The author of the popular Private series has a new book for the holiday season.

Ex-mas by Kate Brian
From the back cover description:
“Two Exes. One holiday adventure. Merry Ex-mas? Seventeen-year-old Lila Beckwith’s parents just left for vacation, and Lila’s all set to throw the holiday party of the season. But when her Christmas-obsessed little brother, Cooper, discovers that global warming is melting the North Pole, he and his best friend, Tyler, take off on a runaway mission to save Santa. Lila has to get Cooper safely home before her parents get back on Christmas Eve. But the only person who can help her is Tyler’s older brother, Beau — a.k.a. Lila’s musician, anti-everything ex-boyfriend. It’ll take more than a Christmas miracle for Lila and Beau to overcome their differences and find their fugitive brothers. But could a journey destined for disaster help these polar opposites fall in love…all over again?”
Any book that attempts to mix global warming with holiday cheer is…interesting. This was a quick read, a little bit like the movie Adventures in Babysitting -throw in a road-trip there are hi-jinx. Lila is not a very likeable character, and comes across as a spoiled brat at times, but Beau and her little brother Cooper help to mellow her out. The book has many pop-culture references, mentioning Twitter, Wii, Fred Segal, even Serena and Blair, so it may become dated fairly soon. But it was an entertaining read for a holiday break.
Enjoy!
Sharon Long
Teen Servies Librarian