Everybody Knows Your Name

by Andrea Seigel, Brent Bradshaw

Genres: YA Social Themes

Synopsis

A romantic comedy with an unforgettable cast of characters (and way more laughs than any episode of American Idol), perfect for fans of Pitch Perfect.

Meet Magnolia.
Her father's dead, her boyfriend's ditched her to commit himself more fully to surfing, and her mother's depressed because she can't get cast on The Real Housewives of Orange County. All Magnolia wants is to reinvent herself.

Meet Ford.
Half his family is in jail, the other half probably should be, he shoplifted his way into a job at a record store, and his brother pawned his 1953 Telecaster for a quick buck. All Ford wants is to reinvent himself.

Ford, meet Magnolia.
When the two teens are cast in Spotlight, a reality TV singing competition, both see it as their chance to start anew. With each episode, as they live together in a Hollywood Hills mansion and sing their hearts out, Ford and Magnolia fall in love. But how genuine can that love be when a television audience is watching their every move—and when their pasts are catching up them so much faster than they can run?

Release date: March 10, 2015

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers

Print pages: 352

Sample

Everybody knows about Dillon.
“I’m going to the kitchen,” I tell Dillon. “You want anything?”
“I want to rock!” he said. “And maybe some Cheez-Its.”
 
Everybody knows about Jesse.
The production assistants are always trying to fetch me bottled water, or following me around like store detectives who think I’ve just shoplifted. This one guy, Jesse, he’s constantly hanging around about ten feet away from me, reporting my every move over his walkie-talkie. “I’ve got a twenty on Ford. He’s on the move, heading to the cooler. Over.”
 
Everybody knows about Magnolia’s mother.
My mom always has the radio on a top 40 station. She says it keeps her current, in this way that makes it sound like the Black Eyed Peas deliver her the world news.
 
Everybody knows about McKinley.
McKinley is sitting at the counter, texting, looking all serious and grown-up, while his mom makes him a PB&J. “I said no crust, Mo m, c’mon,” McKinley says like he’s talking to his personal maid. He slides the plate back over to her, shaking his head at me like, Can you believe moms these days?
 
Everybody knows about Catherine.
Catherine stands in front of us and claps her hands together once as if she’s going to lead us in a prayer. I can smell her perfume, which is like oranges if oranges were mostly made out of metal.
 
But what will happen when everybody knows your name?