For three years typical teenager, Scotty, and her Grandmother, Charley, has eluded Biker Guy, staying just one step ahead of him through the warnings from the mysterious stranger. Quietly Charley works on the film set of her friend, Jeremy in Marshall, Texas, while Scotty gets to know the locals. As Scotty stays hidden from Biker Guy and works on her homeschooling, she becomes involved in a romance and helping a troubled teen. The book ends with a showdown that changes Scotty's and Charley's lives forever.
Such is the plot of Finding Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson. The book is laced with humor and romance.
Written in the first person it was difficult to get into. By about a third of the book I finally realized how the book was laid out. The book begins with a Hollywood blog written to the Nobodies (hence the name). The story's chapter titles are dates and the chapters are kind of like journal entries, but they aren't, because you find out later that Elaine is Scotty's diary, and the chapters where she writes stuff in her diary begins, "Dear Elaine...."
In addition to Ms. Samson's writing style, I had a problem with some of the messages that were coming through the pages, loud and clear. Scotty is protrayed as a typical teenager (not sure whether she is a Christian or not) who is homeschooled. One of the clearest messages was that "defying authority has no consequences" and "you can do what you want, as long as you think it is right". Her grandmother tells her not to eat cheese nor drink cola, but she purposely eats cheese throughout the book and stashes cola to drink whenever she chooses. She even leaves for Tulsa, Oklahoma, on her scooter, and refuses to turn back, even when all the adults that she respects in her life tell her to, because 'she knows' that this is the right thing to do.
Having homeschooled my own children I am sensitive to messages that are being written about homeschooling. Many in our culture today think that homeschoolers don't get a good education, that they miss out on a lot of stuff, that they get to play all the time and sleep until past noon. They also think that homeschoolers are socially inept and nerdy. The reality is that homeschoolers work hard and as a group score above the national norms. They are well-rounded, have a good self-image and enjoy the company of all ages of people in any social setting. They are also able to pursue their own passions and interests.
Some of the myths of homeschooling were dispelled in this book, but others were reinforced. Scotty is very well-adjusted socially, but she has to teach herself (not common in the homeschooling world). She is taken to a high school football game and makes a big deal about it, because she is homeschooled and has never done such a thing before.
My biggest disappointment was the spiritual message in the book. Purportedly this book should teach teenagers about prayer and, in a way, it does, although Scotty is very confused by it. Simplistically, Scotty learns that she, herself, can talk to Jesus. I feel that Ms. Samson is selling our teens short. The spiritual message just seems to be thrown in, without any solid foothold in the story. It would be almost the same story if the entire part about prayer were taken out.
I will generously rate this book a 4 out of 10 stars.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
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