STARRING ME

Good things come to those who wait—and pray.

Since winning America’s Next Star, 17-year-old Chad Beacon is famous enough to call the shots when a network develops a clean, teen version of Saturday Night Live. Well, maybe Chad’s not calling all of the shots yet. Since he will be spending so much time with his female co-star, his (presumably evangelical) Christian parents want to choose a Christian as his companion. A compromise is made: The network will narrow the talent pool to 10 girls, who will live together for a month while Chad’s tutor (also described as a Christian) will serve as housemother and help with the selection. The third-person narration alternates between Chad and Kara McKormick, also 17 and a former reality-show star, who becomes one of the contenders. Although the two meet through mutual friends (including the president’s son) and form an instant attraction, neither has any clue that they may be co-stars. And despite Kara’s obvious distinction from her conniving fellow contenders, she may lose the role—and Chad—because she doesn’t believe in God. Suddenly surrounded by believers and frightened by her dad’s deteriorating health, a questioning Kara turns to God for support.

Chad and Kara’s outcome is predictable from the start, but their time spent being creative and typical teens in the context of their celebrity status keeps the narration fun for genre fans.