Customer Reviews

Girl of the Moment

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was apprehensive to start reading this book because I thought it would be too geared toward the younger teens. On the contrary, I found that it has a mature underlying theme and will spark discussion on the true happiness of the teen starlets we see in the headlines everyday. But don't let that fool you into thinking it has no edge. The characters are incredibly relatable to a teenage girl. I found myself recognizing some of the personalities of the characters as people I know. Not to mention it is always fun to speculate on who the starlet is supposed to be. It is a quick read (I read it in less than a day) and has a plot that reads more like a gossip column than a novel. Girl of the Moment captures your interest from the first sentence and doesn't let go until the last. I hope everyone can enjoy this book as much as I did.

Lemme start out by saying that I broke an important rule in the Book Lover's Code of Conduct. "Don't judge a book by its cover." I mean, the cover of this book is amazing, I couldn't stop staring at it, so I just got the book. Then, later, I thought I would regret it, but thank God I didn't!

This book is great. It's a fast read, and it's really well-written. I like how the author didn't make Sabrina Snow like all the other teen pop stars in fiction. At the beginning of the book, Sabrina seems like a sweet girl, until you dig into her territory (including her boyfriend). Near the end, that's where her true personality comes out.

To sum things up, Lily Miles gets a job as an intern for rising star, Sabrina Snow. She thinks everything will be fabulous, but it's so hard to work for someone like Sabrina, who can be demanding. Very demanding. Mixed up with all of Lily's mess-ups is a forbidden kind of romance, and the lesson of staying true to yourself.

This book has morals in it, and it gives you a sneek peek into the life of the glamorous. I really enjoyed it.

Hope to read more from Lizabeth Zindel soon.

Lily is determined to become an intern for the summer, but her first job is cancelled --- which works out to her advantage when 16-year-old Hollywood movie star sensation Sabrina Snow needs someone to work for her. Lily is ecstatic to interview, even though getting the job would mean missing out on going to camp with her best friend and not seeing her crush, Max.

The interview goes well, although Lily ends up selling her nude drawing of Max (created from imagination) to Sabrina at the star's insistence. Before committing to hiring her, Sabrina invites Lily to attend Sabrina's movie premiere, where she manages to fall down on the red carpet. Lily is in charge of dog-sitting Sabrina's little pooch, Mercedes --- who gets away from her and urinates on Sabrina's director.

Sabrina is furious with Lily, but she's even angrier when she notices that Lily is dancing with Sabrina's hunky, funny and nice boyfriend, Bronson. Happily for Lily, Sabrina still hires her, although the star warns her in no uncertain terms to stay away from Bronson.

One of Lily's jobs is sending form letter answers to those who write mail to Sabrina. One letter, in which the fan pleads for Sabrina's help dealing with cruel school bullies, haunts her. However, when Lily tries to get Sabrina involved, the young star simply scoffs. Meanwhile, Lily jeopardizes her job by letting someone not on the list into a press gathering, and the person makes trouble.

Sabrina goes all out to make Lily look ridiculous in front of Bronson, who continues to befriend her. Meanwhile, Lily can't get the desperate fan letter writer out of her mind. What can she do? Lily realizes she's headed for trouble but can't seem to stop her life from careening out of control.

GIRL OF THE MOMENT is an interesting, amusing peek at the rewards and challenges of working for a famous movie starlet. Although a few of the plot twists seem slightly far-fetched, and Sabrina and her friends are predictable stock characters, this was an enjoyable read with a surprising amount of substance beneath the froth.

--- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon

Sometimes I come across young adult books that transcend and are also great for me (Early 20's), however this book was not. I finished it, but it took a couple of weeks and was a tedious process. I got it because my neice was visiting (she's 17) and I thought it would be good for the both of us. She loved it! I didn't. It is trivial and there was no real conclusion. And a bit snobby. If you are in your 20's and looking for good books from the young adult genre, I would suggest... Sloppy Firsts, The Perks of Being a Wallflower and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Skip this one, but buy it for someone in the 15 - 18 range. :-)

Lily gave up her regular summer of soccer camp. Her final summer before her senior year. Why would she do that? Well, if she wanted to get into her college of choice, Brown University, she seriously needed an internship to make her stand out in her college applications.

Lily has an internship lined up at a Manhattan art museum and it will look fabulous when she applies. Except it falls through. No soccer camp (which is where her best friend and potential boyfriend are) and no internship. No Brown University.

Well, connections come through and she ends up being an intern for "Sabrina Snow." (She can't tell readers the real identity of this famous teenage star so we have to imagine her as someone like Lindsay Lohan or Paris Hilton). Lily's luck seems to be in her favor. She gets to hang out with this famous teenager, go to super parties, and shop at exclusive stores. But it isn't that easy. Sabrina's manager wants Lily to call him if Sabrina's behavior is negative, harmful, or questionable. Sabrina wants Lily to assist her with everything and to not get in her way. What's a girl to do?

Lily learns a great deal about Sabrina, celebrity life, and herself. This is a fun book by new author, Lizabeth Zindel. It's full of dramedy, pop culture, and provides an insider look into a world that seems so glamorous. Or is the grass just greener? Read GIRL OF THE MOMENT to find out.

Reviewed by: Dianna Geers

I won't lie, it's pretty cliché and predictable, but I don't see what else could've been written for a story like this.

Lily, the narrator of the novel, is telling the story as if she's writing her book, her own journal. There's nothing incredibly unique about Lily. She's exactly how you'd imagine a character in this kind of story to be, but I found it kind of endearing. One thing that bugged me- I use this word a lot, but the biggest cliché of the story was "Sabrina Snow." That's the fake name Lily gives us readers to hide the real identity of the starlet she interned for. I was really hoping Lizabeth would switch it up, and maybe write Sabrina to be a decent human being, but unfortunately not. Sabrina is exactly the same as any other fictitious female celebrity- snotty, rich, self-absorbed and demanding. She had her humane moments, but for the most part, she was a total hag.

Besides that, it was pretty entertaining. It's fast-paced, and ends pretty quickly, but it's not the kind of story that you'd want to be dragged out. It's not going on my favorite list, but I definitely don't regret checking it out!

Zindel may have skills to do this whole writing thing, but I wouldn't point to this book as proof of that. The plot is very similar to The Devil Wears Prada (which I think another review mentions) and the execution is spotty. The resolution of her boyfriend issues is forced. Subplots are raised around Lily's family but not resolved.
I'm rating it as a 3 instead of a 2 because I'm not kicking myself for time spent reading it. (On the other hand, it goes very quickly.)
It is fine for a quick browse if you find it in a beach house, but I wouldn't buy it for my own teen or for a classroom shelf.

Is the grass always greener on the other side? Well, in the book Girl of the Moment by Lizabeth Zindel, that is the main challenge for Lilly Miles, the main character in the book. When I looked at the cover of this book I thought, "This book will be good but not great" and I was right. It is full of details and interesting events like when Lilly gets the internship with Sabrina Snow a teen celebrity. That is when the drama and excitement start.
I defiantly think this book is for teen girls because there are some inappropriate parts that could be left out, but they help you understand the characters personalities. I think the reason that Lizabeth Zindel put this in the book is a way to bring real life to the book because that is the way that teens talk and that is why the book is to realistic. For example, "and guess what?" Evie squealed. "He asked me about you. And when I told him you weren't coming, I swear I saw the disappointment in his eyes." "Yeah, right," I said. It sounded too good to be true. They talk like this throughout the entire book.
I would defiantly recommend this book to any teenager or anybody who loves to read about gossip or drama. I am just not sure if this book was right for me.

Lily Miles has just finished her junior year of high school and is ready for her internship with the New York Museum of Modern Art over the summer before senior year. This will look great on her college application to Brown. As luck would have it, due to funding cuts her internship is a no go.

Lily's luck picks up when her dad's unlikely college alumni connections land her a job as personal assistant to teen movie star Sabrina Snow. Will this be Lily's dream job or a case of be careful what you wish for?

Sabrina's requests of Lily include having her sign Sabrina's name to photographs for her fan club, putting up with Sabrina's friends, and making runs to a secret store for her diet pills. Also thrown in the mix is Sabrina's cute California boyfriend, Bronson, who is visiting her in New York for the summer. Lily tries to be the best personal assistant ever with pressure to succeed from Sabrina and her dad. Bronson reminds her that she should lighten up and may see something in her that he doesn't see in Sabrina. Will they give in to their attraction?

I thought this was a light, quick read. Is it predictable? Yes. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the job will turn into a disaster when working for a movie star that never hears the word no. But it's still a fun read that I definitely recommend.

I picked this book for some light reading. It looked good. I am an adult and have read great YA books as a way to have some fun and light reading in my life. While Geek High, Cindy Ella were really good, especially Cindy Ella (magnificent), this book paled in comparison. Perhaps teens would really appreciate it. The book was simplistic and brimming over with lessons for the young. It wasn't horrible, but if you're an adult who likes YA books, this is not one I would recommend.