When You Wish [Hardcover]

Kristin Harmel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 12, 2008

Star Beck is super-duper megastar famous. She rocks–literally–every night in concert for thousands of cheering fans. But the pop star life–tour buses, fauxmances, size 0 minis–is getting a little old. Star can’t help wondering what it would be like to be a regular girl–without paparazzi trailing her every move, and without people being nice just because, well, she’s Star Beck. And when she discovers that her mom has been lying to her for years about something very important, Star decides to find out what the world beyond her stage is like after all.
In the blink of an emerald green eye, Star finds herself . . . buying a car. Eating cheeseburgers. Swapping her stilettos for flip-flops. Getting a job that doesn’t require dancing, winking, or mall appearances. And falling for the cutest, realest boy she’s ever met. But how will she know if he feels the same way? Because for once in her life, someone is going to have to like her for who she really is.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7–10—In the spirit of Rachel Cohn's Pop Princess (S & S, 2004), Harmel's first YA novel details 16-year-old sensation Star Beck's search for her estranged father following her mother's betrayal by turning a mother-daughter bonding trip in New York City into just another publicity event. So famous that she is instantly recognizable, the teen gives herself a home haircut and dye job and, thus disguised, travels to Florida by bus and used car in hopes of meeting her father, who left the family when she was three. On her own for the first time, Star takes up residence in a cheap motel, finds a job as a waitress, and develops a relationship with the son of the restaurant's owners. Her mother/manager is a mercenary figure, while her father, whom Star believes is the only parent really interested in her as a person, turns out to be just as corrupt. The author mines familiar territory, providing readers with indulgent details of the protagonist's life as a sought-after pop singer and tempering them with the drawbacks of fame.—Amy S. Pattee, Simmons College, Boston
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

Review, People Magazine, March 3, 2008:
"A teen pop star goes from working red carpets to waitressing in Harmel's first novel for young adults."

Review, Parade, June 22, 2008:
"[T]his entertaining book comes down to earth when Star feels compelled to learn what it's like to be 'normal.'"

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (February 12, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385734751
• ISBN-13: 978-0385734752
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 1 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,924,088 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, February 12, 2008

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: When You Wish (Hardcover)

Most people have the preconceived notion that celebrities have it easy. If you think that, you should go out and get a copy of this book.

Star Beck is famous. She's worshiped by millions of fans, gets an extremely high paycheck, and lives in five-star hotels. But a lot of people seem to think that her life is luxurious, and that she doesn't have a care in the world. While Star's life may have its benefits, it's certainly not easy. She's shuffled from place to place, hardly getting any time to rest. She has to practice her dance moves, watch her calorie intake, and be perfect practically 24/7. She can forget doing anything normal like going to the movies with her friends.

And she's getting sick of the pop star life. So she cuts off and dies her hair, puts on a pair of glasses, and sets off to live a normal life. She actually starts to make real friends and eat fatty foods. She's living a life she never thought would be possible. But, can she keep up her disguise forever, or will someone eventually find out who she really is?

This book was just plain fun. I was hooked as soon as I read the first sentence. Practically everyone's fantasized about living a celebrity life and all the benefits it would entail, but this book was pretty eye-opening on that issue. The celebrity life is a lot harder than it seems on TV!

There are a lot of books about celebrities and people becoming famous, but this one sticks out. Star - despite her name - is just an average, everyday, normal teenager, which makes her quite likable.

Kristin Harmel did an amazing job on her characters, as well as the plot. She never let the book get dull - I was so into the story I didn't realize how fast it was going by. I'm actually pretty sad it's over. Definitely a must read.

Reviewed by: Chelsea Swiggett

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting YA Review: When You Wish, July 4, 2008

By 

Enchanting Reviews "Lisa" - See all my reviews

This review is from: When You Wish (Hardcover)

WHEN YOU WISH
KRISTIN HARMEL


Rating: 4.5 Enchantments

Star Beck seems to have it all; fame, money, a fabulous life. But behind all the make up and P.R. there's one thing Star has always longed for-her father who left her and her mom when she was a little girl.

When given the proof that her father is still out there, thinking about her, something her mother's denied for years, Star decides to go after the one thing she's always wanted. Knowing her overprotective mom/manager would never allow her to go off and meet him, so she decides to take matters into her own hands. And that's where things really get interesting. One self-hair-cut later, she's out the door and on her way to Florida and the address on the envelope, hoping to reunite with the father she doesn't know.

I loved Star's story, so much in fact that I stayed up till three in the morning reading it straight through. Star's a great character, an extremely likeable girl who just happens to be famous. There was so much about this book I loved, especially when Star reaches Florida. On her own for the first time in her life, she's struggling to adapt to her newfound independence and I loved the scene when she checks into the motel and realizes just how far the money she `borrowed' from her mother is going to get her.

Through the course of the story, Star finds out that maybe the illusions she's had about her father are just that-illusions, nothing more, nothing less. And maybe, her mom knew best after all, at least about keeping him out of her life. Star's journey opens her eyes to what's really been going on in her life and what matters most.

WHEN YOU WISH is Ms. Harmel's first young adult novel. Ms. Harmel is also a reporter for PEOPLE magazine. You can visit her online at www.kristinharmel.com


Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
April 2008

5.0 out of 5 stars When You Wish, September 30, 2009

By 

Seanna L. Scheibelhut (South Bend, IN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: When You Wish (Mass Market Paperback)

My daughter loved this book. I had it shipped to her as a gift and she was very grateful.