Get a Life

What if the students at Sweet Valley High went to church and took the sermons to heart? The result may be something like the Clearwater Crossings series, which is being launched with this mildly spicy but essentially wholesome page-turner. Eight students at Clearwater Crossings High are thrown together when they operate a booth at a school-wide fund-raiser for a classmate with leukemia. Cheerleader Melanie has as much poise as beauty--but tragedy mars her home; football player Jesse is determined to date her, never mind that impressionable Nicole (who reads magazines for tips on popularity) is trying to catch his eye. Other familiar types are also on board (a brainy, outspoken girl; a handsome youth with an air of secret sorrow; an outright geek) and the romantic complications are equally well worn. The twist comes with protagonists Peter and Jenna, nicknamed the God Squad because of their genuine religiosity. Being devout here has more to do with acts of charity and basic decency than with theology; Jenna and Peter's denomination, for example, remains unspecified, and no one, including the author, proselytizes. Other characters profess atheism, and while it's a good bet that at least one will become a believer by the end of the series, there's enough of a spectrum and a sufficiently light hand with the religious theme to engage a variety of readers. Primarily soapish, this offers a little substance along with the suds. The next installment, Reality Check, is also due in April. Ages 12-up. (Apr.)