Girl Stays in the Picture by Melissa de la Cruz

Title: Girl Stays in the Picture
Author: Melissa de la Cruz
ISBN: 9781416960966
Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Summary:
"If you can't be a mega teen superstar sensation, then maybe you'll be lucky enough to join the entourage.

devon - one name only, please - is the latest and jail-bait-est pop star to hit number one on the Billboard chart, and she's making her big-screen debut in Juicy. But after her stint in rehab, the studio isn't so sure she's their girl anymore. If they cut anymore of her lines, she'll be a silent film actress! Can Devon regain her star status? She needs to watch her back and make sure that flash doesn't catch her causing a scene, and we don't mean the kind you can yell "Cut!" after.

livia has lost the weight and gained the attitude in the Hollywood party scene. Her dad's an Oscar-winning producer, and with a hot Beverly Hills boyfriend on her arm as well as her photos all over the pages of Gosizzle.com, Livia looks like she has a perfect life. But looks can be perfectly deceiving...

And there's fresh-faced casey, who left a job bagging groceries at the Piggly Wiggly to play personal assistant to her best friend... and Devon's rival. she's got the biggest crush on the biggest star of the film - a hot Brit known for loving and leaving. Will Casey stay true to herself while trying to find a place in his universe?

Stars. They're just like us. But what does that mean for the rest of us? Stay tuned, people."
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First Lines:

"As far as Devon was concerned, there was only one way to arrive in Saint-Tropez: on board a magnificent seventy-five-foot yacht. She didn't become the most famous sixteen-year-old in the world by playing wallflower."
Page 7
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Review:

There's something so light and easy when chick lit is done right - even when it's over 400 pages long. I've enjoyed de la Cruz's other series... specifically Blue Bloods. I got into that one from the beginning, so I haven't jumped in on her others. But I really love her writing style. I know that some people have said that there is a lot of name/label dropping and such... which there is... but the story would seem very empty without it (I think).

One thing I really liked about this book was the story being told by a few varying perspectives. The story is about these three girls who find unlikely friendship and love through a summer of movie-making madness. Having the voice of each girl gives the story a bit of depth and interest that might not be there otherwise. The locations in this book are also fabulous. You can almost picture yourself on beautiful beaches and gorgeous views. Perhaps this book might be best read on the beach :).

The ending was a little shocking. You spend the last part of the book really wrapping things up - just like they are wrapping up the movie. Friendships solidify, relationships end/get more series, etc. It all makes sense until you're tossed the cliffhanger in the last few pages. It's almost as if someone said, "you gotta leave them wishing for the next book!" and this was thrown in at the end. It's a little abrupt. Do I want to read the next book? Well, yes... I just didn't like how I was introduced to it.

I will repeat a lot of people in saying that girls who are into the Gossip Girl series or Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants will love this book. I would also hazard a guess that if you like her other chick lit series', you'll probably love this one. I'll be recommending it, for sure. It's a lot of fun and gives you some insight into the lives of the elite.

Melissa de la Cruz's website has lots of info on upcoming projects (mostly Blue Bloods). Perhaps we should questions why there's not another Girl novel on deck!
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Other Blog Reviews:

Kiss the Book
Teenreads.com
Pop Culture Junkie
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Young Adult Books Central
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