Flash Point

Gr 9 Up—Amy, 16; her sister; and their sick grandmother are just barely making ends meet since the "Collapse." Amy works a low-paying job to cover the rent on their rundown apartment. When she stumbles into a job interview at a television station, she's offered a spot on a new show called Who Knows People, Baby-You?-complete with a cash advance and full medical benefits for her family. In this new reality show, viewers vote on what they think the six participants from vastly different backgrounds will do in each new situation presented. The voters can win large sums of money for being good judges of human nature. But for the teens on the show, waiting for the next surprise scenario to unfold becomes extremely stressful. As interest in the show reaches a fever pitch, producers will stop at nothing to get the ratings they need, even putting the contestants in grave danger. This is a high-interest book, but the high page count will scare off reluctant readers. However, for those who get hooked, it is a real page-turner. Several of the teens on the show are true individuals, easy to remember and realistic in their responses to the scenarios. With the moral dilemmas it poses, both in interactions among the teens and on the part of the station's adults, this would be an excellent novel to prompt discussions about reality TV and ethics.—Kelly Jo Lasher, Middle Township High School, Cape May Court House, NJ