Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby
YA Fiction, Published February 28, 2012
Read: March 2012, 272 pp.
Challenges: Debut Author Challenge 2012, NetGalley Challenge 2012
3/5 STARS
Book Blurb:
Behind the flashing lights, the camera reveals all . . . even love.
Meet Josephine Foster, or Zo Jo as she’s called in the biz. The best pint-sized photographer of them all, Jo doesn’t mind doing what it takes to get that perfect shot, until she’s sent on an undercover assignment to shoot Ned Hartnett—teen superstar and the only celebrity who’s ever been kind to her—at an exclusive rehabilitation retreat in Boston. The money will be enough to pay for Jo’s dream: real photography classes, and maybe even quitting her paparazzi gig for good. Everyone wants to know what Ned’s in for. But Jo certainly doesn’t know what she’s in for: falling in love with Ned was never supposed to be part of her assignment.
Thoughts:
Shooting Stars is a cute twist on today’s public obsession with celebrities and their latest photo op – especially the bad pics. Hey, you know it’s true! We all want to know the truth behind the glitz and when the paparazzi snap the most unattractive photo, we’re often glad to see they’re more like us – the regular folk – than they often like to admit.
Jo is the daughter of a known paparazzo and he wants her to follow in his footsteps. Since she is so young and small for her age, she can often slip by security unseen and get some good shots. When she is offered $50,000 to follow a known teen pop star, Ned Hartnett, into a rehab facility, she takes the chance for the money to further her education. (With the celebrity name Ned Hartnett, I was constantly thinking of the movie Win a Date with Ted Hamilton!) What Jo wasn’t expecting was to fall for the guy and let her emotions get in the way of her job. Then when her time with Ned is almost up, a secret that would get her a mega bonus check is revealed. Will Jo follow her heart or take the money and run?
I enjoyed the concept and think younger readers would really enjoy this read. I liked Jo’s sense of humor and all her “rehab” friends.
Quotes:
Surprisingly enough, I sleep okay for someone who’s being paid thousands of dollars per day and is not doing her job.
Thanks to NetGalley and Walker Children’s Books/Bloomsbury Children’s Books for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
