American Idle [Paperback]

Alesia Holliday (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2004

"[A] humorous, over-the-top satire . . . [a] zany debut."--Publishers Weekly

Reality TV meets laugh-out-loud humor in this intelligent chick lit novel. Jules Vernon's life had been stalled for too long when she lands a job on a cheesy new reality TV show. But with crazy contestants, crazier coworkers, and a hypochondriac judge to manage--her life has ramped up to unreality. Life, love, and a search for her own reality make for a wild ride.

"Laugh-out-loud funny!" - New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Brockmann

When her celebrity chef boss knocked her out with a frying pan, it jump-started Jules's life. She'd been a slacker for too long - job-hopping, man-hopping, and trying to find out who she might be when she wasn't pretending to be someone else.

"Smart and sassy." -- Library Journal

Now she's lucked into a job on a reality TV show, and she's herding contestants, wrangling judges, and trying to make the hot guy of her dreams realize she exists as more than a shallow party girl. Life, love, and the unreality of reality TV make for a wild ride as Jules conquers Pop Star Live! and happily ever after takes a crazy twist.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This humorous, over-the-top satire from first-time author Holliday is just as absurd as the television show it parodies. After being knocked unconscious by a celebrity chef wielding a cast-iron pan, 32-year-old media escort Jules Vernon decides a career change is in order. Jules has a tendency to discard jobs and lifestyles like old outfits, but she may have found the perfect fit in Pop Star Live!, a cheap American Idol imitation. Jules is pleasantly surprised to find herself dealing competently with a boss who thinks he has testicular fungus, a contestant who has a gang history, a producer with a livid fear of his cell phone and much more, even finding time to fall in love with Sam, the show's set constructor. Although Jules's insecurity and cynicism often make her seem brittle and unapproachable, it's hard not to feel a sense of kinship as she marvels at the confidence of inept contestants or shares her insights on the reality TV phenomenon ("It's not reality TV that matters. It's that our only reality that matters is TV"). The manic plot needs reining in, and Holliday's secondary characters could be more fleshed out. Still, this zany debut holds promise.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Reality television meets chick lit as thirtysomething aspiring writer Jules Vernon takes a job as a production assistant on the reality talent show "Pop Star Live!" and calamity befalls her at every turn. A rejected hopeful sets off a bomb on the set, a date's ex-girlfriend dumps her in a fountain, and a contestant's crazed father kidnaps her. Amid the chaos, Jules starts a steamy affair with hot set designer Sam Blake. The fictional show's judges and producer seemed ripped from the tabloids, so it's Jules' relationships with the noncelebrities in her life that give Holliday's story heart. Jules' quirky parents and saucy best friend make frequent appearances to cheer Jules on and give her advice. And she does the same for her favorite contestants: Carlos, the reformed gang member, and Mary Ann, the Appalachian orphan. The final pages reveal who wins "Pop Star Live!" and who wins Jules' heart, and it's well worth the crazy ride. Aleksandra Kostovski
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 350 pages
• Publisher: Dorchester Publishing Company (August 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0843953705
• ISBN-13: 978-0843953701
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,801,109 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

New York Times bestselling author Alesia Holliday spent several years as a trial lawyer in complex class action and mass tort litigation before coming to her senses and letting the voice in her head loose on paper. Now she is a 'recovering' attorney turned award-winning and best-selling author. Her first book, the critically-acclaimed E-MAIL TO THE FRONT, shared the funny and poignant story of the lives of military families when one spouse goes to war.

Alesia's first novel, AMERICAN IDLE, was a double finalist in the prestigious RITA awards for women's fiction, and then she won the RITA for outstanding romantic novella in 2006. She has wom many awards for her fiction and hit all them major bestseller lists.

Alyssa Day is the pen name (and dark and tortured alter ego) of RITA award-winning and RWA honor roll member author Alesia Holliday. As Alyssa, she writes the New York Times best-selling Warriors of Poseidon series & the upcoming League of the Black Swan series. She's a diehard Buckeye who graduated summa cum laude from Capital University Law School and practiced as a trial lawyer in multi-million dollar litigation for several years before coming to her senses and letting the voices in her head loose on paper. She just moved home from Japan to northeast Florida; with a Navy Guy husband, she always lives somewhere near an ocean with her two kids and any number of rescued dogs. Please visit Alesia (and Alyssa!) at www.AlesiaHolliday.com, www.AlyssaDay.com, Twitter.com/Alyssa_Day, or www.Facebook/AuthorAlyssaDay.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This one will win awards..., August 6, 2004

By 

Huntress Reviews (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: American Idle (Paperback)

The truth literally hits Jules Verne on the head, in the form of a cast iron skillet; it's time to find a new job. She jumps at the chance to be a production coordinator on the latest reality show, even though all she really knows about tv is how to turn one on and change channels. Despite this lack, she seems to fit in relatively smoothly among the assorted personalities on the show. The people behind the stage could make for a good comedy show themselves; between the Star Wars quoting Norm, the fit throwing Nellie, taciturn Joe, the British hypochondriac, Q who is threatening to come out on live tv, and Mr. You have my cell number, do NOT call me on my cell, Jules is kept hopping. Then, there are the contestants she babysits; a gang member, a country bumpkin, amorous maniacs, and possible mobsters. She also has a father on the verge of marrying a girl barely older than herself and assorted personal crises. There is a bright spot named Sam, if she doesn't lose him to a Barbie Clone or get killed by a disgruntled kidnapper.

***** I'll warn you right now, this is a definite two boxes of tissue book; you'll laugh yourself to tears. Charming characters come to life immediately. This is without a doubt in the top ten books of the year. *****

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore for Huntress Reviews.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars American Ideal, November 7, 2005

By 

Sarah Micue - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: American Idle (Paperback)

When one reads an average of 2 Romance novels a day, the books themselves have a way of disappearing into a gray haze of monotony. It becomes more rare with each page, to find that book that stands out from the crowd. You begin to categorize and remember books by their authors rather than their content. So it is a bright day indeed when you come across one of those gems that sends you to the email list to recommend that your friends "read this book immediately". This. Is. That. Book. Laugh till you pop the button on your skirt funny, this is definitely a book for the keeper shelves, and an author that has moved herself into the top position of my automatic reads. Well done Alesia, I can't wait to see what comes next.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intelligent and funny, May 2, 2005

By 

A Lancaster, PA reader (Lancaster, PA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: American Idle (Paperback)

Alesia Holliday has written a book that is both fun and intelligent. AMERICAN IDLE is a great romp behind the scenes of reality television. But while Holliday takes the reader through a series of crazy (and funny) scenes, she also makes you care about the book's sometimes-feckless heroine, rooting for her to connect with Mr. Right, whoever he might turn out to be. This book is a sweet, smart and sassy read -- a breath of fresh air. Libby