"You Say Spoiled Like its a Bad Thing"

Sit back and relax as authors/bloggers Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan take you into a world of glitz, glamour, and $500 Gucci heels in their debut young adult novel, "Spoiled." The story follows Molly Dix, a high school sophomore from Indiana whose costume-designer mom has died. Her mother left her with one dying wish: to give living with her long lost father a chance...who, come to find out, happens to be world-famous movie star Brick Berlin. But forming a relationship with her estranged father is not the only challenge Molly has to face when she reaches LA - she has to deal with her spoiled, wanna-be actress half sister, Brooke, who is not ready to give up her pedestal as an only child. So begins a series of fights and backstabbing, with a few new-found friendships and run-ins with the paparazzi along the way.

The book is written in third person, but each chapter alternates between Molly's perspective and Brooke's perspective, giving you a well-rounded view of how they each see the crazy situation and the challenges they endure (think social nemisises, neglectful parents, and boyfriend issues). Though it is definitely fiction, the book does take a good look at relationships between parents and sisters. The one thing that bugged me was the somewhat open-ended conclusion (no doubt implying a sequel), but the book makes up for it with its clever and witty writing. Not the most realistic of plots, it's true - but if you can't help immersing yourself in gossip magazine every once in a while or just need some light reading to escape from your own world for a while, this is for you.

PS - If you can't get enough of all things Hollywood, look no further than the authors' blog, gofugyourself.com. Filled with fashion successes and faux pas and all things celebrity, it's perfect for any Hollywood star-gazer.

Spotlight on "Bunheads"

I've seen it so many times before in teen lit: Girl likes boy. Boy doesn't know girl exists. Girl does something amazing that catches boy's attention. Girl and boy live happily ever after. And, on some occasions, a vampire or werwolf is thrown into the mix.
Ho-hum.
Don't get me wrong, there are authors who have written about teen romance who are very talented writers. I'm just saying I've been looking for something different - and trust me, its not always an easy thing to find.
"Bunheads," a novel by debut writer Sophie Flack (who was also a professional ballet dancer), is a bit of fresh air. The story follows nineteen-year-old Hannah Ward, a dancer in the corps de ballet in the Manhattan Ballet Company. When Hannah falls for Jacob, a student at New York University, she gets a taste of the world outside the ballet theater. After discovering everything she's been missing outside ballet, Hannah struggles to have the best of both worlds...and will have to make a big decision in the end.
Obviously, "Bunheads" has its fair share of romance, and I don't mind one bit - I'm just glad the book isn't only about Hannah and Jacob's relationship. The story gives you a true peak in the the cutthroat world of professional ballet. Just as a heads up, I feel that I enjoyed it more having experience in ballet - Ms. Flack (or Hannah actually, since its in first person) uses ballet terms when describing the dancing, and being able to actually picture the steps she was talking about was helpful. The French ballet terms don't take over the entire book, however, so if you don't mind being oblivious to the difference between a plie and a pique, you should be fine.
So if you you're a dancer, simply admire the ballet world, or want a romance with a twist (no vampires included), this is for you. =)
For more about the author, visit http://sophieflack.com.