Began reading: 2.11.2016
Completed reading: 24.11.2016
Overall rating: 3 stars
Actress Lizzie Pepper was America's Girl Next Door and her marriage to Hollywood mega-star Rob Mars was tabloid gold - a whirlwind romance and an elaborate celebrity-studded wedding landed them on the cover of every celebrity weekly. But fame, beauty and wealth weren't enough to keep their marriage together. Hollywood's 'It' couple are over - and now Lizzie is going to tell her side of the story.
Celebrity ghostwriter Hilary Liftin chronicles the tabloids' favourite marriage as Lizzie Pepper realises that, when the curtain falls, her romance isn't what she and everyone else thought. From her lonely holidays in sumptuous villas to her husband's deep commitment to a disconcertingly repressive mind-body group, Lizzie reveals a side of fame that her fans never get to see.
Movie Star by Lizzie Pepper by Hilary Liftin is a contemporary chick lit fiction novel. It took me a while to read, as I found the plot to be unrelatable. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed reading the drama, but it’s not easy to picture.
The book had grammatical errors, but was otherwise well-written. The situations and plot in general was very detailed, which made it easier to imagine. The appearance of characters, personalities and locations within the novel were described in great detail, which was a good thing. There were also some great quotes scattered through the book, including:
We are all human, complex and simple, great and small. This is a story about the choices that we each make every day, and how those choices make us who we are (p. xiii).
Diamonds hid their colours like secrets, ready to spill at the smallest provocation. They contain and reflect. They absorb their surroundings and throw them back, transformed (p. 40).
‘We’re artists, yet we get treated like the paint on someone else’s canvas’ (p. 121).
More quotes from the book can be found here.
Everyone loves a good plot twist, so when I came across the one involving Rob’s dialogue, I was instantly compelled to keep reading. It was a shock, and the way that Lizzie reacted (or didn’t react) made the plot even more interesting. Other plot twists, especially with Geoff and the Studio, also kept me on the edge of my seat. Without these juicy plot twists, I don’t think I would have finished the novel.
Speaking of the plot, it was unique and insightful. I found that it was very similar to the blurb of Amy Sohn’s The Actress, but you don’t come across books about celebrity marriages very often. The book provided a great deal of information about the life of a celebrity and religion. Furthermore, it was interesting to read about how the various characters developed and responded to the celebrity lifestyle and Lizzie’s involvement with the Studio. The only issue that I had with it was that it was unrelatable. I have had no experience with being a celebrity, nor have I been involved in a ‘cult-like’ religion, so I can’t really relate. Because of this, I had to relate to the feelings that arose from characters’ experiences.
It was obvious that Liftin had done an extensive amount of research into celebrity life, and this was demonstrated through Lizzie’s character. Through Lizzie, we saw what it was like to be famous – dealing with paparazzi, constantly being watched – while juggling mother duties. I assume that it would have taken a lot of research to understand what is involved with having an acting career.
While I found the first three parts of the novel to be pleasant, the final part: ‘Daylight’ was the most fascinating. This part of the book was very suspenseful, as it provided details into how Lizzie broke away from her celebrity life and the Studio, while also showing how the other characters turned out.
There were no plot holes or questions left unanswered, which was really good. I thought that I would be left wondering what happened to Rob or Meg, but I’m glad that Liftin addresses them in the end.
My favourite character was Lizzie Pepper, as she was courageous, a ‘dreamer’, realistic and down-to-earth. I felt a little connected to Lizzie, especially as we saw the world through her eyes. Meg was a notable character, as she remained a devoted friend to Lizzie through it all. Cap and Leo were so adorable, so they needed to be mentioned here.
As I mentioned previously, the plot twist with Rob was the most shocking, but I was surprised when I found that I had a similar experience as Lizzie with her dad. In the book, Doug Pepper confronted Lizzie’s teacher, wanting an explanation for her average performance. I had a similar experience in high school, when my dad demanded that I see my teachers, apologise for my average performance, and get them to sign off that they spoke to me. It was humiliating, but glad that I could relate to Lizzie in this way.
My favourite part was anything with Cap and Leo, as they were SO ADORABLE! Cap was the cutest, while Leo was the crazier one. I loved reading about their interactions, especially fighting over Lizzie’s phone. They were just so cute!
Recommendation time! If you like Louisa Meets Bear: Linked Stories by Lisa Gornick, Daughters of Fortune by Tara Hyland, Friends and Rivals by Tilly Bagshawe, Searching For Grace Kelly by Michael Callahan, The Actress by Amy Sohn, and The Idea of Him: A Novel by Holly Peterson, you will love this book. Also, I recommend this book to anyone who likes Papillon, Grace of Monaco, and La Vie en Rose.
Happy reading!
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