REVIEW! True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet.

(Hardcover and paperback, respectively.)

True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet

Lola Douglas

FROM THE COVER:

Teen actress Morgan Carter lived a life most people would die for. She dated the hottest celebrities, hung out with the coolest people, and was seen at the wildest parties in Hollywood.

Then she nearly died. One fateful night, outside the Viper Room on Sunset, Morgan’s party-girl ways caught up with her.

Six weeks later, after hospitals, detox centers, and way too much tabloid attention, Morgan’s ready to go back to her old life. Too bad her mom and her agent have other plans for her. They want Morgan to finish her recovery out of the spotlight. Way out.

They give Morgan a major makeunder, a new name, and a completely different identity. Their plan? To send Morgan to a family friend in Fort Wayne, Indiana. There, she’ll go to a regular high school, with regular classmates, and document her experience in a tell-all book. Once the school year is over, Morgan will publish the book and stage a comeback the likes of which Hollywood has never seen!

But first, she has to survive Fort Lame, which has three Targets, two Wal-Marts, and absolutely no fabulousness.

Can a Hollywood starlet find friendship, love, and a new life in Middle America? And once she does, will she abandon it all for another shot at stardom?

My rating: 4 stars.



MY THOUGHTS:

Sounds predictable, right? The spoiled, Hollywood brat gets cut off from the luxuries of life, in hopes of learning a true, valuable life lesson.

True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet does that and more. It’s not boringly predictable, and Morgan isn’t overwhelmingly shallow and whiny. In fact, she’s rather likeable. Her perky personality shines through with a levelheadedness that allows her to grow as a character. The change isn’t sudden or forced; it happens gradually throughout the course of the novel, making it believable. And with an overdone plot like this, it needs to be believable.

The other characters are also just as likeable because their personalities and voices are just as real as Morgan’s. Her mom’s kooky, her agent’s a sneak, her “aunt” is fun-loving, and the people at school – while a bit dramatic – are typical teenagers. Except Eli, one of Morgan’s new friends. Eli’s got more going for him, and although it takes a dreadfully long time to establish his role, it’s worth the wait. He is adorable, and he and Morgan don’t clash one bit.

The entire novel is told through journal entries written by Morgan. They’re funny, descriptive and overflowing with pop culture references. Douglas’ writing is spot-on for this story. The only downside is that it is predictable and Morgan’s starlet persona sometimes comes off as a cliché. But aside from that, it’s fun and easy-going.