest to act more grown up and get the cutest boy in school to notice her no matter what it takes. The teens eventually come to the conclusion that the guys they were originally interested in are not necessarily right for them. The story ends with unanswered questions about Holly and her new gentleman-like boyfriend and their fate, as well as the other girls and their newfound identities, leaving room for the next volume in the series. This book reads much like the multitude of YA books with female protagonists who are searching for identity, defying authority, and looking for love in sometimes the wrong place or people. Easy reading for fans of Francine Pascal's Sweet Valley High. Gr. 9-12. Sophomores Mads, Holly, and Lina are famous at their alternative high school for the Dating Game Web site, which they created for their Interpersonal Human Dynamics class. Students are flocking to the site to take the sex quiz and find the perfect date, and, of course, the site also helps the girls with their own love problems. Each chapter includes a daily astrology report for the character in focus, and the action is advanced through e-mails as well as straight narrative. The teen concerns in the book are authentic (physical development, nicknames that hurt, crushes on teachers), but their treatment and resolution are uneven--and sometimes unrealistic. Girls waiting for a new A List or Gossip Girl, however, will be well pleased.
