Vivi and Lane have had enough of their friend Isabelle's loser on-again, off-again boyfriend. When he publicly cheats on and dumps Izzy just before prom, the girls decide that they must take action to ensure that the break-up sticks this time. What better way for Izzy to forget Sluttig than to fall for a new guy? Because the supply of guys at their school is nonexistent, they create a MySpace profile for Izzy's perfect guy and convince Vivi's brother Marshall to play "Brandon" online. When it looks like Izzy is still heading back to her ex, the girls decide to hire someone to play "Brandon" in person and to take Izzy to the prom. With a plan like theirs, readers can only expect it to blow up in the girls' faces. The plot, straight out of a teenage soap opera and as predictable as they come, is full of humor and drama that will have teen girls devouring Brian's latest tale. Vivi and Lane are interesting characters who each have their personal side story and their individual chance to narrate events, which keeps readers invested in their lives as well as in their attempts to rescue Izzy from herself. Although the scenarios seem plausible, the characters' reactions border on unrealistic, particularly how quickly the girls forgive each other and how each ends up with her perfect boy. The novel will do well in any collection where Brian's other novels are popular or for libraries that have a lot of chick-lit readers. Reviewer: Alissa Lauzon
April 2008 (Vol. 31, No. 1)