Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson

It's been a long time since I've read a YA book, admittedly, and I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this one. I am happy to say that I found myself completely delighted by this book.

It has just the right mix of drama, intrigue, and quirkiness. It deals with blogging, which for some reason, is always fun to read even in fiction. And of course the subject matter of Hollywood is quite timely. So all of these elements on their own would have made for a great book, but the very best part about this book was the absolute authenticity of Scotty Dawn, the main character.

Our world presents a picture of teenagers as spoiled pleasure seeking brats. While we often see the results of their foolish decisions, we are rarely allowed to glimpse into their hearts and I think this book gives us a glimpse into the heart of an ordinary teenage girl. While not celebrity obsessed in the normal sense, Scotty Dawn has spent her life on film sets and writes an annonymous blog about her feelings on Hollywood. This blog gives her a sense of identity and meaning as she struggles through her life of isolation, first crush, and the many secrets her mother is hiding about her father and their past.

I highly recommend this book for anyone, but also for the teenage girls you know. They also might want to know there are "real" girls out there.