A realistic and absorbing look at a teen celebrity’s struggle with the pressures of success.
A fledgling pop star’s new fame brings difficult challenges in this YA sequel.
Readers familiar with Rising Star (2020), Kwasniewski’s series opener, won’t be surprised that whereas the first volume traced 15-year-old Dani Truehart’s eventful journey to stardom, Book 2 explores the problems she faces as a celebrity as she turns 16. This chapter in Dani’s life begins on a hopeful note. The singer is reconnecting with her loving grandmother; finally reaching the point of no return with her hypercritical, money-hungry, manipulative mother; and recording her first full-length album following the huge, international success of her singles. Martin Fox, her mentor and official guardian, continues to be protective and supportive; her manager, Jenner Redman, appears to have her best career interests in mind; and Dani and her high school sweetheart, Sean, are still in love. She wears the letterman jacket he gave her at every opportunity. But despite her triumphs, Dani’s attitude wavers between the self-doubts that have haunted her from the beginning (“Am I enough? What if I can’t match the hype?”) and her increasingly self-absorbed, diva-ish responses to her glitzy, new world. When Dani embarks as the headliner on her first national tour, she wrestles with the pleasures and constant pressures of road travel, rehearsals, performances, and interviews while becoming a public commodity for her exploding fan base. As in Book 1, the author gives Dani a relatable dimension in the sequel. This time, her conflicting emotions and the temptations of stardom lead her to bursts of anger, reckless behavior, and, finally, just before a major crisis (that must wait for resolution in the next installment of the series), to a shocking, self-protective act of betrayal. At the same time, Kwasniewski treats readers to an insider’s look at a pop singer’s life, describing in lavish detail the designer fashions Dani wears and her elaborate onstage hair, makeup, costumes, choreography, lighting, instrumentation, and vocals as well as the unglamorous side of tour bus travel and the seductive positives and disturbing negatives of fans and social media.
A realistic and absorbing look at a teen celebrity’s struggle with the pressures of success.Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-950544-34-9
Page Count: 294
Publisher: Rand-Smith LLC
Review Posted Online: April 28, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A book that seamlessly brings readers along on a journey of impact and empowerment.
A manifesto for budding feminists.
At the core of this engaging novel are besties Chelsea, who is Irish- and Italian-American and into fashion and beauty, and Jasmine, who is African-American, loves the theater, and pushes back against bias around size (“I don’t need your fake compliments, your pity. I know I’m beautiful. Inside and out”). They and their sidekicks, half-Japanese/half-Lebanese Nadine and Puerto Rican Isaac, grow into first-class activists—simultaneously educating their peers and readers. The year gets off to a rocky start at their progressive, social justice–oriented New York City high school: Along with the usual angst many students experience, Jasmine’s father is terminally ill with cancer, and after things go badly in both their clubs, Jasmine and Chelsea form a women’s rights club which becomes the catalyst for their growth as they explore gender inequality and opportunities for change. This is an inspiring look at two strong-willed teens growing into even stronger young women ready to use their voices and take on the world, imploring budding feminists everywhere to “join the revolution.” The book offers a poetic balance of dialogue among the main characters, their peers, and the adults in their lives. The exquisite pacing, which intersperses everyday teen conflicts with weightier issues, demonstrates how teens long to be heard and taken seriously.
A book that seamlessly brings readers along on a journey of impact and empowerment. (resources for young activists, endnotes) (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Feb. 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0008-3
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2019
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
Black is back with another dark tale of Faerie, this one set in Faerie and launching a new trilogy.
Jude—broken, rebuilt, fueled by anger and a sense of powerlessness—has never recovered from watching her adoptive Faerie father murder her parents. Human Jude (whose brown hair curls and whose skin color is never described) both hates and loves Madoc, whose murderous nature is true to his Faerie self and who in his way loves her. Brought up among the Gentry, Jude has never felt at ease, but after a decade, Faerie has become her home despite the constant peril. Black’s latest looks at nature and nurture and spins a tale of court intrigue, bloodshed, and a truly messed-up relationship that might be the saving of Jude and the titular prince, who, like Jude, has been shaped by the cruelties of others. Fierce and observant Jude is utterly unaware of the currents that swirl around her. She fights, plots, even murders enemies, but she must also navigate her relationship with her complex family (human, Faerie, and mixed). This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life.
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-31027-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
