Nightshade [Paperback]

Jesse Osburn (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Fame. Fortune. Friendship.
Two out of three ain't bad...

At prestigious Pace Academy, the Pacesetters make the rules. But in the world outside, being rich and popular doesn't always get you what you want...

Starr has ambition, charisma, and--thanks to her father's record company--all the connections to put together a music group and bring it major exposure. Just one problem: Starr can't sing, and now her friends are looking to replace her with her arch-rival, Natalee...

Dionne is excited about being the rapper of the group--even if her parents don't approve. But it's hard to focus on her rhymes when she'd rather be spitting game than writing sixteen bars.

Marisol loves the stage, though it's dancing, not singing, that's in her blood. She'd do anything for her friends--except give up her own shot at stardom...

With ego trippin' and infighting tearing their friendship apart, Starr, Dionne, and Marisol are finding that the big-time comes with even bigger problems... --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Simone Bryant is the psuedonym for Niobia Bryant, a national bestselling and award winning author who is secretly fascinated with all things young, black, rich, and fabulous...thus the creation of her ongoing YA series Pace Academy.  When she's not busy working on the next delicious tale, she is donning one of her many hats as a writer of romance and mainstream women's fiction.  Bryant lives in New Jersey and South Carolina. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Silhouette (February 2, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373061307
• ISBN-13: 978-0373061303
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,009,072 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Famous, January 19, 2011

By 

Moirae the fates book reviews - See all my reviews

This review is from: Famous (Kimani Tru) (Paperback)

Famous by Simone Bryant

Famous review by Moirae the fates book reviews. Early review.

I was excited to read Famous as I heard the series was similar to the television show Gossip Girl. I found the story line itself, enjoyable, but one of the characters, I found irritating. This girl seemed to feel entitled to everything she had, more so then Starr and Marisol. The chapters alternate between the three girls. At the start of each chapter it has a blog like element by telling the reader who the chapter is about, the time and the mood of the character. I liked this element. The book follows three girls at the prestigious Pace Academy. All three of these girls are the daughters of famous parents, athletes and entertainers. The girls want to be famous on their own not because of who their parents are. The story shows how the deal with being in the lime-light and being the popular girls in school.
The language bordered on being stereotypical. I found the over use of italics in the first part of the story to be irritating. The use of text language really bothered me and the constant use of the words `whatev' and `whateves'. I really wish that the author would have used the correct spelling and wording. I understand she did this to convey what the girls were saying how they were speaking.
Aside from that, I did enjoy the story line. I liked the gossip girl type of blog in the book. I've always liked reading fiction about rich and famous. The descriptions of the homes the girls lived in were excellent. I really enjoyed reading it, the way the author uses description, really brought the scenery to life.
Ms. Bryant's characters are strong and they have their weaknesses as well. She did a wonderful job of not having any Mary-sue characters. All of the girls had a strong voice, and each voice was very different from the others. It was never difficult to determine who's chapter was who's.
The story arc and character development were both good. This is always a very important thing for me when I am reading a book. Over all, I would give the series another try when book 3 comes out, but I think I would get it from my library to make sure I like it. I would encourage fans of Gossip Girl and the Gossip Girl book series to read this book as the story line is similar and it is rather enjoyable.

Over all rating:
Due to the `whateves' and the one character, I would give this book 2 and a half out of five stars. But again, I do encourage Gossip Girl fans to read it.

Cover Art:
I really liked the over art, it really let the reader know what the book was about.

What parents need to know:
There is some talk about teen pregnancy in this book, but the author in no way glamorizes it, in fact, the characters are dead set against it.

Obtained:
I received this for review by the publisher Harlequin.