Customer Reviews

Star Craving Mad

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This Manhattan vs. Hollywood romance is a delicious treat from an incredibly funny writer. For anyone who's ever snuck a peek at a tabloid (or even those of us who've gone and subscribed to those addictive mags), you'll appreciate Maddy's celeb obsession, all the more so when she comes in (close) contact with her Hollywood crush. Maddy learns some very adult lessons, such as love often being right under your nose. And I dare you to read this and not cry - there's one scene at the end that totally got me, and someone else I know cried at an altogether different scene. Maddy is a bold, Jewish city girl who also dreams of true love and this combination of cynicism and romanticism are perfectly rendered here by Miller. This is the kind of chick-lit book I will keep to reread when I want to laugh, cry, and believe in love all over again. I can't wait to see the movie version!

Most of us don't take vacations longer than 4 or 5 days, so this light, but witty read is perfect for a getaway. Forget Anna Karinana, live in the present! Although it's the longest thing I've read in months since US Weekly, the author's quick wit and punchy dialogue makes this read as enjoyable as it is compelling (without glossy photos of celebs-gasp!) This is the most I've laughed out loud while reading since the Bridget Jones books. You'll wish Maddie was your friend so you could keep up with her crazy life.

This is the ultimate summer read ladies! Abrams Miller's sharp sense of wit and smart writing style gives the book a real edge on others in it's genre. Prepare for some late nights as you won't be able to put it down until you are finished.

Elise Abrams Miller has written a fast paced, laugh-out-loud novel that represents the best of what chick-lit can be. This is a comedy, a romance and sharp tongued satire all at once. The characters are vivid, and charming, and the plot races along with plenty of fresh surprises at each turn. I couldn't recommend a book more highly-- this book is just plain fun.

This is my first "chick-lit" book and I must say it had me in rolling! It takes a look at our obsession with celebrities and fame. The main character, Maddy, can be a bit whiny and naive at times, but overall she is an interesting heroine. A fun read.

Reviewed by Katherine Darnell, Small Spiral Notebook

Star Craving Mad, a first novel from Elise Abrams Miller is a charming read. While it hews close to the conventions of so-called "chick lit," the novel finds a pace and style all its own through the witty protagonist Maddy Braverman, an acerbic New York City first-grade teacher. Maddy is entranced with celebrities and she hungrily reads "Celeb File Weekly" for all the glamorous updates on her favorite stars. The novel gets its start when Lola Seabolt, the child of Hollywood's biggest couple, walks in to Maddy's classroom on the first day of a new school year. In short order Maddy becomes tangled up in the Seabolt's world and she launches a wild flirtation with the magnetic Mr. Seabolt. It doesn't take long before it is revealed that everything inside the Seabolt marriage is not as sunny as Maddy's treasured tabloid would have her believe.

What distinguishes this novel from the rest of the chick lit pack is an above-average wit and bawdy sense of impropriety. A hilarious and candid appreciation for sex gives Star Craving Mad a tenor all its own. There's no delicate, romantic fade-out's in the bedroom and Elise Abrams Miller isn't afraid to humorously discuss the fluctuating heat levels of Maddy's pants. There is a glorious level of tongue-in-cheek wit operating at all times. Maddy has a vigorous aptitude for good-natured and boozy trouble, and she has never met a hot celebrity that she wouldn't like to bed. Somewhat predictably, Mr. Seabolt's charms prove too enticing to resist; even with Maddy's moral qualms about his being the father of her student, as well as his being married to the uber-shrew Mrs. Seabolt, Maddy finds herself in compromising situations with the hot movie star. The novel focuses on Maddy trying to balance a responsibility to herself, to the children's novel that she's recently started writing, the emerging feelings that her cute assistant teacher evokes, and the unreal, gilded way that Mr. Seabolt makes her feel.

Miller is an apt writer, capable of weaving her narrative with wry moments of humor, which utilize gentle, knowing sarcasm. Clear moments of insight punctuate the narrative, like when Nick Seabolt comes to the school to retrieve his daughter, who has just broken her arm, and Maddy notes, "Although his expression is genuine, it strikes me as strange, because I've seen him exactly like this before - in Bluebell, the epic film, where his mistress dies giving birth to their secret love child." Miller also possesses a strong visually descriptive eye, giving even her minor characters vivid traits. Mrs. Seabolt's sinister healer, Dr. Kiki Joypain, is described succinctly as looking like a Modigliani painting, "as if she were made of taffy and had been stretched into an unwieldy rope. The turquoise beads around her neck are the size of giant gum balls and look excruciatingly heavy, as if at any moment their weight alone could slice her head clean off her pashmina-clad shoulders."

Miller has dreamed up characters that are memorable and earnest, and even if the outcome feels a bit inevitable, the ride is still fun. Because these characters are flawed in ways that feel more real and compelling than Bridget Jones' measly ten extra pounds - Miller's characters in Star Craving Mad are a little slutty and a little grungy and authentically broke and embarrassed and earnest - it quickly becomes hard to put the book down. Even if you know that celeb-obsessed Maddy Braverman will indeed find her happily ever after, you'll find yourself wishing hard for it, reading on as the pages fly by, anxious to get to the part where her battles are won and she can finally fall into the arms of her true prince charming, winning redemption and becoming her own kind of star.

If you like Helen Fielding's books, definitely give this a shot. This author is very funny. I might be the world's biggest chic lit fan, but there are a lot of laughs here and great romance for normal people too. Perfect for anyone who's ever had a tremendous and ridiculous crush on a someone out of their league. (A great shot in the arm after my exams too.) Anyway, there's a picture of the author on the back cover and she's pretty hot. Way hotter than Helen Fielding. I hate good looking, successful people. But not when they write good books!

My girlfriend loves "chick lit" and I've tried to read some myself to see what all the hooplah is about (Nanny Diaries, Devil Wears Prada, Shopaholic) but I could never make it past the first chapter, so I gave up. Then she started reading "Star Craving Mad" and she was laughing out loud so much that I got curious and decided I could try one more. Not only did I get past the first chapter, I read the whole thing in two days on our vacation... I couldn't put it down!

It's written really well, with a real bite. Very funny and very racy at times (which I loved). And I admit it, I even got a little choked up at the tender parts...just don't tell my girlfriend.

This one was a really delightful page-turner! I must confess that I originally bought it because the author and I are both named Elise. But I really got into it right from the get-go and stayed up late several nights reading it. VERY ENJOYABLE!!

The best chick lit twist I have ever read. It wasn't predictable! Fast paced and the plot is so nice I kept on hugging the book when I finished reading. You'll never get bored!