So Super Starry FROM THE PUBLISHER
Octavia Clairbrook-Cleeve goes to a private school where the girls don't just read celebrity magazines -- they're in them. At Darlinham House, everyone's parent is super-famous, t'ai chi and feng shui are part of the curriculum, and all the girls have names like India, Asia, and Twinkle.
Octavia's got the posh-sounding name and the semi-celeb parents, but she loathes the "Darlings" and all of their superficiality, and to tell you the truth, she doesn't feel all that glamorous...until she meets Alex Withers. He's gorgeous, interested, and he's also the son of a famous rock star. Suddenly Octavia's staying out till all hours of the night with Alex, her closet is full of trendy clothes, and she's appalled to find herself doing favors for her arch-enemy!
Well, it's hard to remain grounded when the A-list girls in school are suddenly being really nice to you, and a great-looking (and possibly different from all the rest?) boy has you feeling pretty for the first time in your life. How's a girl supposed to stay true to herself in the midst of all the superstar treatment?
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
Octavia, the narrator of this entertaining debut novel, is the daughter of a director and a sitcom star and attends an elite school in London "crammed" with celebrities' kids "with the kind of names guaranteed to make the vicar stutter over the baptismal font." She's an outsider there, and "take[s] pride in the fact." But when India Withers, the most popular girl in class, invites Octavia to her 16th birthday party (really, so India can meet Octavia's father), Octavia is surprised that she feels excited. At the party Octavia meets-and kisses-handsome Alexis (aka "Alex"), whom she soon learns is India's older brother. Readers will be intrigued by the novel's premise and will likely get as swept up as Octavia does in her suddenly much-more-glamorous life: chic clothes, late-nights out and a famous boyfriend (a picture of her with Alex even shows up in a celebrity magazine). But India is mean and manipulative, and Alex sends Octavia mixed messages ("Is that what you think I am? Just another spoiled rich kid?" he asks her during one conversation, while soon after he acts exactly like that, being extremely rude to their "long suffering waiter"). Ultimately, Octavia must decide what kind of life she wants to lead. The outcome may be fairly obvious and melodramatic, but overall readers will enjoy watching India and other snobs get their comeuppance. Ages 12-up. (Oct.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Children's Literature - Rosa Roberts
Octavia Clairbook-Cleeve is not the typical teenager attending high school. Her father is a director while her mother is a sit-com star. Octavia—a.k.a. Obelisk and Davy— attends Darlingham House, a private London school for the rich and famous. Octavia is not part of the A-list crowd at Darlingham. That is, until posh India Withers invites her to her sixteenth birthday bash. All of a sudden, Octavia finds herself being a part of the "in" crowd at Darlingham. India's underlying motive for the invitation is so she can meet Octavia's father's new film superstar, Drake. Besides getting the recognition of the popular kids at school, Octavia gets to date Alexis, brother of India and son of a famous rock star. Things do change for Octavia for a period of time but she comes to realize the superficiality of the A-list crowd at school. Her two friends who were with her from the beginning stick by her through her experiences. As the story continues, Octavia questions her identity and does not conform to what others expect—including her mother. Many readers will relate to the angst of acceptance by their peers. This book would be ideal for those readers enamored with the trappings of fame and celebrity. Even though money and fame sound wonderful, the reality is not what it seems—one of the themes in this book. 2004, Dial Books, Ages 12 up.
School Library Journal
Gr 6-8-When 15-year-old Octavia is invited to India's party, she knows it's only so that India can meet Drake, the superstar in her filmmaker father's movie. Both girls attend London's Darlingham House, a school for celebrity offspring. However, while India is the typical "Darling" blonde and the daughter of a rock star, Octavia is six feet tall, doesn't care about status, and sees herself as C-list at best. At the party, India's brother falls for Octavia and she soon finds that she enjoys dressing up, flirting, and going to bars and clubs with him. Her mother, a star in an American sitcom, is thrilled they are dating and appearing in celebrity magazines. Her father, who divorced her mother when he realized he was gay, is amused and cautioning. Eventually, Alex reveals himself to be just as shallow as his sister and her friends. In the end, Octavia, who always disliked her mother's enthusiasm for the superficial, develops a new respect for her. The plot is predictable and time-worn, but Octavia has a fresh and funny voice, and kids will love her attitude about her school: "-most of the people here exhibit the very best that genetic inheritance, cosmetic enhancement, and designer labels can offer." Her two unaffected friends provide a nice counterpoint to all the "Darlings." Chapters are short, making the story a good choice for reluctant readers. Not as lively as Meg Cabot's The Princess Diaries (HarperCollins, 2000), this anti-celebrity book will appeal most to kids who are, ironically, starstruck themselves.-Tina Zubak, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
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