Sunday, September 25, 2011

ARE YOU GOING TO KISS ME NOW? by Sloane Tanen


Imagine LOST or SURVIVOR with a cast of self-centered, ill-equipped celebrities and you have ARE YOU GOING TO KISS ME NOW?   This book is filled with page after page of mishaps and craziness.

Francesca is tired of dealing with her parents' breakup, and when she hears that her father is about to be a father again with his twenty-something new love interest, she takes action.  She uses her writing talent to enter a nonfiction writing contest.  In the entry she details the tragic (though fictitious) death of her father, and low and behold, her entry wins.

When the representative from Seventeen magazine calls to congratulate Francesca, she thinks it must be a joke; but she is soon packing for a celebrity tour of Madagascar and eastern Africa.  She will be reporting on the celebrities' involvement in a GLEA - Girls' Literacy East Africa an organization that promotes educating underprivileged African girls.

Flying the plane is an elderly actor/amateur pilot, and her fellow travelers include the pilot's illegitimate, young son, a teen heart-throb, a couple of young actresses worried more about their hair and makeup than poor, illiterate African girls, and a celebrity blogger.  As Francesca quietly observes her self-absorbed travel mates, she can hardly believe she is part of this amazing trip.  She is furiously texting her best friend Jordan about everyone and everything.

The great humanitarian journey is cut short when the plane crashes on a deserted island, and that's when the real action begins.  The pilot is stricken with grief for causing the disaster and retreats into his own private place of misery.  Jonah turns to his faith in God and his overconfident survival skills.  Milan and Eve mourn the loss of all their beauty products and life essentials while Cisco and Chaz argue about the best way to handle their situation.

In an attempt to keep her sanity, Francesca continues texting her friend even though all communication with the outside world has ceased.  Even the imaginary conversation is better than dealing with the craziness that surrounds her.  Each of the celebrity characters has a truckload of issues that test any possible survival skills any of them might possess.  But as the days pass, Francesca finds little positive tidbits that have her thinking of them as potential friends.

Readers will be entertained by the antics of these castaways, and just when things seem to be looking up, there is a twist that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.  Author Sloane Tanen hits just the right note with her stereotypical celebrities and slips in well-timed surprises that keep ARE YOU GOING TO KISS ME NOW? fresh from start to finish.

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