Title: L.A. Candy
Author: Lauren Conrad
Publisher: HarperCollins
Year: 2009
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 336
"Los Angeles is all about the sweet life: hot clubs, cute guys, designer . . .everything. Nineteen-year-old Jane Roberts can't wait to start living it up. She may be in L.A. for an internship, but Jane plans to play as hard as she works, and has enlisted her BFF Scarlett to join in the fun.
When Jane and Scarlett are approached by a producer who wants them to be on his new series, a "reality version of Sex and the City," they can hardly believe their luck. Their own show? Yes, please!
Soon Jane is TV's hottest star. Fame brings more than she ever imagined possible for a girl from Santa Barbara—free designer clothes, the choicest tables at the most exclusive clubs, invites to Hollywood premieres—and she's lapping up the VIP treatment with her eclectic entourage of new pals. But those same friends who are always up for a wild night are also out for a piece of Jane's spotlight.
In a city filled with people chasing after their dreams, it's not long before Jane wakes up to the reality that everyone wants something from her, and nothing is what it seems to be.
L.A. Candy is a deliciously entertaining novel about what it's like to come of age in Hollywood while starring in a reality TV show, written by a girl who has experienced it all firsthand: Lauren Conrad."
I read this book when it first came out last summer and I absolutely loved it! The Hills was one of my favorite shows at the time and Lauren was my favorite person on it. Sure, a lot of it may have been staged, yada yada yada! But I thought it was so interesting being able to look into someone else's life, especially when they lived such a different life then the one I live.
Although I loved the show and really liked Lauren, when I found out she was writing a book, I was a little apprehensive about reading it. It really bothers me when people use their fame to get famous in other areas, like how every Disney Channel star has to have an album. I was afraid that if I read her book I would be really disappointed. But despite my fears, I read it anyways. It completely surpassed my expectations.
The plot was very well thought out and none of the characters were under-developed. Sure, it was very, very similar to some of the things that happened on The Hills, but Lauren found a way to make it a little different and threw her own spin on things. A lot of people gave her crap for writing something so close to her own life, but hey, some of the best stories come from what you know, right?
This book was about two best friends, Jane and Scarlett, who move to LA after high school. One night they decide to go to a club to experience typical LA life. After waiting in line for what seemed like forever they finally got in and ended up being spotted by a TV producer who asked them if they would want to audition for a reality show. Jane was all for it, Scarlett, not so much, but they went to the auditions anyways and ended up being chosen along with two other girls (Madison and Gabi) to be on the show. They were suddenly in the spotlight with all of the glitz and glamour that fame provides.
Life was amazing for the girls, but being famous has it's downsides. They soon realize that being famous allows no privacy and trusting the people around you becomes all the more difficult. When Jane gets in over her head with her new boyfriend Jesse (and his best friend Braden), things get really messy fast.
I honestly couldn't put this book down, it was that good.
L.A. Candy ended with quite the cliffhanger and I knew that there had to be another book coming soon. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.
Title: Sweet Little Lies
Author: Lauren Conrad
Publisher: HarperCollins
Year: 2010
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 309
Plot (from cover):
"Jane Roberts was the average girl next door until she and her best friend, Scarlett Harp, landed their own reality show, L.A. Candy. Now the girls have an all-access pass to Hollywood's hottest everything. But their's more to life on camera than just parties and shopping...
When racy photos of Jane are leaked to the press, she finds herself at the center of a tabloid scandal. She turns to her costar Madison Parker for help, unaware that Madison is scheming behind the scenes. She might be Jane's shoulder to cry on, but does Madison really have Jane's back?
Scarlett's working on a scandal of her own. She's fallen for someone who's strictly off limits - which means Scarlett has a big secret to keep... from the L.A. Candy cameras, the paparazzi staking out her apartment, even from her best friend.
Of course, nothing stays secret for long for the stars of the newest hit TV series, and all this drama couldn't be better for ratings. But can Jane survive another season in the spotlight?"
The second book in Lauren Conrad's trilogy was just as good as the first. I loved this book just as much as L.A. Candy! Despite being about young Hollywood starlets, this book was very relatable. It was all about friendships, trust, relationships, learning to live with what's dished out to you, and making the most out of every situation despite the odds.
The relationship between Jane and her best friend Scarlett takes a turn for the worst in this book, and amid all the chaos and confusion that fame brings, the girls take a journey that they never thought they would have to take.
It was really interesting to see how each character changed with the sudden stardom. It made me realize how hard it would be to hold on to who you are while the whole world is watching your every move. Especially when what's on camera can be so easily manipulated into what the TV producers want, making someone as brutally honest and hard as Scarlett look like the sweet and innocent, quiet type.
This book was all about focusing on what really matters, not worrying about what others think of you, and following your heart.
I would definitely recommend these books! Especially if you watched The Hills; I found it very entertaining to pick out which characters in the book were based off of other characters in the show.
On a side note, L.A. Candy is going to be made into a movie and should be coming to theaters in 2012! (You know a books got to be good when they put it on the silver screen!) Also, her third and final book in the L.A. Candy series, Sugar and Spice, should be coming out this August!
My Grade: A
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Next week!
I read this book and I loved it as well (the Husby made fun of me the whole time). It was kind of a guilt pleasure for me because usually I read non-fiction. I think it's even better when you are a fan of The Hills. I haven't read the second book though and so I am glad you said it was just as good. I might just check it out.
ReplyDeleteHmm, maybe I'll try this out since you liked it so much.
ReplyDelete