The Taker

Steele (the undisclosed pseudonym of two authors) adds a humorous twist to the horrors of taking College Board exams in this novel that will have readers alternately laughing and sympathizing with high-school senior Carly Biels. Not only does Carly want to go to Princeton, but her father, an alum, expects it.Her dreams of going to an Ivy League school are shattered, however, when she receives a composite 1710 score on her SATs. While wallowing in despair, Carly receives a mysterious text message from someone called "The Taker." The Taker then calls her and offers to retake the test for her and guarantees "a score within one hundred and fifty points of perfect." Of course there are conditions: Carly must pretend to study hard, so no one will become suspicious, and she will have to perform a favor to be named at a later date. Carly takes the bait, but regrets her decision after her best friend, Jen, a budding investigative reporter, gets wind of a cheating ring at their school, and Carly's nerdy neighbor Ronald Gross ("pronounced like floss, as his mother is quick to say") convinces her that she can raise her score the old-fashioned way, by studying. While the outcome and identity of the Taker will come as no surprise, the book's lively dialogue and witty scenarios will keep the pages turning. Ages 11-14. (Sept.)