They All Had a Chance by Michele Leathers - OPTIONAL

Language: G (0 swears, 0  ‘f’); Mature Content: PG (beer mentioned, brief kisses); Violence: PG (deaths mentioned, mild danger)

BUYING ADVISORY:  HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

18yo Jane is about to get kicked out of her aunt and uncle’s house, now that she’s an adult.  She has one last summer as a counselor on Catalina Island to earn some money.  Jane is not very bright, or skillful, or pretty, so she is surprised when her gorgeous roommate, Athena, takes her under her wing, trying to help her be more attractive, at least. What she doesn’t know is that Athena is the renamed Bellany, and her latest target is Shandy, the owner of the summer camp. Well, Shandy has some tricks.  This summer she is having a contest amongst the counselors - and whichever one wins, they also win the whole camp. Athena can work with that - and she has some great ideas for getting rid of her teammates once they help her win Shandy’s contest.

Bellany is up to her old tricks.  She seems to be a very ineffective grifter, though, even though she was willing to kill for what she wants. I don’t know how much longer this series can go on, nor am I particularly interested. Even Bellany is a pretty flat character and she's had four books in which to develop. I would interest students in books like The Inheritance Games instead.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS