True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet [Hardcover]

Lola Douglas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 3, 2005

Teen star Morgan Carter’s mom is trying to kill her. At least, that’s what Morgan thinks when she’s sent to Ft.Wayne, Indiana after a near overdose outside LA’s Viper Room.

Morgan’s going to recover out of the spotlight.Way out. She’s given a major make-under, a new name, and a completely different identity. Morgan’s plan? To write a tell-all book about her experience and stage a comeback. But when this LA girl finds love and a new life in Middle America, will she abandon it for another shot at superstardom?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up–This tell-all journal-style story is nearly as amusing and compelling as Meg Cabot's Princess Diaries and Louise Rennison's Georgia Nicolson series (both HarperCollins), but the subject matter and language are for a more mature audience. Morgan Carter, Hollywood child-star-rehab-has-been, is sent to Fort Wayne, IN. In the guise of Claudia Miller, high school junior transfer student, she is in the custody of a recently divorced, close family friend. Morgan/Claudia's journal entries slowly reveal the painful details of her life: hitting rock-bottom after nearly dying from a drug overdose, rehab in a cushy facility, and being raped by a costar. Her banishment is intended to provide time and space for her to stay clean and sober to lead up to a triumphant comeback. Struggling with school life, she meets a somewhat geeky, yet likable group of students. She also learns how to shop, dress, and act like a normal teenager. As Morgan's feelings for her new friends grow, she finds herself having to keep careful note of who knows what–fact or fiction–about her prior life. At times, Morgan's mind and voice seem too adult–even considering a Hollywood upbringing. Not all teen readers will get the irony and movie references, but this engaging read with a promised sequel will be popular nonetheless.–Suzanne Gordon, Richards Middle School, Lawrenceville, GA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

This unpredictable tome is pure enjoyment. -- Romantic Times Book Club --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Razorbill (November 3, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595140352
• ISBN-13: 978-1595140357
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,496,701 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

When she was five, Lola Douglas wanted to be an actress like her then-hero, Drew Barrymore. Instead, she became a supermarket checkout girl, a video store clerk, an administrative assistant, a features reporter and a textbook development editor before deciding that writing teen novels was her real forte. Lola has lived in seven of our great United States, including Indiana, and says that during her five-and-a-half month stint in Fort Wayne no one ever forced her to see the movie HOOSIERS. She was, however, coaxed into auditioning for a part as an extra in a Neil LaBute film (YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS, to be exact), but was rejected during the first round. When not watching too much reality television, reading GAWKER, or obsessing over all things Marc Jacobs, Lola can be found working on the next installment in the saga of Morgan Carter, due out in November 2006. To this day, she remains fascinated with Drew Barrymore.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Trading in the Hollywood lifestyle for something a little more ordinary..., November 17, 2005

By 

Teenreads.com (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet (Hardcover)

Alcohol, drugs, contracts, and Stephen Soderbergh are just an everyday part of teen movie star Morgan Carter's life. She has grown up among the rich and famous and can party with the best of them. Or the worst, as the case may be. When too much partying leads her to six months in rehab and endangers her career, Morgan's manager comes up with a plan that she likes to refer to as the "Witless Protection Program."

For a year, Morgan will call herself Claudia Miller, dress herself in Gap jeans and Target t-shirts, and live as a painfully average high school student in Fort Wayne, Indiana. No more Marc Jacobs clothing. No cell phone. NA meetings instead of parties. She'll attend classes with teachers who give her D's. She'll suffer through gym class volleyball. She'll have to make new friends, which definitely is not as easy as Hollywood makes it look.

Oddly enough, she kind of likes it.

Amid high-fat food and snow in October is a boy Morgan can trust, if she'll let herself. He is a class leader with a secret addiction to Dance Dance Revolution, the pride of doing charity work, and a lot of Midwestern charm. In abandoning Caesar salads for Scooby snacks, Morgan is able to think about who she really is and what she wants to do for the first time in her life. But what is she going to do when the year is over?

Ignore what the media says about her. Morgan is charming (even when she's obnoxious), witty, fun, and most importantly, a multifaceted person who has to overcome a lot of garbage in her life. Meg Cabot fans, this is the book to pick up while you're waiting for the next Princess Diaries installment.

A sequel to TRUE CONFESSIONS OF A HOLLYWOOD STARLET is planned for Fall 2006, and will be much anticipated.

--- Reviewed by Carlie Webber

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 5 stars and Up, February 21, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet (Hardcover)

This book is probably one of my favorites. It doesn't lie and pretend that childhood is all great for movie stars (or anyone) and shows that no matter how bad you're situation is, you can ALWAYS survive and come out even better than before. I'd recommend this book to anyone but especially teenage girls who always wish that they can be a 'starlet' because it will make their ideas more realistic and make them appreciate what they have. Besides being an amazingly inspirational book, it was funny, true, interesting and basically anything else that means GREAT!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, May 1, 2006

By 

Tina "Tina" (Montreal, Quebec) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet (Hardcover)

I am an adult who loves good teen fiction. Unfortunately, they did not have these wonderful choices when I was a teen. Making it up for it now though...

The story of a 17 year old Hollywood star who gets pulled out of the limelight and sent into middle america in order to help with her drug and alcohol recovery is absolutely excellent.

The writing is smart, quick and funny when it needs to be. I enjoyed all of the characters who are portrayed as regular people with their faults and qualities.

This book was an absolute treat and I am looking forward to the next in this series.

Buy it.