4.0 out of 5 stars
A teen Devil Wears Prada, with flair, fashion, and fun, August 1, 2008
This review is from: Susanna Sees Stars (Paperback)
The Meat Packing District in Manhattan is a bus ride --- and a world --- away from the midtown offices of the New York publishing industry. Yet 15-year-old celebrity junkie and fashion disaster Susanna Barringer has a plan to leave her neighborhood behind and make her mark by dishing dirt on the rich and famous. After concocting a stunt that grabs the attention of Scene magazine's editor-in-chief Nell Wickham, Susanna lands a "special internship" for the summer.
Susanna's scientist father and her mother, who works in the payroll department at Bloomingdale's, are puzzled by their daughter's obsession with the lives of celebrities. They are surprised when they learn about her summer job but support her decision to pursue her dream. Her best friend Amelia, whose nickname is Mel, is also happy that Susanna has landed a job at Scene.
As a journalist-in-training, Susanna dreams of launching her New York career dressed in trendy clothes while interviewing celebrity heartthrob Randall Sanders. Instead of rubbing shoulders with stars and parading down the red carpet, Susanna spends her days running to Starbucks for beverages and sweets for "Queen" Nell, who can never quite get Susanna's name right. Nell has plans to launch a teen version of Scene and wants someone average and "ordinary" like Susanna to bounce ideas off of for the new magazine.
When not catering to her boss's every whim, Susanna runs errands and makes photocopies for other demanding staff members. She also makes a few friends, including hunky photographer Keith, who treats her like a little sister. And Susanna's integrity is put to the test when a co-worker suggests she be approached to sneak out some designer shoes from "the fashion closet."
While not at work, Susanna helps her parents care for "the Trips," her 13-month-old triplet brothers --- Evan, Henry and Sam. The Trips, who Susanna also calls "poop machines," go through Pampers like Nell goes through iced skim lattes.
As the summer grinds on, Susanna toils at her "dream job" waiting for her big break. Meanwhile, Mel performs community service at Mount Sinai Hospital, visiting with terminally ill patients. One day Mel invites Susanna to meet Edgar, a dying man who enjoys hearing about the lives of celebrities. During one visit, she is moved by Edgar's cheerfulness in the face of his pain and begins to question her calling. But Edgar doesn't dismiss Susanna's dream as being shallow or superficial. Instead, he offers her these words of wisdom: "As soon as you figure out who you are, never be anyone else."
Written in a sassy and refreshing voice, SUSANNA SEES STARS by Mary Hogan is an uplifting story about being true to oneself while reaching for the stars.
--- Reviewed by Donna Volkenannt
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5.0 out of 5 stars
The Compulsive Reader's Reviews, April 2, 2008
This review is from: Susanna Sees Stars (Paperback)
Susanna Barringer has landed that ultimate summer job: an internship at Scene, one of the hottest celeb gossip magazines. Her new employer is impressed with her intelligence, but that doesn't mean Susanna is in for anything more exciting than finding the exact shade of pollen yellow eye shadow for her boss, or perfecting the Starbucks run. Or will her sharp wits and fierce determination propel her to unimaginable heights?
Susanna Sees Stars is a whirl of excitement, name-dropping, and pure fun that will whisk readers away. Hogan keeps it real by giving Susanna distinct and personable qualities that ensure her character is a grounded one, and her smarts and crazy antics will ensnare readers while at the same time giving the plotline flair. This enjoyable, unpretentious, and substantial novel is a The Devil Wears Prada for the teenage set.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Courtesy of Teens Read Too, November 9, 2007
This review is from: Susanna Sees Stars (Paperback)
Susanna has always been obsessed with celebrities and all the gossip that goes along with them. She knows everything there is to know about all the A-List stars that roam the earth. Susanna's previous jobs have never been very glamorous, or anything even close to dealing with celebs. But it all changes when summer comes around and Susanna lands a spot at the hottest publication ever, Scene magazine.
The perfect job for the perfect person... right?
Sure, Susanna knows all there is to celebrities, but interacting with them and actually talking to them is a whole different ballpark. Besides, meeting someone famous can be pretty intimidating most of the time. Susanna's amateurism is shown when she gets the chance to ask Brad Pitt some questions, and doesn't even make it to the meeting on time. After that, Susanna's celebrity interactions takes on a snowball effect, becoming horrible one after the other.
Aside from getting coffee for her bossy boss, to making sure her outfits are cute enough, Susanna has to try her best to find the biggest scoop of the summer to show everyone that she can do anything they can do. Let's just hope she finds some good gossip quickly before she gets fired (even if she can't really get fired in an internship).
A novel that revolves around a girl who is determined, SUSANNA SEES STARS is one book that we can all appreciate. Both genuine and entertaining, Susanna takes her job one step at a time, making her the perfect heroine for those who aspire to have the same job as her. The perfect read for anyone -- and with a sequel coming soon.
Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen
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