The Fame Game is a very readable guilty pleasure by reality TV star Lauren Conrad. The fact that Conrad herself is a reality TV star lends a voyeuristic dimension to her books, leading the reader to wonder just how much in her stories is perhaps autobiographical, and to believe that much more the behind-the-scenes details that she offers up about the unreal business of reality TV. This book is the first in a new series spun off from Conrad's first trilogy, L.A. Candy, this time following character Madison Parker as she moves into a new TV show. It's an interesting twist, as Madison was the least likable character in the L.A. Candy books, but readers will have a better understanding of Madison's personality, seeing things from her point of view. There are again four girls' lives chronicled in The Fame Game, and their characters run the gamut from sweet and naive to prickly and conniving. Not surprisingly, consumerism abounds, as image and brands are king in this fame-hungry Hollywood. An interesting ethical question comes into play when one character is not considered the proper girlfriend for an up and coming male star, so the agents collude to create a fake relationship between him and one of the Fame Game co-stars. One character's long-lost father comes back into her life, reuniting what is left of her fractured family and filling a void for her, though his re-appearance ultimately is too good to be true. Physical interactions between the characters are very tame, and there is occasional graphic language (f-ck, sh-t, b-tch, a-s). There is a cavalier attitude throughout about the use of alcohol. The female characters are all nineteen, but drink casually as if there is no drinking age. There are hints that one character has a preoccupation with her size and may have an eating disorder. Teens might enjoy a conversation about the societal values that reality TV promotes, and the idea that fame does not necessarily go hand in hand with any particular talent or skill.
