Beautiful Americans

First in a projected series, this debut novel sticks to a tried-and-true formula: interwoven first-person narratives trace the hopes and fates, rivalries and secrets of four privileged teenagers. In this case, the privilege has to do with spending a year in Paris as part of a prestigious high school study-abroad program. Enter Alex, a poor-little-rich-girl with a jam-packed designer wardrobe and wanton ways; PJ, a Heidi Klum look-alike on the run from a murky (but unspecified) family history; Olivia, who combines the grueling academics with study at the Paris Opera Ballet School and still finds time to party and fall in love; and good-looking Zach, who uses his reprieve from the Bible-thumpers back in Memphis to come out of the closet—maybe. The Paris setting enters chiefly through clothing (Alex shops at Galeries Lafayette until AmEx cuts her off) and cliché (PJ’s host “father,” a politician, cheats on his wife, with his wife’s knowledge). Genre fans can comfortably anticipate that the virtuous among these characters will be rewarded and the haughty brought low; the second installment will appear in fall 2009. Ages 12–up. (Jan.)