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Price of Admission

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"Jasmine is a great character; she really acts her age, instead of being on of those teenagers who exist as if they were in their mid-twenties just because of their location. She's down to Earth in a Head-in-th-Clouds scene."

Read my full review here:[...]

PRICE OF ADMISSION
LESLIE MARGOLIS

Rating: 3.5 Enchantments

Jasmine Green's life has been turned upside down. The screenplay that she wrote about her life, with the barely veiled characters of herself, her dad, her brother, their step mom, everyone has been discovered and credited to her recently deceased boyfriend. And if that wasn't bad enough, it's the hottest thing going right now and her father's acquired the screenplay.

PRICE OF ADMISSION is a fun book, chronicling Jasmine's discovery that the thinly veiled diary is about to make Austin's parents a million dollars and potentially ruin her own life in the process, especially when she gets a copy of the screenplay from her father, she knows one look at it will ruin everything, all her family secrets (like her brother hooking up with their twenty-three year old step mom) will be out for all the world to see.

The book has a fun premise and you have to feel sorry for Jasmine as she tries to figure out a way to come clean about the whole thing. And just when things are looking up, they come crashing right back down again. Sprinkled throughout the story are scenes from the screenplay, which highlight different aspects of Jasmine/Jess's life. From her mixed up love life to finding out her father's remarrying-again-to finding her brother kissing her new stepmother.

I really liked Duke, Jasmine's best friend and would have liked to have seen a little more of him in the book. Some parts of the story did feel a little rushed, but PRICE OF ADMISSION is still a very enjoyable read.

You can visit Ms. Margolis' website at www.lesliemargolis.com

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
April 2008

As a studio head's daughter, Jasmine Green's seemingly perfect life is just a facade for some very serious problems. Despite her cushy home, endless resources, and fancy cars, Jasmine's father is completely absorbed with his job, her brother is having an affair with their stepmother, and Jasmine herself is dating two guys at once. When one these guys dies, his screenplay is found in his apartment, and is sold to Jasmine's father's company. The only problem? It's really Jasmine's screenplay, and it's the story of her life. Every lurid detail.

Price of Admission is a gripping, galvanizing, and outstanding novel that explores the depths of family loyalty as Jasmine does all it takes to keep her family's dirty little secrets from being revealed. This novel doesn't fail to meet expectations, and Jasmine's clear and expressive voice is authentic. Rather than make excuses for her actions, she learns to face them, making her a character that no one can resist. The colorful cast of expressive and fallible characters make this lively and full of attitude read that will steal your attention away and won't release you until the credits roll.

http://thecompulsivereader.blogspot.com/

PRICE OF ADMISSION is a glimpse into the privileged Hollywood lifestyle that Jasmine Green was born into. Her father is the head of EggBrite, a huge Hollywood studio. He cares more about the success of his films than his children and he's constantly marrying women half his age. Sounds like an average Hollywood family, right?

But what celebrity family would be complete without a little bit of scandal?

The Green family has its fair share of secrets and drama. But they've managed to keep it all hush-hush, even from each other.

At least that was the case before Jasmine's diary--in the form of a screenplay--is purchased by her father's studio! Nobody even considers that Jasmine wrote the screenplay. They all assume that Austin, Jasmine's recently deceased ex-boyfriend (drug overdose, of course), penned the brilliant screenplay. Everybody in Hollywood is talking about it, and it's only a matter of time before somebody will discover that this screenplay isn't really a work of fiction. Jasmine is willing to do whatever it takes to stop her family's secrets from becoming the next big scandal to rock Hollywood. But Jasmine's job is going to be a lot harder than it sounds, especially with sneaky reporter Barry Wentworth doing his best to uncover the truth about the Greens.

For anyone who salivates over the latest celebrity gossip and can't put down their latest issue of US Weekly, PRICE OF ADMISSION is a must-read! Leslie Margolis writes a fast-paced story with jaw-dropping surprises that will keep you wanting more. This is a perfect light and playful novel to read on the plane to your Ixtapa beach resort. While some of the characters could use a little more depth, Margolis plays off her characters to create a lighthearted Hollywood satire.

Reviewed by: Amber Gibson

As much as I liked Margolis's "Fix," I like "P.O.A." even better. There's a ton of drama on the very first page and things only get more complicated from there. Margolis maintains a sharp sense of humor all the way through. The book starts with a great premise, mixing together screenplay and text, and doubling the suspense in the process. The lead character, Jasmine Green, is totally sympathetic, and it's easy to understand her excitement, and her frustration, over the misunderstandings her script generates. I especially like the last quarter of the book, when the plot twists and re-twists. Through all the intrigue, you also get a great snapshot of Hollywood glamour as it looks up close, as well as some real pathos in the life of a high-profile family.

At Jasmine Green's ex-boyfriend Austin Cooper's funeral, Austin's father makes an announcement to the mourners. A screenplay called Cold-Blooded, Two-Timing Rat was found in Austin's dorm room. In honor of his dead son, the screenplay was given to an agent, who in turn sent it on to film studios. The good news? The screenplay was bought by EggBrite Studios! Who knew that Austin Cooper, the athletic son who wanted to be a doctor, would turn out to be a writer too?

Jasmine knew. She knew because the screenplay wasn't written by her dead ex-boyfriend at all. It was written by her! And the title, Cold-Blooded, Two-Timing Rat, was in reference to the fact that she was cheating on Austin. With his brother. But that's not even the worst part! The screenplay also reveals dirty family secrets about her stepmother and brother's secret love affair, her father's neglect of his children, and dirt about pretty much everyone else in Jasmine's life. She cannot let the movie be made. But what can she do to stop it? All of Hollywood is raving about the screenplay, and the production of the movie has become the hottest thing in town.

Not to mention the fact that the screenplay isn't very well disguised. Jasmine explains, "If only I'd disguised my life better. I mean, I could have done more than change everyone's name. And even that is so obvious when you think about it for half a second. The lead character, Jessica Brown, has green eyes, and I, Jasmine Green, have brown eyes. That's the only difference between us. Same with my brother, Jett/Jake. Charlie and Austin? Sure, I call them Chad and Alex, but they're so clearly the same people. Anyone who reads this and knows them will definitely recognize their personalities."

PRICE OF ADMISSION is a fast-paced and fun read that is likened to reading an entertainment magazine. There are lots of digs about Hollywood personalities, gossip, scandals and paparazzi that are laugh-out-loud funny. Portions of the scandalous screenplay are actually incorporated into the book and makes for an interesting novel technique that works well with this storyline. The only snafu with this is that sometimes the fictional/real character names get a little confusing to the reader, especially since they are so similar. And, like Hollywood, some of the characters do seem to lack depth. For example, Jasmine is so wrapped up in the screenplay debacle that she doesn't really grieve for the loss of her ex-boyfriend. Still, the story is suspenseful and made me want to keep turning the pages.

--- Reviewed by Kristi Olson

This is the kind of book that you take with you everywhere until you finish it. Price of Admission has two levels of suspense: not only are you dying to find out what happens in Jasmine's complicated, fast-paced life but you are also curious about the fate of the screenplay that she created about her life. This book provides a glimpse of the price of fame for a successful Hollywood family. My pre-teen daughter enjoyed it as much as I did. It's beautifully written and I highly recommend it.