Common Sense Media Review
By Rachel Sarah
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Light contemporary romance about chasing your dreams.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
FAME, FATE, AND THE FIRST KISS opens with 17-year-old Lacey Barnes' face falling off. Well, her zombie face. It's a hot September in Los Angeles, and Lacey has dreamed since forever about becoming an actress. Now she's about to star in an indie movie alongside one of Hollywood's hottest actors, 19-year-old Grant James. Lacey has left her home and school to share a little apartment with her father, who's hired a tutor (Donovan Lake) to help her keep up with her homework. Lacey faces one challenge after another with her co-stars and tutor, and when it looks like someone on set is trying to sabotage her, it's hard to stay focused.
Is It Any Good?
This light romance emphasizes following your dreams, but it's a bit slow and repetitive in places, and the characters seem underdeveloped. Some parents will like the fact that this story has no swearing or sex, and teens will like the protagonist's determination and quick banter. But the characters and story sometimes fall flat.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how self-esteem is explored in Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss. Have you ever been bullied? Or bullied someone else? How did you face this?
What do you think it would be like to grow up with an overbearing parent? Do you know anyone who's dealing with that?
Have you ever felt like a boy or girl in your midst distracted you from focusing on your dreams? How did you find your focus?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Romance
- Topics : Adventures , Friendship , School ( High School )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : HarperTeen
- Publication date : February 5, 2019
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 13 - 18
- Number of pages : 384
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate