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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Peek inside the world of the supermodel..., September 2, 2008
This review is from: This Year's Model (Paperback)
In this fun new novel the reader gets to experience the outrageous world of professional modelling through the eyes of newly discovered model Melody Ann Croft.
Melody is just a normal kid from New Jersey, working as a waitress during her last summer before going away to college. Then one night a professional photographer happens to have dinner at the restaurant where she works. He thinks she has potential and gives her some contacts which turn out to be top modelling agencies in Manhattan.
After some indecision she decides that she has nothing to lose and calls some of the numbers on the card. The photographer's name is enough to get her interviews at several top agencies. The first one she visits immediately snaps her up, they think that she has "it", that elusive quality that means success. She is immediately thrust into the competitive and frantic world of professional modelling.
It's an eye opening experience. There are ugly sides to the new world that she finds herself in. She has to lose weight, of course, and it is difficult to maintain the waif like appearance that is demanded by most clients. The other models are fiercely competitive and some are downright mean. Then there is the ever present drug use. Melody is a strong girl with a solid middle class upbringing, so she is grounded and able to resist the temptations around her, but she still learns some difficult lessons.
Supermodel Carol Alt has written a fast-paced, fun novel that gives the regular person a peek into the inner workings of an industry that most of us will never experience. I know that I'll never look at a glossy fashion advertisement the same way again!
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Carol Alt finds a new career as an author, August 26, 2008
This review is from: This Year's Model (Paperback)
It's that classic story - fashion photographer discovers a new face waitressing in a small town, and that girl is soon propelled into the modeling world and seemingly imminent super stardom.
Mac didn't take it seriously when the odd man at table eight insisted she had what it takes, but she pocketed his card anyway, never really meaning to follow up on his suggestion to contact modeling agencies about work.
But her world soon changes, and the promise of fast and easy money to fund her college aspirations is a heady enticement. She soon finds herself scuttling back and forth between go-sees in New York and waiting tables in New Jersey. It isn't long before her look garners attention from those who count, and she starts navigating the murky waters of high fashion rather than beating the streets of New York City.
Write what you know. That's what they say, and Carol Alt has certainly taken this to heart in her new fictional book, THIS YEAR'S MODEL. With the character of Melody Ann Croft aka `Mac' Croft, Alt immerses us neck deep in the glamorous yet often brutal world of the fashion industry, making us feel as if we are experiencing every step with the young model.
We watch as Mac is discovered by the modeling world, soon finding herself thrust into the limelight almost before she realizes it. The promise of success as a high-fashion model, with the requisite fat paycheck, is a lure she finds hard to resist, even if it means forgoing her dreams of attending college.
But her new career is not without its pitfalls. Suddenly Mac finds that her athletic figure is too heavy for the camera, and she practically starves herself to lose that extra fifteen pounds. She tries to make real connections with friends and a possible romantic interest along the way, and finds those relationships fraught with numerous industry-related problems, including drugs, backstabbing, and cheating.
Can Mac succeed as a fashion model without losing herself? That's the real question, and one we only begin to explore in THIS YEAR'S MODEL. This book chronicles only the very beginning of Mac's journey, one I expect will continue in Ms. Alt's next release, NEXT YEAR'S MODEL. I am very much looking forward to following Mac's journey in future stories.
**Courtesy of Wild on Books**
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Enchanting Review: This Year's Model, September 21, 2008
This review is from: This Year's Model (Paperback)
THIS YEAR'S MODEL
CAROL ALT
Rating: 4.5 Enchantments
Melody Ann Croft finds the guy she's waiting on at table eight to be unnerving, what with the way he keeps complimenting her, like he thinks she should be on the menu. But when his meal's done and he hands her a card, telling her to call the modeling agencies and drop his name, she can't imagine the sudden twist her life's about to take.
Within the course of a few months her life is barely recognizable. The eighteen year old Melody is now 'Mac', and she's spending more time in the city than at home with her family. Her days are filled with go-sees, photo shoots and rare down time spent at the local tea shop, hanging out with Jade and her crush in newcomer male model, Duncan Shiloh. From her newfound jet setting model ways to walking the runways for Fashion Week in New York and Milan for some of the hottest designers, her dreams of a scholarship to Penn state gets put on the backburner as she pursues her newfound dream of modeling. The only stable thing in her life is her at times awkward friendship with fellow model, Jade, who is not only Mac's best friend but at times, her competition as well.
I really enjoyed THIS YEAR'S MODEL and the set up of Mac flashing back to how she ended up on the cover of the swimsuit issue of S.I. Mac's journey from a small town waitress to one of the fashion world's rising stars. I think my favorite part of the book was Mac herself, how she didn't let anyone walk all over her or push her into doing something she really didn't want to do, even if her booker was telling her to just do it and let it go. I also enjoyed the unusual friendship between Mac and Jade. The ending while not entirely surprising given Jade's behavior throughout the book, is a great set up to see where Ms. Alt takes Mac and co in the next book in the series. Readers apt for a behind the scenes look into the NYC model scene won't want to miss this debut!
Ms. Alt pens an interesting behind the scenes glimpse into the life of a "Supe" model in the making in THIS YEAR'S MODEL, her first fiction novel. The sequel is due out next year. You can visit her online at www.carolalt.com
Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
September 2008
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