Fans of Pretty Little Liars and L.A. Candy will devour this fast-paced series from a writer New York Times bestselling author Michael Grant raves is "an amazing new talent!" Six gorgeous teens, all legally emancipated from parental control, move into their dream house on LA's infamous Venice Beach only to discover their perfect setup may be too good to be true. The roommates—a diva, a jock, a former child star, a hustler, a musician, and a hacker—all harbor dark secrets but manage to form a kind of dysfunctional family . . . until one of them is caught in a lie and everyone's freedom is put on the line. How far are they each willing to go to hide the past? And who will they betray to protect their future? Told from alternating points of view, Emancipated is the first book in a blistering guessing game of a series packed with intrigue, romance, and scandal. Gr 10 Up—The situation is any adolescent's fantasy: six beautiful teenagers living together in a house on Venice Beach without parents. For different reasons, each of the young people—two boys and four girls—have been emancipated from their parents. Though they promise to finish school and pay their rent, trouble finds them. As Lucy's music career takes off, Candace finds success as an actress, and Paulo works on his tennis game (he's a very in-demand tennis pro for reasons not just related to his athletic prowess), each of the characters' pasts catches up to them. In the tradition of other popular teen dramas—like Lauren Conrad's "L.A. Candy" and Sara Shepard's "Pretty Little Liars" (both HarperCollins) —the six housemates are all hiding something: a past mistake, their true identity, or their real intentions, and things get messy when their worlds converge. Set up as the first in a series and told with alternating points of view, Emancipated is careful to sketch the characters' complicated worlds for maximum dramatic impact. The book ends just as the teens' truths are starting to reveal themselves. VERDICT Older teens who love drama will be hooked and asking for the next book immediately.—Jennifer Miskec, Longwood University, Farmville, VA “Enjoyably gossipy.” - Kirkus Reviews “I’m a huge fan of M. G. Reyes. She’s an amazing talent!” - Michael Grant, New York Times bestselling author of the Gone series “Older teens who love drama will be hooked and asking for the next book immediately.” - School Library Journal The bad boy, the good girl, the diva, the hustler, the rocker, and the nerd. Six teens legally liberated from parental control for six different reasons, but all with one thing in common: something to hide. Secret #1: Not everyone is who they seem. Now they're sharing a house in Venice Beach, acting like a family, and living their lies. One witnessed a crime, another might be a murderer—and one's been spying on them all. Secret #2: Freedom isn't free. As they cling to a fantasy of freedom and slowly let down their guard, the past creeps up on them. And when one of them gets arrested, everyone's carefully constructed facade comes crumbling down. Secret #3: The truth will come out. Emancipated is the first book in a blistering guessing game of a series where relationships are tested and worlds collide. M. G. Reyes (Guadalupe, aka "Pita") was born in Mexico City and grew up in Manchester, England. She studied at Oxford University and spent several years as a scientist before setting up her own internet company. She lives in Oxford, England, with her husband and grown son. She loves visiting LA!