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The Black Sheep

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The only thing Kendra Bishop wanted from her parents was for them to accept her the way she is. Kendra is just not the workaholic, marathon-obsessed, art freak like her parents. She wanted them to notice her a little. But who knew that her wish would sort of come true, when a TV crew shows up on her doorstep, congratulating her for being picked for the new reality show Black Sheep, which takes two unhappy teens and then makes them live with the others' family. So now instead of just her parents noticing her, the entire world will.

But Kendra doesn't even know how she got selected. Okay, maybe she does, but it was only a mistake. She didn't mean to write a long letter about her horrible life and the bad way her parents treat her. She didn't mean to make them sound like they were crazy and then send it in to the show. She didn't mean to make her letter sound so dramatic, but that's the only thing reality shows thrive on--DRAMA. Of course her parents wouldn't go for it, right?

Kendra should already know to expect the unexpected, because now Kendra is on her way to Monterey, California, to switch lives with Maya Mulligan, who is tired of her spirit-loving, animal-saving, hippie parents. Now Kendra's new world is just too much to handle, living with Max and Mona, her new parents, a stealing ferret, and five kids. It's not exactly what she's used to.

To make matters worse, she meets Mitch Mulligan, the oldest son in the Mulligan family. The very hot guy that Kendra now has to live with, the guy that wants nothing to do with the show, since he thinks it is ridiculous, which also drags Kendra along with it. It's bad enough that Judy Greenberg, the crazy producer that talks in third person, is always tailing Kendra, making sure she gets all the problems that Kendra has to face on camera, and sometimes even making problems when there aren't any.

But there is one good thing that comes out of this reality show. His name is Maurice and he is an otter. He's not just any ordinary otter, either--he is the only thing that actually keeps Kendra sane and maybe even changes her life.

Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout, best known for their VIVIEN LEIGH REID series, takes us into the world of celebrities, the one where it's all reality and not just some script. THE BLACK SHEEP is not only funny but also heartwarming. The characters are as charming as the ones you see on actual reality shows, and Kendra Bishop is that one person that everyone loves, roots for, and hopes to see succeed. After reading THE BLACK SHEEP, it just makes me wonder if reality TV is really that spontaneous and if the cameras are actually that annoying.

Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen

I'm eighteen, and I greatly enjoyed this book. At first, I was a little uneasy about a novel starring a fifteen-year-old protagonist, but it definitely went above and beyond my expectations. The storyline is a bit predictable, yes, but much of YA is. However, I found myself connecting with Kendra and enjoying every minute of her story. I felt her joy and her embarrassment, as well as her disinclination to share her possessions (I'm an only child too). The reality show angle is pretty unique--this isn't your run-of-the-mill "One Summer I Met a Hot Guy and We Fell Into a Wuv so Twu" story. It's funny, it's interesting, and the characters are great to watch. It only took me a day to read, but "The Black Sheep" was definitely worth it.