So my kid, who's obsessed with those old “Glee” episodes, picked this up because it’s by Chris Colfer. It’s about these four teenagers who are huge fans of a famous actor, Cash Carter, and they somehow end up going on a road trip with him. Sounds like every teen’s dream, right? Except, turns out Cash isn’t exactly the person they thought he was. There's definitely some wild stuff that happens, and my kid kept saying it was way more mature than she expected from the author.
She devoured it in like two days. She said it was pretty easy to read and followed the different characters well enough. There aren’t any pictures, so it’s all text, but she liked how the chapters weren't too long so it felt like she was making progress. She did mention there were a few curse words and some stuff about drinking and being intimate, which she thought was a little jarring at first since Colfer's other books seem more wholesome. But she said it added to the “realness” of the story, which is probably teen speak for “drama.”
Okay, so for the book report stuff, it has an AR level of 6.0 and is worth 12 points. My kid's in 9th grade, so the Upper Grades (9-12) interest level seems about right. I think a slightly younger kid, maybe a mature 7th or 8th grader, could handle it too, but you might want to skim it first depending on your own comfort level. It’s a decent sized book, about 77,000 words, so it might be intimidating for a super reluctant reader.
Honestly, if your kid loves celebrity gossip and stories about the dark side of fame, they will probably eat this up. If your kid is more into fantasy or needs a totally clean read, this probably isn’t for them. It's perfect for that kid who is starting to read YA novels but isn't quite ready for the super heavy stuff, but still wants some realistic situations. Just be prepared to have a conversation about the themes with them afterward.