No Boyz Allowed

Gr 9 Up—In a Cinderella story with an unrealistically happy conclusion, Gem Scott, 16, goes from poor, mouthy foster kid to popular, sexy, loved girlfriend. Some of the characters may be familiar to Simone's fans. The author depicts urban street talk quite naturally, and conversations flow with realistic banter. The weakness is the plot, which will either be appreciated as a realistic fantasy, or dismissed as an illusory urban drama. For example, Gem's new foster parent gives her four extra-large shopping bags of items from Forever 21, True Religion, Deliah's, and Hollister, three pairs of sneakers, a pair of Uggs, and two pairs of four-inch stilettos. There is very little struggle in the story. Gem reunites with her best friend, Pop, then snags a handsome thug-turned-athlete and lives a life of love. When she learns that her boyfriend, Ny'eem, has been cheating, it turns out to be a lie, because he truly does love her. These fairy-tale facets balance with some true grit, like Gem's conversation with her younger brother about his bedwetting and her visit to her drug-addicted mother that leaves her spinning. The tension between the high school girls over Ny'eem is excellent, but it resolves too quickly. A fast read for Simone's fans.Pamela Schembri, Newburgh Enlarged City Schools, NY