Book Review: "Finding Hollywood Nobody" by Lisa Samson

Scotty and Charley are headed for Marshall, Texas, with Biker Guy once more close on their trail. As Scotty tries to come to terms with the reality of her parents’ deaths, she grows friendly with the locals. That makes staying hidden challenging.

But there’s got to be more to life than fear, and through new friendships, Scotty learns that this prayer thing might work after all. Will prayer be enough when the situation is life and death? What happens when Biker Guy finally catches up to her?

I am going to have to say that this book is part of the probably the best YA series that I have read this year. The Hollywood Nobody series is a fresh step in the right direction for how Christian YA fiction should go into. It's funny, hip, able to talk about faith without being preachy and the author really knows how to speak like a teen and able to write in a way that relates to them.

As I said in the first book, what I really enjoyed about this story is how Scotty will talk about real life actors and actresses in her blog and and that she meets because of her grandmother. While there is a chance in the future that all the pop culture references could be dated, for now they really help out the story and allow the reader to really get into it. Scotty is the girl that I wish I could be. She's bold and daring yet still with a reserve quality that most girls her age don't have. I really love how she can be both starstruck and down to earth cool about the celebrities she meets and hangs out with. She's probably one of the most realistic teen girls I've read in fiction. There's no need for extra drama or worry too much about guys which is very refreshing.

There's also a mystery about Scotty and Charley's backgrounds that slowly gets unraveled. Bit by bit we learn more about their past and there are a lot of surprises that I didn't see coming. It's a fun journey that we get to share first hand with Scotty, through her journal, her blog and her diary. Even if you don't like Christian fiction, I really think you will enjoy these books if you are a fan of YA fiction. Great times will be had by all. HIGHLY recommended.

Finding Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson is published by NavPress (2008)

This review copy was provided by a publicist