Customer Reviews

Pop Princess

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Fifteen-year-old Wonder Blake had no intention of ever becoming a pop star. But that night when she was singing with her headphones to Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," a new customer showed up at Dairy Queen. Suddenly Wonder has the chance of becoming a pop star, and even though it may not be exactly what her dream, the way it was her dead sister, Lucky's dream, anything that will help her out of Devonport, Massachusetts will work for her. Wonder jumps at the chance of a recording contract, and is suddenly swept away from her boring life back home. No more dead-end job, crazy family, boring high school, none of it. Now Wonder has it all, a recording contract, a spot opening up for pop superstar Kayla on her new tour, and a chart-climbing hit single. But Wonder soon finds out that being a superstar isn't all glitz and glamour. It's also a lot of work. Especially when you fall in love with a simple guy who likes you for you, and not for your title of Pop Princess.

With so many teen pop superstars out there these days, Rachel Cohn has created a novel that will attract girls young and old to the excitement of it all. What they will get is the story of a young girl, with tons of talent, who is struggling to rise to the status of celebrity. Readers will experience Wonder's ups and downs as she mingles with other celebrities, goes to parties until the early morning, buys whatever she wants, and sees what being a superstar really costs. POP PRINCESS also portrays a fantastic message that will get through to teens who are fans of such pop acts such as Britney Spears, and Jessica Simpson, and who wish that they were in their place: being an ordinary teenager isn't that bad. A must-have new book by a fantastic YA author.

Erika Sorocco

Ok, lemme tell you that when I picked this book up, I had NEVER read a Rachel Cohn book. I picked it up in the first place because....Well, the cover was colorful, really. I saw the cover(and title)and was a bit taken aback. What a WIERD cover! But, I took it, nonetheless, just because I couldn't find any other book. Well, lemme tell you, when I started this book, I didn't like it too much, but then got to know the main character, Wonder, a bit better, and loved it! This book is the story of Wonder Blake who one day while singing in a dairy queen is seen by a talent agent named Tig who wants her to sing professionally. Well, Wonder's now deseaced sister, Lucky, had wanted this job of singing pro badly, so Wonder went along with it to follow in her sis' footsteps. Little does she know that almost overnight, she is a pop princess. She becomes and instant hit with her one song and music video. But the road to stardom ain't too glamorous. She stumbles upon first love, rejection, heartbreak, and everything else a normal teen goes through. After reading this book, I HAD to read Rachel's other books(The Steps and Gingerbread)and they were AMAZING! I'm now a huge fan of Rachel's, and SO RELIEVED that I didn't make the stupid mistake of putting this book down after i first picked it up in the library. So, the point is, DO NOT judge this book by its cover, because this is the most amazing book I've ever read! Rachel is one of the few authors who can write about a teen girl, and not make her out to be some idiotic, annoying case, but a TRUE teen girl.

I first saw 'Pop Princess' in a magazine giveaway. I loved the cover of the book and it intrigued my interest. When I went to the bookstore to purchase the book, I read the book cover and it sounded pretty good. I had tried to read 'Gingerbread' previously and I didnt like it..but I gave Cohn another try.
'Pop Princess' tells the story of Wonder Blake, a teen who moved after the death of her sister, Lucky, who was on her way to becoming a pop princess in a girl group called Trinity. Things haven't been great for Wonder; she is outcasted at school and gets teased for being on the TV Show 'Beantown-Kidz(aka B-Kidz)' when she was younger. One day will working her shift at Dairy Queen, a music manager, Tig, overhears Wonder singing along to the old jukebox. Wonder's mom is over-excited over the fact that Tig wants to record a demo tape to send to companies, while Wonder's dad wishes she would keep up her grades. Months pass by, and finally Wonder hears from Tig. The label 'Pop Life', who also signed Kayla, one of Trinity's members, wants to sign Wonder. Eventually, Wonder gets a number single 'Bubble Gum Pop', tours with Kayla, and falls for a guy. After this, Wonder struggles to be what the record company wants her to be...or be herself.
The ending to this book was shocking, and yet, I was pleased. This book is different because, if you ask me, it doesnt end 'happily ever after' type thing where the guy she falls for feels the same, and everything else works out.
This book is different simply because...its real.

I never really liked reading. I would always start reading a book and get bored of it, but this book was different. I could not put this book down!!!! It really was the best book I've ever read in my entire life!!!! It's full of twists and turns. It's about a 15-year-old girl, Wonder Anna Blake, who gets discovered while singing along with her walkman at her job at the local DQ by her sister's old manager, Gerald Tiggs, aka Tig. (Her sister, Lucky, was on her way to stardom with two of her friends in a girl group called Trinity. Then, on one horrifying day, Lucky was crossing the street to her home when she was killed by a drunk driver.) Tig asks Wonder if she would like to make a demo to try to get some record deals. When Wonder thinks of how both her family and their home are both falling apart, she accepts the offer, but she doesn't think she'll actually get a record deal. A few months pass by and she gets a call from Tig saying Pop Life Records, one of the biggest record companies, offered her a record deal. Finally, an escape from the life she absolutely hates. Of course, she accepts the record deal. Because of the hassle, she drops out of high school. Tig has Trina, one of the former members of Trinity and one of Lucky's old friends, come help Wonder get into shape and choreograph her first music video. Then, he has the other former member of Trinity, Kayla, who is already one of the biggest superstars around, to help Wonder during her rise to stardom. Finally, Wonder gets to leave the town she absolutely hates and she's about to become the next biggest superstar. She gets a whole new look, her first single "Bubble Gum Pop" becomes a huge hit, and so much more, but, as she ends her first tour as an opening act for Kayla, she starts to realize that maybe this isn't the life she wants. Her family's falling apart, she can't find a guy that likes her for who she is, and she has to do all these things that she doesn't want to do just to keep her looking good for the record company. Maybe her old life wasn't so bad. Will she stay a "pop princess" or will she go back to the life she used to hate? Read the book and find out. After you're done, you'll admit that this is the best book you've ever read!!!!!!!!

A lot of people think from titles this book will be cheesy and bubblicious...well, some of it is in an ironic, humourous kind of way. But it's also a terrific story about growing up, family, dreams and fears.

If you love Rachel Cohn's style of writing, you'll definitely love this book, whether you're a pop fan or not.

Just when I think I've seen or heard the best of Christy Carlson Romano, something like this hits the market.

First of all, it's a great story, but hearing it read by the incredibly talented Miss Romano makes it that much better. She gives life to each character like I've never heard before. Going from the main character (who sounds a little like Kim Possible - which fits considering they are around the same age), to her friend's grandmother (who sounds like the woman that lives downstairs from me), to a Brazillian (?) homosexual (who's accent is veddy gud). All this and an incredible singing voice too. Christy brings this book to life. You laugh, cry, hold your breath, get pissed off... right along with Wonder Blake, because you can't help but fall into the rythm of the book with Christy to lead the way.
It's a great, great story for all kinds of people. Christy fans, pop music fans, and Rachel Cohn fans will love this presentation of the story.
I definitely recommend it if you fall in one of those categories - I definitely recommend it if you don't.
Get the AUDIO CD - it's worth it.

I thought this book was probaly the best teen book i have read in a long time. I really liked how wonder was just a regular girl but all of a sudden she stumbles into this pop life. I think it was a great book and i felt i could relate to wonder in some ways . I knew rachel cohn could pull it off i just didnt know she would do this good . I just finished reading it and now i want to read it again! I definatly got my moneys worth!

I saw the cover first.

I picked it up because it was colorful, and colors attract me for some strange reason.

Then I actually looked at the picture.

...

And I was horrified; even more so when I saw the name of the author.

Gingerbread was one of my favorite "teeny-bopper" books, and I could not believe that the author of such lovely, sarcastic work could come up with a book entitled *Pop Princess*...

But I bought it anyway; I had to trust in Rachel Cohen...

And I was pleasantly surprised to find a realistically fantastical novel, which showed the rise, and eventual fall of a one-hit-Wonder, pardon the pun.

While the plot was evident, it was done in such a way that made you read it anyway, despite the fact that you knew what would happen at just about every turn.

It is honest in a very earnest kind of way, and very fun to read.

A true guilty pleasure for the pretentious teen reader, and well worth the fifteen bucks I paid.

The book Pop Princess by Rachel Cohn is a good book about stardom and life in general. It covers boyfriends, parents, smoking, drinking, performing for lots of people, going on live national TV, and high school. Meet Wonder Blake, a fifteen year old girl who is given the chance to leave her "dead-end" town, Davenport, and start her way up the pop star ladder of stardom. She says yes and signs a recording contract so she can get out of Davenport, and so she can continue what her late sister Lucky started. Soon, she seems happy as can be, with the hit single, the fans, the shows, as well as opening her friend and fellow pop star Kayla on tour. But is this what she wanted? Touring around during the summer, not seeing her friends and family, dance and voice lessons all day, and a nagging manager trying to get her to act professional when she's just a kid? Or did she just want to get away and free herself from the torubles? She soon finds out.

Ever since I was little I have always wanted to be a Pop Princess, and when I just happened to see the Title and Author of this book, I decided to order it. I read the book and it is another great book by Rachel Cohn. I first heard about Rachel when a friend Recommended her book "Gingerbread" to me, and when I finished that one and needed something more to read I found this wonderful book and began to read it. From the beginning I felt as though I could relate to various aspects to the character Wonder. A normal girl, who has great singing and dancing talent...talents that never cease to amaze people when she is really working what she's got. When she forgets who her true friends are and the plans that she's made with them, then later realizes what she's done...that's when she knows she's a true Pop Princess. This book is a must read for teen girls! I loved it, this is one book I'll always have on my bookshelf!!