The Celebutantes: On the Avenue [Paperback]

Antonio Pagliarulo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 22, 2007 | Series: Celebutantes

The Hamilton Triplets—Madison, Park, and Lexington—are accustomed to living in the public eye. Heiresses to a billion-dollar media empire, they have been raised in New York's most elite social circles and, at 16, know firsthand the demands of being celebutantes. There are people to impress, appearances to make, and paparazzi to outrun. Not to mention high school to finish.

But when fashion editor Zahara Bell is found dead in a one-of-a-kind frock from Lex's unreleased clothing line, and then the priceless Avenue Diamond goes missing, getting to class is as far from the triplets' minds as their first pair of Manolos. One of the girls is a suspect, and the sisters find themselves in the middle of a scandal that could sink their reputations and their father's companies for good. And the press is ready, willing, and able to lend a hand.

The Hamilton sisters need to stick closer than ever before. The killer is still out there, and if they don't solve the case their threesome could become a twosome quicker than you can say Cartier.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up—The wealthy and beautiful 15-year-old Hamilton triplets—impetuous Lexington, pragmatic Park, and mini-mogul Madison—have it all and Manhattan is their playground. At a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the sisters have a troublesome encounter with a zealous paparazzo that leads them to discover the dead body of a famous fashion magazine editor. When Lexington is implicated in the murder, the teens set out to solve the case themselves. Full of snobbery, cattiness, sexual encounters, and underage drinking, this book tries very hard to be like Cecily von Ziegesar's "Gossip Girl" series (Little, Brown) and Bennett Madison's "Lulu Dark" mysteries (Sleuth/Razorbill), but it has none of the wit and knowing sarcasm that make those books so entertaining. The mystery starts off well for these wannabe Nancy Drews but it is so drawn out that, by the end, readers will lose interest in whodunit and why. Because the story is written in alternating chapters about different characters, readers don't get to know the stereotypical sisters, their boyfriends, and their employees, but since they are all so unlikable and smug, no one is likely to care.—Anne Rouyer, New York Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Using the Gossip Girls as a template, this introduces the high-society Hamilton triplets, Madison, Lex, and Park. But now, along with all the booze, sex, bitchiness, and designer names, there's a mystery. Madison is hosting a charity function at the Met when fashion editor Zahara Bell is found dead in the cloakroom--wearing one of Lex's original designs. A paparazzo, who has caught Park in a compromising position with heartthrob Jeremy Bleu in the bathroom of the Met, is later found dead in the girls' penthouse. Clearly, the girls must go into detective mode to solve the crimes. The silliest thing about this is the fact that the sisters are 16, even as they attend board meetings! Design clothes! Plan celebrity-studded charity events! Why not just cast them as college students and call less attention to the improbabilities? But the mystery element is good with plot turns that will string readers along. Attracted by the gutsy (albeit obnoxious) girls and their lavish lifestyles, readers will certainly want to find out "who dun it." Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Paperback: 340 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers; First Edition edition (May 22, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385734042
• ISBN-13: 978-0385734042
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.8 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,083,398 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born and raised in New York City, I started writing at an early age, thanks to a very cool teacher who eventually found out that the notebook I carried around contained lots of weird stories and virtually no homework. The pattern continued straight on through till high school and, come to think of it, hasn't stopped.

When people ask me to describe myself, I almost always respond with the same line: I'm a nice Italian- American kid from the Bronx. I sold chocolate door-to-door in my grammar school years and volunteered a lot as a teenager. Then it was off to college, where things got a little crazy...(just kidding!)

Working as a tutor for inner city teens, I was both moved and inspired by the stories I heard, the struggles I witnessed, and the triumphant spirit so many of these young people found within themselves. A DIFFERENT KIND OF HEAT is a gritty book; it's about the inner city because it was born in the inner city -- a place people too often forget, or just don't want to remember. But the stories and truths of our inner cities aren't ones we can afford to forget.

I still live in the Big Apple and I'll probably be here for the rest of my life. There are so many stories to write!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars so much fun!, June 7, 2007

By 

AvidReader (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Celebutantes: On the Avenue (Paperback)

I thought this book was awesome and I can't wait to read the next one in the series. It was well written and a very good mystery. Don't know what the first review is talking about. This is a GREAT teen book and you won't be disappointed.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Celebutantes Fan, June 9, 2007

By 

JENNY - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Celebutantes: On the Avenue (Paperback)

I LOVED this book! It was funny, witty and outrageously believable considering the headlines we read today. How Britney, Lindsay + the Paris Hiltons grace the covers of gossip tabloids and blogs everywhere. So funny + clever. You get a sneak peek into the life they live and drama they deal with and in my favorite city. NYC.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome mystery with a FASHIONABLE twist!, June 8, 2007

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SmartyGirl (NY, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Celebutantes: On the Avenue (Paperback)

Oh My God! What a totally amazing book! I love mysteries and I love fashion and The Celebutantes: On The Avenue brings these two worlds together so well! And it's really funny too. What I also love about the characters Madison, Park and Lexington is that they are smart girls with a sense of fashion. They wear their Manolo Blahniks and they use their brains. The Celebutantes: On The Avenue takes the reader on a fashion filled crime solving spree! I so hope they make a movie out of it. I can't wait for next book In The Club!