Charly's Epic Fiascos

London (Cali Boys) pens an over-the-top story about a girl trying to escape her problems by making it big. Sixteen-year-old Charly St. James lives outside Chicago with her mother, Brigette, "a modern-day, demon-licious witch" who is forever quashing her dreams, and her younger sister, Stormy. Charly is tough, stylish, loyal, full of attitude, and has a lot on her plate: she is working as a waitress, saving up to buy a smartphone%E2%80%94both to impress Mason ("the new guy around and the man of her dreams") and to further her acting career. After Charly's mother steals her savings, Charly hears about auditions for a reality show at a network where her aunt works, and she sets out for New York City to kickstart her career, as well as save herself and Stormy. Nothing goes according to plan. London provides an %E2%80%A8entertaining combination of a rapid-fire plot, flamboyant (if sometimes caricatured) characters, feisty dialogue, and a persistent heroine. Readers will simultaneously cringe at Charly's bad judgment and want to see her through to the story's cliffhanger ending. Ages 14%E2%80%93up. (Sept.)