Mundie Moms

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Book Review: Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby


Published by: Bloomsbury Teens
Released on: February 28th, 2012
Source: book from the publisher to review
4 stars: I Enjoyed It
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

Meet Josephine Foster, or Zo Jo as she’s called in the biz. The best pint-sized photographer of them all, Jo doesn’t mind doing what it takes to get that perfect shot, until she’s sent on an undercover assignment to shoot Ned Hartnett—teen superstar and the only celebrity who’s ever been kind to her—at an exclusive rehabilitation retreat in Boston. The money will be enough to pay for Jo’s dream: real photography classes, and maybe even quitting her paparazzi gig for good. Everyone wants to know what Ned’s in for. But Jo certainly doesn’t know what she’s in for: falling in love with Ned was never supposed to be part of her assignment-quoted from Goodreads

This is one of those fun, charming, light hearted books that swept me off my feet with it's feel good story line, wonderful characters, and emotionally engaging plot. Shooting Stars is one of those books that makes you smile after you've finished it. It's fast paced, enjoyable and while reading it I couldn't help thinking this should be a made for TV movie on Disney, as it has all the right elements a Disney movie has: well grounded characters, a character journey, redemption, light heartedness, romance, and a great message. Allison Rushby created a story that's adorable, relatable and one I thoroughly enjoyed!

I love a story with well written characters who become stronger as the story goes on, which each of the character in this book do. The story's teen protagonist, Jo is a character who grew the most for me and is someone I enjoyed getting to read about. Jo has an unusual job, she's a paparazzi in training and very good at what she does. She does this for the money to get into college, and it was interesting for me to see what it was like for a teen to have a job like this. Jo for me was a fun character to get to know and I admire the character she became. She's funny, snarky (which I love), she made me laugh out loud with her inner monologues and what I admired the most about her is the person she became.

I understood Jo's desire to earn money for college, and with her line of business she's offered a job that will not only get her money she needs fast, but it will also put what she's knows is right on the line with what will be a quick pay out. I also want to point out that Jo's line of business runs in her family and I felt like the support group she had around her was realistic. Back to Jo, I really admired Jo and what she does when she listens to that little voice inside her head and of course to her heart. The romance in this story is sweet and refreshing. I loved getting to know more about Jack, Ned and the other characters who are apart of Jo's life. The best part of this book is the surprising twist that Allison threw into this story. I honestly did not see that one coming, and what a fabulous surprise it is!!

Allison Rushby has created an original story that is packed full of humor, heart warming moments, a sweet romance, deals with real life problems, and lacks the drama you'd except to find in a book like this. Her characters are richly layered, realistic and relatable in some/many ways. Shooting Stars is truly a fun book to spend the afternoon with and one that will have you grinning ear to ear when you're done with it. If you're looking for a book that delivers a fulfilling story line and a satisfying ending, go pick this delightful read up!

11 comments:

  1. I have this on my TBR list. I'm so glad you liked it because now I'm all excited to read it myself. Great review.

    JJ @ JJiReads ♥ Book reviews and more from an e-book lover

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    1. JJ- Thank you! This book really surprised me. It's not one I would have normally picked up, but I'm definitely glad I did!

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  2. Great review I really want to read this one. I also love it when a character grows throughout the book. LOvely review ladies! :)

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    1. Thank you Giselle! It's a fabulous read and one I really enjoyed. :)

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  3. This review makes the book sound utterly sweet and charming, and I have now added it to my wishlist :-)

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    1. Aw, thank you Amanda! It is a very sweet and charming book. I hope you enjoy it!

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  4. I haven't really heard much about this book, but I have been wanting to read it. It does sound like fun and light read. I don't read nearly enough books like this, but when I do I am glad I did. Great review!

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    1. Thank you! This is definitely a must add to your list of books to have. It's one of those fun reads you can sit down and enjoy in a couple hours.

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  5. This story is so fun! I had a great time reading it, mostly because it had this hilarious Disney feel. Fabulous review and very spot-on!

    Asher

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    1. Thank you Asher! I really enjoyed the Disney feel to it. It's so different than the other YA books I've read recently. It was a nice change of pace and a really fun read.

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  6. I'm so glad you liked this, too! It was full of twists and turns I didn't expect. :)

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