While Fiona is finding out that developing and controlling her ESP powers isn’t nearly as simple as she thought it would be, she also finds she has no control over her boyfriend Joe as he vacations in Rome, Italy, with friends, who all think she is attending science camp. Soon Fiona is noticing a new girl’s face in the pictures she is sent from her friends, a beautiful Italian girl that appears to have a special closeness with Joe. Fiona dubs her the Hot Italian Babe, or HIB for short, and wonders if her fledgling romance with Joe will survive the six weeks they are apart. Will the HIB succeed in stealing Joe away from her?
TOTALLY FABULOUS by Michelle Radford is the sequel to ALMOST FABULOUS. I wish I had gotten to read ALMOST FABULOUS first, since it gives all the background of Fiona’s life and her first finding out about having ESP, but Ms. Radford does a good job of giving enough details that this book stands well on its own without the reader being totally lost and confused. Teens will enjoy reading about Fiona’s adventures in New Jersey as she adjusts to a whole different country, a new way of life, and her just-discovered ESP powers. Her sense of humor adds some funny touches to the story and helps keep it moving along. The characters were quite a varied cast, which also helped make TOTALLY FABULOUS a good read for a lazy summer afternoon by the pool.
