A high-toned, serious biography of an enduring icon, an appropriate choice for the Pop Culture Legends series. Sprinkling her account with phrases such as ``one version claims'' and ``there is some speculation that,'' Lefkowitz treats the lore that has grown up around Monroe's life with skepticism, painting a respectful picture of a woman who was ambitious but not conniving, serious about improving her acting skills but hampered by a severe lack of self-esteem. Giving Monroe's public and private lives roughly equal weight, and being specific about her parents, unsettled youth, salary, and other details, the author sees her subject as a whole person: On one hand, she is dependent on a series of manipulative coaches and doctors; on the other, she battles the studios for more challenging roles and liberates herself from the old, exploitative contract system. If the book's drab page design and muddy black-and-white photos seem calculated to keep readers away, the evenhanded, perceptive treatment will reward the persistent with a glimpse behind the glamorous image. (bibliography, filmography, chronology, index) (Biography. 12+)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1995
ISBN: 0-7910-2342-7
Page Count: 128
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1995
An absorbing, well-drawn read about a meaningful friendship and growing passion.
Sloane McKinney finds herself unexpectedly filming a teen reality dating show, vying for the affection of a popular actor while questioning her changing feelings for her best friend, Liam Daniels.
It’s the summer before her senior year, and Sloane is leaving Knoxville, Tennessee, to spend the break with Liam and his TV producer father at their home in Los Angeles. Eager to fill an empty slot on his newest reality dating project, Liam’s father bribes Sloane with assistance getting into a screenwriting program if she participates—and makes it into the top four out of the 25 contestants. She agrees but finds herself confused about her feelings for Liam, who is on set as a production assistant, when she should be vying for the attention of handsome actor Aspen Woods, the star of Aspen Woods’s Future Leading Lady or AWFLL, as Liam likes to think of it. Each chapter alternates between Sloane’s and Liam’s first-person perspectives. The attraction between the two simmers in just the right way, and the scenes showing their genuine connection and interest in each other are highlights of the book. Some events are a bit hard to believe, but readers won’t get too hung up on these plot points. The star of this story is Sloane and Liam’s deep friendship and budding romance. Central characters are presumed White.
An absorbing, well-drawn read about a meaningful friendship and growing passion. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-48370-1
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A well-intentioned project whose earnest messages of empathy and equality fall short in execution.
A timely, speculative thought experiment in perspective, privilege, and identity.
Ash Bowman is a White, heterosexual boy who doesn’t think too deeply about the plights of others. That is, until a jarring football injury shifts him into a parallel universe. At first, the changes to Ash’s world are small: Stop signs are blue, not red, for example. Then, with every tackle, Ash transports himself into a new reality, and the changes become much more pronounced. Characters change gender, social class status, sexuality, or even live in a world where racial segregation still exists. These changes in perspective prompt Ash to cultivate a greater sense of empathy and urgency regarding the suffering of others. But as reality becomes increasingly unstable, he must set the world back to rights. Ash is a clever, sincere narrator, and his journey of self-discovery is well-paced with solid twists at nearly every chapter’s end. But the project ultimately attempts to tackle too much, covering abuse, racism, homophobia, misogyny, class privilege, and more; this leads to little time and nuance dedicated to each. Unlike in real life, characters typically possess a single marginalized identity, and the interplay between struggles for progress in different areas is not explored, oversimplifying matters. The joys of queer love are shown, but experiences of being female or Black are largely presented in terms of oppression. Additionally, characters from marginalized populations are generally used for Ash’s own character development.
A well-intentioned project whose earnest messages of empathy and equality fall short in execution. (Science fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 9, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-199867-6
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2020
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