Customer Reviews

Model Student: A Tale of Co-eds and Cover Girls

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I expected Hazelwood to deliver the insider's goods on the sex, diets, and rock'n'roll of the modeling business, but I didn't realize how hilarious and well-written this book would be--there's a laugh-out-loud moment on every page. Half the fun is figuring out the real-life Supermodel or snooty Uber-Designer behind these biting portraits. I clicked over to the author's website--check out the slide show she made out of all her old modeling shoots! Too funny. This is the perfect summer read!

Robin Hazelwood's "Model Student: A TAle of Co-Eds and Cover Girls," centered around Emily Woods a 17-year-old fresh out of high school who was trying to make it as a model and at the same time, she was also a student at Columbia University. Emily was trying to juggle both the demands of school work and a modelling career. She was soon exposed to the "darker" side of modelling, as it was not as glamorous as she imagined.

This started as a very interesting book, especially when the author wrote about her school life, and how people in school perceived models and her dedication to make it work. I was also fascinated to read about the modellign world from an insider's perspective, which was somewhat an eye-opener. However, 2/3 of the book was spent on how Emily went from one place to another, trying to make it "big" in the modelling world. It became tiresome to read, especially towards the end of the book. IT would have been a much better book if the author had kept it shorter. Still, this was an interesting read and I would recommend this for those who wants to know more about the life of a model.

I really enjoyed reading this book and could not put it down. What a great beach read!! Fun, zippy and witty, this is a wonderful book that provides a true insider's view of the modeling world.

Model Student is sincere, funny and light. A GREAT new mother book club read. Don't we all have fantasies about, what if?...ie what if I had tried to become a model or actress or spent some time pursuing that ultimate artistic passion. As a former Ivy Leaguer or grad student of any kind you will instantly relate to the funny woman's studies art history class scene in the book among others. I also think many of us can remember the pressure of trying to please parents but challenging the boundaries with our own dreams...because attending a top college really does involve a delayed gratification mentality.

Modeling on a beach in the Dominican Republic at age 19 sounds a lot more fun than spending youth pounding away the midnight hours sitting in a library stuffing the brain with arcane esoteric intellectual themes even if the people you share it all with do become your best lifelong friends...and by the way, that expensive education, post fancy corporate job and marriage, has NOTHING to do with changing poopy diapers.

I say bravo to the author for sharing experiences that most Ivy League students are too conservative to attempt. Desparate for the approval of society and our parents, we often turned our backs on our personal passions for the "greater future good". Ok so maybe sometimes mom may know best. How reassuring to hear for all us moms with such big dreams for our newborn children.

I think this book stands for the idea that there is EDUCATION in the passion of a love affair gone bad; and/or the thrill of "FlashDance"...ie, giving all of yourself to make a dream come true.

I enjoyed the quick read and think you will enjoy discussing it with others too. Also makes for a good book club theme night...let's dress up like models and have a cocktail with the girls.

This is a wonderful book! I had the most fun reading it! I couldn't put it down and read the entire book in one day. Robin Hazelwood is a clearly a very talented author and this book is written very well. I would recommend it to anyone who likes a good read!

A friend of mine sent me this book recently and boy, am I glad she did! It's the perfect mix of escapism and nostalgia (especially for those late- 80's high school grads like myself!). Very well written, certainly more than a cut above the typical "chick lit."

By the time I finished reading this book, I felt that Robin was one of
my best friends. She is very candid, hilarious, and paints a vivid picture with her words.
I hated for the book to end! I am giving it to my sister and recommending it to my real life friends! I can't wait for her next book.

I absolutely love Model Student. It's the best book of this type that I've read. So much better than Jane Green books, or even the "Devil Wears Prada". The writing and stories are much more realistic. There are no fluffs when brands and names are dropped. No exaggerated explanations of activities or products used. Robin Hazelwood really does just come out and say it like it is. The book itself and the subject matter is glamorous so it is refreshing that Hazelwood didn't litter it with boring remarks about fashion and empty glittering adjectives.
Hazelwood doesn't intend for this book to be a "how-to" for modeling, but I find that it is almost more effective in this way. She really is giving insider tips that are real truths about the modeling, glamour, and photography industry. She lists real colors, brands, and cosmetics that are still on the market today. I find it so interesting that she has chosen to do this instead of talking circles about an obvious product rather than listing the actual name like most fashion books. Sure, it can date a book to name a current product, but it makes Hazelwood's book all the more real and credible. Model Student is an absolutely delightful read, and anyone interested in modeling, fashion, or the beauty industry will benefit greatly from this book. I myself work within the industry with cosmetics and fashion, and Hazelwood is right on the money when she describes classic fashion/make-up tips. Some of them are even secret make-up tips that my co-workers and I know about but don't openly discuss. You can tell Hazelwood really knows what shes talking about-any real models out there will understand exactly what she means. Model Student is a great read, and you won't be disappointed. I only wish Hazelwood could take this realistic writing on to another book and future topics.

Before I started reading this book, I was put off by the length, and wondering if a narrative about modeling that was so long could be interesting. Well, it was! I finished it the day after I started it.

Emily Woods is a great central character, who's down-to-earth about her great bone structure and has an appealing groundedness and common sense. Her Midwestern parents are hippies who make sweet potato cake on her birthday, but her agent's just told her to lose 10 lbs. 5'10" and 130 lbs is not thin enough (though her mother thinks it is).

Hazelwood, a former model herself, skillfully portrays the glamorous upside and seedy underbelly of modeling. There's a surprising amount of camaraderie as opposed to competition among the girls ("models are usually quite chatty at castings," she notes), but there are also a ton of rejections (models can be "optioned" by magazines and cast aside at the last minute), coke to keep the starving girls "up" and confident, bulimia to trim the waistline and skeevy men, particularly in Milan. Still, Emily clings to her dream of *being* Cindy and Claudia...until things go bottoms up.

I must confess I enjoyed the fluffy, heady parts of the novel more than the darker part toward the end. Overall, this was a compelling look at modeling from an intelligent, likeable person.

This book seems like a memoir turned into a novel. It is superior to most chick lit, with a really authentic feel for modeling life. For those who don't like dumb chick lit books, this one rises above the crowd. If you are curious about modeling and fashion, enjoy!