Lola Carlyle's 12-Step Romance

Gr 7–10—Lola Carlyle's life may seem glamorous (her father is a famous producer, and her mother is a soap-opera star), but it is hard for her to feel glamorous when her best friend is in rehab and her only plans for the summer include spending time with her self-obsessed mother, who is constantly baiting and avoiding the paparazzi. When Lola's friend Sydney calls from Sunset Rehabilitation and tells her that the facility is like a spa and the boy that Lola has crushed over for the past four years just checked in, Lola pretends that she is an alcoholic so that she may join her friend and help save the guy of her dreams. When Lola arrives at Sunset, she is shocked to find that it is not the spa that Sydney described and, even more alarming, Sydney is no longer there. While this is far from a work of serious fiction and is a bit predictable, the simple language and writing style make it a fun, leisurely read.