Melody Carlson
Zondervan (2010)
ISBN 9780310717867
Reviewed by Theresa La (age 16) for Reader Views (08/10)
The O.C., The Hills, The Real Housewife of Orange County, these are all popular T.V. shows about life in Southern California, specifically, Orange County and Los Angeles. When anyone thinks of Los Angeles, they almost immediately think Hollywood, fame, glitz and glamour. This story takes the reader on a journey, following the story of two girls who are trying to get their own television show about fashion. Paige and Erin Forrester are two sisters who have grown up in the television industry. Both of their parents work for Channel 5 news. However, their dad, who was a news anchor for the Channel 5 Evening News has just passed away.
Paige is the older of the two sisters and is the outgoing and fashion forward sister. She knows everything that there is to know about fashion and greatly enjoys giving what she calls “fashion interventions” to people whom she thinks needs help with their sense of style. Erin is the younger of the two sisters and does not have the same knowledge and know-how of fashion as her sister does. Instead, she is more comfortable behind the scenes and is going to UCLA film school. Due to a television mishap, both sisters are given an opportunity of make it big in Hollywood. Both sisters are thrown into a world they thought they knew about but actually don’t know about at all.
Premiere! This word was perfect for the title of the first novel in this series. I thought that it was a brilliant idea because this book is about the premiere of a brand new television show. I was very excited to read this when I first got the book. I like how the cover was seats, as if they were waiting for the show to begin and that was what I was doing when I saw the cover. I was waiting for the story to start. My favorite part about this story is how different Paige and Erin are. I like how Erin was like any random person that you could find walking the streets of Orange County or L.A. I like that Melody was able to incorporate religion and make Erin a person that was grounded and not a prima donna like her sister and many of the characters in this genre.
The way in which the author presents her story is amazing, but I would have liked to see a more equal balance of genders. While there were male characters, I think that they should have had more of a role in the story. It would also help the story if Paige was less of a prima donna, because that can be a big turn-off for many readers, but the prima donna attitude is a major part in having Paige become a successful character. Erin should also play a bigger role, because many time throughout the story, I felt that Erin was only there because her sister could be a wild creature and that Erin was needed to keep her in control. However, I thought that it was a great idea to have the two sisters with contrasting personalities to keep the story diverse and be open to more readers.
This book is perfect for anyone who enjoys other series such as the IT Girl, or Gossip Girl or who enjoy watching the Hills, etc. I greatly enjoyed reading this books and I was immediately hooked into the story from the beginning. I did not stop reading until the book was finished. I am looking forward to reading more about Paige’s and Erin’s story! “Premiere” was a masterful combination of Hollywood and reality.
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