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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Compulsive Reader's Reviews, July 22, 2008
This review is from: Model: A Memoir (Paperback)
When she was just fourteen years old, Cheryl Diamond ventured to New York City to become a model. She experienced rejection after rejection until she finally found an agency that would offer her a contract. But then came September 11, and her agency went out of business before she could even land a job.
At sixteen, Cheryl returned to New York, hoping for a second chance. She got it. Now she is faced with the task of building her portfolio and making a name for herself--no small job when the head booker is always giving her a rough time and the manager of her agency is seeking revenge on her for standing up to him and refusing to let him yank her around. But Cheryl is tough and sensible, and if anyone can make it in this ugly modeling business, she can.
And she's making it...until one man lies to her, destroying her image and bringing her career to a screeching halt. Desolate, she's sent home. But she's determined to do what's unheard of in the modeling biz...make her comeback.
Model: A Memoir will leave you shell shocked. Cheryl Diamond is an extraordinary young woman who is role model material for girls everywhere. Without succumbing to the many temptations models are exposed to on a daily basis (eating disorders, drinking, drugs, excessive partying) and without losing a grasp on her values (like refusing to change clothes in front of a roomful of people just to land a job), she has built her career without allowing herself to be bullied. Her novel is a whirlwind of shoots, castings, runway shows, and showdowns with her boss that besides being completely enthralling, are all true. Her writing style has the fast pace that is present in biographies and memoirs, but is as detailed and gripping as any work of fiction. Teens especially will delight in this resilient, strong, and intelligent heroine who is beautiful inside and out, and will eagerly anticipate more from this talented model and writer.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Deadly accurate and entertaining, September 1, 2008
This review is from: Model: A Memoir (Paperback)
I know some of the people and agencies (even the ones where she has changed the name to protect the guilty) in this book - and she nailed it. Cheryl's description of her agency is very accurate, and even though models with other agencies will have somewhat different experiences (not all fashion agencies are also partly scams), her discussion of what a model is likely to encounter as she enters the world of New York fashion modeling will be recognized by anyone who has tried it.
Throughout the book she maintains a humorous detachment from all this, and the book is entertaining to read, as well as educational.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Truth About the Modeling Industry, April 19, 2011
This review is from: Model: A Memoir (Paperback)
Every year, hundreds of the most beautiful people in the world come to New York to become models. At age fourteen, Cheryl Diamond was one of them. Living on her own in a run-down apartment, Cheryl spent her days on go-sees, runways, and shoots, surviving hand-to-mouth, while taking in everything she could about the tough and sleazy modeling industry. She watched other girls make mistakes, and swore she wouldn't be a victim...until a career-altering event changed her life and nearly ruined her shot at her dream. This is the riveting, true account of Cheryl's triumphant rise, disastrous fall, and unlikely comeback in one of the hottest and most demanding industries in the world.
I was not sure I would enjoy Model A Memoir, models don't exactly have the reputation of being witty or intelligent. Well, I have to admit that Cheryl's book has changed my mind. It was hilarious, scary, and completely relatable. Even someone like me who has never modeled, and was never really interested in the industry will find it fascinating. Two thumbs up!
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