Cruel Summer: Fast Girls, Hot Boys    by Kylie Adams Order:  USA  Can MTV, 2006 (2006) Paperback    Reviewed by Lyn Seippel The first book in the Fast Girls, Hot Boys series begins with a prologue during which the valedictorian of Miami Academy for Creative Performing Arts is about to begin her speech. She looks out over her audience. A seat is empty. One of the school's Fabulous Five didn't make it to graduation day. After being introduced to the school's A–listed Fabulous Five, the reader might decide not to care. They are bratty, arrogant, conceited, and exploitive, but little by little Kylie Adams deftly turns the tide as she introduces their insecurities, anxieties and fears, including the things they won't even admit to each other. Vanity St. John, daughter of a record producer who ignores her, is a sought after personality with a handler who schedules her social events and photo sessions. Christina is a talented artist who is secretly a lesbian. Her mother, a republican politician, thinks taking on Miami's gay lifestyle will win her the election. Max, the son of a famous actor, worries about his fifteen-year-old sister and the boob job her dad gave her as a birthday gift. Dante is a scholarship student and Pippa is a beautiful Brit whose amoral father has squandered his fortune on drugs. Full of interesting characters we gradually begin to care about, Cruel Summer rockets along, interweaving plots and the lives of the Fabulous Five. The cruelest part is when the story rumbles to an unsatisfying end with a startling cliff hanger. The reader will have to decide whether a sneak peak into the next episode, Bling Addiction, makes up for the lack of plot resolution. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Teens books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews