FOOTFREE AND FANCYLOOSE

Fans of Bass Ackwards and Belly Up (2007) will appreciate this equally lighthearted, formulaic, brand-slinging sequel. The four teenage girls continue their Year of Dreams: Harper completes her novel and gives “friends with benefits” a try while sorting out her crush on her former English teacher; Becca falls in love and learns to trust that love; Kate works at a water relief site in Africa and finally connects with her adopted sister; Sophie decides where she wants to fit into the often lonely and cruel Hollywood scene. While the girls maintain their unbreakable friendships, the emphasis in this novel becomes how each learns to survive on her own. As each young woman achieves her dream, she realizes that it was the journey rather than the finish line that changed her life. Although their journeys include some unlikely events, such as the surprise appearance of blockbuster director “Steven,” readers will suspend disbelief, sit back and enjoy the easygoing ride. (Fiction. YA)