Collins, Yvonne & Rideout, Sandy. The black sheep.

COLLINS, Yvonne & RIDEOUT, Sandy. The black sheep. Hyperion. 348p. c2007. 978-142310160-4. $8.99. S

Fifteen-year-old Kendra's life in Manhattan is rigidly controlled. Her parents keep their apartment looking like a museum, have a thick binder of rules they expect their daughter to follow, and are raising her to be an investment banker. In a fit of frustration, Kendra applies to be on a new reality show, The Black Sheep. Before she knows it, she's whisked off to California, where she will be living with a hippie family with six children. Kendra realizes her time in California affords her the opportunity to be someone she isn't--someone not controlled by her parents' rules. She adopts a new code, which she calls Black Sheepism, to help remind her to step out of her comfort zone and try new things. The overbearing producer of the show, Judy, hopes Kendra will stir things up and cause problems in her new home, but Kendra adapts well. The family she is staying with volunteers at the aquarium, and Kendra is surprised to find herself interested and involved in saving the otters. She's also interested in Mitch, the oldest child in the family, who hates the intrusion of Kendra and the show. With cameras following her every move, and manipulative Judy making sure the show advances certain storylines (no matter how unreal they may be, or how much Kendra fights them), Kendra wonders if the swap is worth the hassle.

Kendra is an interesting, lively character, but the overlong plot slows the story down. Too many minor characters, like the neighbor Carrie and her male friends, don't offer anything to the story and just distract from the more interesting pieces. However, fans of reality television will enjoy getting a behind-the-scenes look at how a show is put together, and just how "real" Kendra's life is. Amanda MacGregor, St. Cloud, MR