October 1, 2012
Four spoiled daughters of African-American entertainment-industry elite engage in constant posturing, cheating and back-stabbing as they attend exclusive Hollywood High. The story is told in four not-entirely-distinct voices, including ex-New Yorker London, tabloid queen Rich and Rich's "ex-ex-ex-years ago-ex-bff" Spencer. Heather, the most sympathetic of the bunch, supports her alcoholic mother with her own acting career and struggles with an Adderall addiction. Drama escalates practically within milliseconds: Spencer gets a neck rash from a perfume Heather's mother gave her; Spencer Maces Heather in the cafeteria in retaliation; the head of Heather's fan club joins the fight; the story goes viral within hours...and that's just the beginning. Much of the drama involves competition over boys, and although Heather sets another series of fights and PR nightmares in motion by secretly videotaping one girl cheating with another's boyfriend, she is never revealed as the source of the video. One girl ends up pregnant, musing, distressingly, "If only he knew [a condom] made no difference." Because conflict runs at a constant fever pitch, there is no real arc to the story, and neither a minor character's suicide attempt nor a hasty truce among three of the girls provides much resolution. More messy than juicy; for gossip-blog devotees only. (Chick-lit. 12-16)
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March 1, 2013
Gr 9 Up-From the sunglasses they wear to the cars they're too young to drive legally, everything owned by these four black teens is a brand name. They identify with their expensive designer clothes and accessories as evidence that they're a class apart, labeling themselves the Pampered Princesses. But while these popularity-craving kids talk smart and hip, there's a lot missing, and what they need can't be bought. Loving parents? Unavailable. Heather's nasty stage mom craves her daughter's celebrity, while Spencer's mother, who dictates her daughter's every step, is too busy to be around when the girl deviates from the plan. London's father spies on his daughter virtually to "protect his investment," and Rich's stern dad only intervenes when her mistakes cost him his money or his reputation. Consequently, these four beauties crave attention; they sneak boys into their fabulous bedrooms and throw extravagant tantrums in public places. Spencer, Rich, and London make headlines just by associating with Heather, a TV show star, but readers would hardly recognize any of them as friends. The plot of this silly novel turns on whether or not their latest spat or indiscretion has gone viral, and who's the cleverest at turning this to her advantage. Money can't buy happiness, but does it have to underwrite such misery?-Georgia Christgau, Middle College High School, Long Island City, NY
Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
January 1, 2013
Grades 8-12 From designer brands to luxury cars to glittering jewels, the girls at Hollywood High take appearances very seriously. Heather, London, Rich, and Spencer are all daughters of current and former movers and shakers in Hollywood. To the outside world, the four are friends, but underneath it all, the girls' opinions of one another are much more complex, and alliances can change at the drop of a hat. In shifting viewpoints, the girls reveal their personal struggles, from the inane to the serious. This novel reads very much like a reality television show, with lots of over-the-top language and behavior and an emphasis on living an opulent lifestyle. Still, the story does touch on deeper issues of drug addiction, body image, sexual relationships, and pregnancy, and reluctant readers, especially, will be drawn in by the fast-moving plot and the high level of drama between the four girls. The first of an expected series, this will leave teens eager to discover what happens to the foursome.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)