CLAIM TO FAME

What if you were washed up at the age of 16? What if you were hiding away in your house, afraid people were talking about you whenever the sitcom you starred in as a kid reruns in endless syndication? Haddix, in her usual way, adds a touch of mystical powers to her otherwise plain Midwestern adventure. Jenny Ikeda is completely believable as Lindsay Scott, a loner who gets kidnapped by two teenaged male fans. Forced to stop being a hermit and face an uncaring world, the parentless Lindsay reluctantly starts to open up. Ikeda brings sadness, anger, and an ironic sense of humor to a girl who needs to stop thinking in terms of TV scripts if she hopes to find her own future. M.M.C. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2011]