Get a Life (Clearwater Crossing Series #1)
-
-
4.0 • 2 Ratings
-
Publisher Description
When a classmate is diagnosed with leukemia, the students at Clearwater Crossing High School organize a fund-raising carnival. But after they’ve formed teams to work the booths, the members of one group find they couldn’t be more different. There’s aloof Melanie, the girl who has it all, and wannabe Nicole, who only wishes she did. Best friends Peter and Jenna jump at the chance to make a difference, while football jock Jesse sees a perfect opportunity to impress. Brooding Miguel keeps to himself, to the frustration of confident Leah. And tagalong Ben? He just wants to make some friends.
Soon the carnival is over, and the surprisingly close-knit team members drift back to their regular lives. But when an unexpected tragedy strikes, will the eight friends come together again? Or is it time to say good-bye?
Book 1 of the Clearwater Crossing Series
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
What if the students at Sweet Valley High went to church and took the sermons to heart? The result may be something like the Clearwater Crossings series, which is being launched with this mildly spicy but essentially wholesome page-turner. Eight students at Clearwater Crossings High are thrown together when they operate a booth at a school-wide fund-raiser for a classmate with leukemia. Cheerleader Melanie has as much poise as beauty--but tragedy mars her home; football player Jesse is determined to date her, never mind that impressionable Nicole (who reads magazines for tips on popularity) is trying to catch his eye. Other familiar types are also on board (a brainy, outspoken girl; a handsome youth with an air of secret sorrow; an outright geek) and the romantic complications are equally well worn. The twist comes with protagonists Peter and Jenna, nicknamed the God Squad because of their genuine religiosity. Being devout here has more to do with acts of charity and basic decency than with theology; Jenna and Peter's denomination, for example, remains unspecified, and no one, including the author, proselytizes. Other characters profess atheism, and while it's a good bet that at least one will become a believer by the end of the series, there's enough of a spectrum and a sufficiently light hand with the religious theme to engage a variety of readers. Primarily soapish, this offers a little substance along with the suds. The next installment, Reality Check, is also due in April. Ages 12-up.
