Select one of the keywords
Secrets of My Hollywood Life    by Jen Calomita Amazon.com order for
Secrets of My Hollywood Life
by Jen Calomita
Order:  USA  Can
Little, Brown & Co., 2006 (2006)
Hardcover
* *   Reviewed by Hilary Williamson

Kaitlin Burke is a hot young star, 'America's newest sweetheart' according to her publicist. Kaitlin costars with Sky Mackenzie in Family Affair - she plays the goody two shoes while her sitcom sister is the bad seed of the TV siblings. Kaitlin narrates Secrets of My Hollywood Life, first in a new soap opera series about this rising soap star.

Since Kaitlin was voted 'the most popular teen in prime time', vicious rumors have been spreading about her in the tabloids; she's sure a jealous Sky started them, and longs for downtime in the real world. So she disguises herself via a major downgrade and goes undercover as an ordinary high school student at Clark Hall, where her non-celeb kickboxing best friend Liz is also a student.

At school, a dowdier Kaitlin (now Rachel) is first annoyed and then attracted by lacrosse team captain Austin (they share a passion for pizza and Star Wars). Unfortunately, his girlfriend Lori is a Sky personality-clone who has it in for Rachel, especially after Austin breaks up with her. Complications layer, culminating in a school celebrity-theme dance, which Rachel attends disguised as - wait for it - Kaitlin.

Of course, Kaitlin is outed. Things fall apart, but our young heroine pulls a rabbit from the hat with help from all her entourage of family and friends. Along the way she learns that she loves her job, and that though those close to her drive her crazy, they also have her back when it counts. Kaitlin shares Hollywood Secrets with readers, closing with Number Nineteen: 'you've got to have two lives - one in front of the camera, and one behind it.'

Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons.

Find more Teens books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews