Hollywood Car Wash: A Novel [Paperback]

Lori Culwell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 5, 2009

College drama student Amy Spencer dreams of starring in independent films. When her roommate signs her up for a mysterious "television project" audition, she blows away the competition with her girl-next-door looks and impressive acting chops, inadvertently getting a starring role on a major TV show and going from Michigan teen to Hollywood starlet overnight.

To keep the part she didn't even know she wanted, Amy finds herself taking a spin through the "Hollywood Car Wash" to make her more marketable. First, she'll have to lose twenty pounds (don't ask how). Then it's new clothes, new teeth, blonder hair, new friends, and a megastar, high-profile boyfriend (though hers comes with a big secret). Bombarded by jealous, two-faced colleagues, overeager plastic surgeons, and manipulative network executives, Amy slowly learns that the only way to survive in Hollywood is to lose her identity. Will Amy get too caught up by the glitz or will she get a grip on her life before it's too late?

The hands-down winner of Touchstone's "Media Predict" Contest -- a competition similar to American Idol for books, Hollywood Car Wash is as delicious and addictive as the celebrity gossip that inspired it.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Originally self-published last summer and (more than likely falsely) rumored to be a roman à clef by a Katie Holmes insider, this primer on selling your soul chronicles the rise and abrupt fall of talented, fresh-faced actress Amy Spencer, star of a wholesome breakout TV hit. The Michigan co-ed lucks into the lead role of a Dawson's Creek–like series and then immediately gets tossed into the Hollywood sausage maker. Amy might have the soul of an indie chick, but she's been an emotional robot since her beloved dad died, and her grief is no match for the temptation of fame, money and a studio-selected, contractual boyfriend with a not-surprising secret life. But can the simple Michigan girl-next-door keep up the grueling Hollywood life? Amy finds her Tinseltown antidote, but the rescue for her sullied soul ends up being far more mundane. Glammy, dishy and disposable—a beach book shoo-in. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

In this dishy debut, a midwestern college student finds herself the star of a hit TV show. Amy Spencer, a drama student who aspires to make indie films, goes to an audition for a new television show and, to her surprise, ends up beating out typical Hollywood beauties to get the part. The network claims to want a girl with a “midwestern look” in the role, but no sooner is Amy cast than the demonic network executive overseeing her show presents a laundry list of demands, including that Amy lose weight, get plastic surgery, and even change her name. Though she is put off by the superficiality and pressure, Amy acquiesces, lured by the novelty of lavish free gifts and paychecks she can use to help her mother. But when Amy’s agent pushes her into a deal with a handsome film star that requires her to fake a relationship, Amy starts to wonder just how far she is willing to go. Anyone who has paged through a celebrity gossip rag will devour this juicy exposé. --Kristine Huntley

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone; Original edition (May 5, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416587780
• ISBN-13: 978-1416587781
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,388,745 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Quick romp through the Hollywood Machine, left me wanting, July 9, 2007

By 

A Busy Reader - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Hollywood Car Wash (Paperback)

A quick romp through the Hollywood machine. Amy get's hired out of college to be the 'title' character in a new TV series. Along the way, the powers-that-be in Hollywood demand weight-loss, highlights and extensions, a stylist overhaul, and a name change. 'Star' is now on her way.

Follow Amy/Star through the changes she finds in her lifestyle through the season's of her show.

Hollywood 'blind items' are sprinkled throughout the book, which if you are a blog reader you'll likely be able to guess who they are, as well as identify who some characters in the book were based on (the stylist who keeps her clients in nose powder in order to drop a few sizes .. anyone recognize?)

This book was OK for me. This is the first edition which has some spelling and punctuation errors, which have been fixed in the second printing. It's a fast and fun read, but it left me wanting. It seemed like the authors intent was to be able to spill blind items rather that build up the plot. But, it was still an enjoyable read. I certainly do not feel it was worth the $17.95 that the publishers are selling it for (this is more a trade paperback and should be retailing for around $12.)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Light read, no brain power required, October 5, 2007

By 

Bonita (Seattle) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hollywood Car Wash (Paperback)

This book is pretty much equivalent to reading "In Touch" or "Us Weekly"...lots of interesting gossip and inuendo, but no real substance. The main character (allegedly modeled after Katie Holmes) is boring and I think she is supposed to be a cynical-would-be Indie acor, but she comes across as completely one dimensional, with no real substance (maybe because she is modeled after Katie Holmes). It's okay, somewhat entertaining, but when I finished the book I felt like I'd wasted a few hours, but it was good too, because I was on a delayed flight wasting time anyway.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not much like Katie Holmes, Poorly edited, September 10, 2007

By 

T. Price (Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hollywood Car Wash (Paperback)

This book was a good guilty pleasure read for the beach, but that is about it. It was very poorly edited and I don't believe that it was really based on Katie Holmes' life. Sure, there are parts of it that could be loosely based on her life (if you believe the whole "arranged marriage" theory), but that was about it.
I'm sure there are some horror stories about Hollywood starlets, but I hope for their sake that a lot of this story was blown out of proportion! It sounds like being a famous actress is pure hell.