Beneath the Glitter

Oct 01, 2012 Sabrinablondeau marked it as to-read

I am pretty sure I'll read this just because I watch them on YouTube and have for years now and just would like to see what they think makes a good book, but to be honest the blurb sounds like every other celebrities book -- Nicole Ritchie's and Lauren Conrad's to name a couple off the top of my head. Always in their videos they try not to brag or in some cases talk about how they want you to know they work hard for what they have, but then Elle announced in a video that this was loosely based o...more

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Oct 07, 2012 Christian Marotti rated it 2 of 5 stars

Chick-lit is not for me, I can say that now.
The story was fun, simple, and cute but I'm not good at
these types of books. I still love Elle, but this just wasn't for me.
My friend is reading it now, she is liking it so far.

-R.D.

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Sep 28, 2012 Megan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: average, young-adult

Warning: Another Review Saying the Book Is Average

Back-Story: I went ahead and purchased this when it was on pre-order. I don't watch many of either of the sister's videos but I do watch enough of Elle's obviously to know that they had written a book. Considering that Elle reads so many quality books, I figured it was worth shelling out the measly 12 or so dollars to give the book a chance.

A few days after I did the pre-buy, Elle read some pages from the book on one of her videos and instantly...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Paula Phillips rated it 5 of 5 stars

Have you read Lauren Conrad's series LA Candy and have enjoyed it ? Do you love watching the fame and fortune of Hollywood's socialities , the up and coming stars of the world. Now get ready with Elle and Blair's new series to meet the London Sisters - Ava and Sophie. Loosely based on their journey , The London sisters are two sisters who have started their own make-up and beauty tip videos on Youtube. Their fame and fortune will begin when they are chosen as this years Webstars , which will lea...more

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Oct 21, 2012 The Y.A. Bookworm Blogger rated it 3 of 5 stars

Read FULL Review At: The Y.A. Bookworm Blogger

Beneath the Glitter is the first novel by YouTube beauty gurus Elle and Blair Fowler. I have been watching Elle and Blair's videos for quite some time now, and have been a huge fan of both of them. So, when I found out they were coming out with a novel, I practically freaked out! Beneath the Glitter was an enjoyable and quick read :)

The main characters, Sophia and Ava, are sisters who have become famous through their videos on YouTube. Hmmm, sound...more Read FULL Review At: The Y.A. Bookworm Blogger

Beneath the Glitter is the first novel by YouTube beauty gurus Elle and Blair Fowler. I have been watching Elle and Blair's videos for quite some time now, and have been a huge fan of both of them. So, when I found out they were coming out with a novel, I practically freaked out! Beneath the Glitter was an enjoyable and quick read :)

The main characters, Sophia and Ava, are sisters who have become famous through their videos on YouTube. Hmmm, sound familiar? Yes, you guessed it, Sophia and Ava London are based off of Elle and Blair Fowler. Although I loved both Sophia and Ava, I found they were almost too identical to Elle and Blair. When picturing Sophia and Ava in my mind, I felt like I was reading about Elle and Blair, and not fictional characters...does that makes any sense??....I actually had this problem with not only the two main characters, but the "world" itself (creating their own make-up line, their pets, ect, ect..). It didn't feel like a fictional story, it felt like an altered biography. That being said, if you have no idea who the authors are, then you won't have this same problem.

The storyline itself was a really fun, and girly read. Every page brings lots of make-up, clothes, shopping, and most importantly, boys *raises roof*! Seeing how the London sisters deal with their feelings for all these males was entertaining and frustrating at the same time. I had my personal favourites so I was constantly screaming in my head "YES!.... NO, NO, NO! YES...! NO, Are you kidding me?!".....*sigh* It's sad what fictional boys do to me.....

One thing I thought was really cute about the book (aside from that adorable cover) is the LonDOs and LonDON'Ts at the end of each chapter. They sum up each chapter in a unique and funny way that really adds something to the story- plus I thought it was a creative spin on Sophia and Ava's last name. It was these DOs and DON'Ts that had me laughing and smiling the most!

Overall, Beneath the Glitter in the technical sense isn't the best novel I've ever read. There were quite a few spelling errors and sloppy transitions that had me at times cringing (which is ultimately the reason I couldn't give this book a 4/5...trust me, I really wanted to). I'm hoping the second novel improves in this area because I really think those minor details can really effect people's overall enjoyment of the book. With all that being said, if your looking for a good and quick YA Chick-Lit novel then you should give Beneath the Glitter a shot! I'll definitely be buying Where Beauty Lies (Book #2) next year :)
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Sep 09, 2012 Hayley rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was expecting to love this book, but I didn't LOVE it. I did really like it, if it was possible I would give this book four and a half star but since it's not it only gets four, not five. But that's still really good. :)

The book is about Sophia and Ava London and the book is very loosely based on Elle and Blair's lives. I do wish Elle and Blair would of included more of the girls filming and uploading videos into the story, but the story still got along okay. Of course it would of been better...more I was expecting to love this book, but I didn't LOVE it. I did really like it, if it was possible I would give this book four and a half star but since it's not it only gets four, not five. But that's still really good. :)

The book is about Sophia and Ava London and the book is very loosely based on Elle and Blair's lives. I do wish Elle and Blair would of included more of the girls filming and uploading videos into the story, but the story still got along okay. Of course it would of been better if they said how their brand, London Calling, got started, but that's neither here nor there. It doesn't matter that much.

I did love the story line between Ava and Liam and thought it was very fun to read about. (: I also loved how at the end of the chapter there was the LonDO's and the LonDON'TS. That was very neat.

One thing I didn't like about the book though was how when Ava was thinking an ENTIRE SENTENCE WOULD BE IN CAPS. But then I understood why, because she was so excited. But at the time of reading it, I was annoyed. The only thing I can think of that I didn't like was how many guys there were involved in the book, Liam, Dalton, Hunter, Giovanni (I think that was a guy....) an it just made them all (except Liam because he was the first one) blend together, especially Hunter and Dalton, at least for me. Instead of a love triangle it felt like a love hexagon, or octagon, there was so many boys in it!

I did really love how Elle and Blair incorporated makeup and fashion details into the book, girls who watch their videos are the most likely to read their book and so therefore they should include some stuff like that into the book, so they did a really good job at that.

I want to thank Elle and Blair for doing their book tour, because otherwise I would of never been able to meet them, and I'm still in shock that I did. :) I cannot wait until Summer 2013, because then they will be releasing the second book in the London Sisters series, which I have no idea what it will be about! I really hope they'll do a book tour again because I loved getting a chance to meet them, so Elle and Blair if you're reading this please come to Mall Of America again, because I really loved meeting you girls and would love to meet you again!

SUMMARY: I would recommend to friends and I adored this book. If you like Elle and Blair you will like this book.(less)

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Sep 05, 2012 Teresa rated it 2 of 5 stars

Warning: Harsh.

Let me preface this review by saying that I don’t fit into Elle and Blair’s target demographic, and I don’t typically read chick lit. I’m a senior in college who watches Elle and Blair’s videos if I’m looking for some light, brainless entertainment. In terms of books, I read a lot of YA, but I tend to choose books with depth and a larger, overarching meaning. I think that YA can be done really well, and that a lot of good quality books can come out of the teen genre. I don’t thin...more Warning: Harsh.

Let me preface this review by saying that I don’t fit into Elle and Blair’s target demographic, and I don’t typically read chick lit. I’m a senior in college who watches Elle and Blair’s videos if I’m looking for some light, brainless entertainment. In terms of books, I read a lot of YA, but I tend to choose books with depth and a larger, overarching meaning. I think that YA can be done really well, and that a lot of good quality books can come out of the teen genre. I don’t think Beneath the Glitter is one of those books. Also, I’m really hard on this book because generally, Elle tends to read quality books. It disappoints me that she might think her book is on par with hits such as Harry Potter because it so clearly is not.

On a technical level, this book has a lot of mistakes. I really wonder who their editor is, because they let a book go to print that was filled with basic sentence structure issues. Sentences are not supposed to be connected by “and’s”, and they are not supposed to be a paragraph long. I would bet money that neither Elle nor Blair has taken a creative writing class in their lives. And that’s disappointing, because who the hell gives a book deal to someone who doesn’t even deserve it? Ugh. This book also lacks a building plot. You know that arc of action that you learn about in creative writing classes? Yeah. This book completely disregards that. They jam the ~twist~ into the last few pages, and they don’t even explain it well, so you’re left with a “WTF just happened?” face.

I will say that I was pleasantly surprised with Sophia’s character, after you got below the “I’m a perfect girl who has everything she’s ever wanted” superficiality. I liked that she didn’t trust boys (although it was annoying that every boy she made eye contact with thought she was gorgeous). Ava’s character was a little more annoying; she lacked common sense and didn’t seem self-aware. I mean, a celebrity she’s been in love with for years all of a sudden wants to date her, and she’s not suspicious AT ALL.

I think this book will have a whole lot of appeal to Elle and Blair’s main fanbase: girls in middle- and high-school who are trying to escape from the reality of their mundane lives. Girls who are drawn towards older, prettier, more charismatic girls. Girls who are looking for idols. Girls who don’t know what quality literature is. I get that. I used to be like that. But I outgrew that phase of my life, and so this book doesn’t really appeal to me. I gave it a shot because I like Elle and Blair as entertainers, and I figured I had nothing to lose.

Beneath the Glitter would work a lot better as a memoir than a novel. I feel like it’s a cop out to write about their own lives. I mean, really? You didn’t have any more imagination than to glitz up your current lives and sell them? It’s actually laughable how it’s supposedly “loosely based on their lives”, yet Sophia, the older sister, has a deaf white cat that she can’t choose a name for. Ava, the younger sister, is bubbly and tends to think in all caps. On their list of “LonDOs and LonDON’Ts” at the end of each chapter, there are mentions of JustFab.com, MAC All That Glitters eyeshadow, and Elle and Blair’s Cellairis cell phone line. At one point, Ava and Sophia promote a shaving cream line; if I remember correctly, Elle and Blair took part in a similar event in real life.

My point is that if Elle and Blair are going to choose to write about real events, I don’t understand why they had to do it under the guise of fiction. This is probably the book snob in me speaking, but there are a lot more important and interesting stories that are out there, and it feels like Elle and Blair stole a book deal from a more deserving story. It’s like when you hear an auto-tuned song that is widely popular because of its catchiness, and then you compare it to an a capella, original arrangement of the same song. The former version just feels empty, compared to the real talent exhibited in the a capella version. That’s what reading Beneath the Glitter feels like; filling my brain with empty words and a meaningless story that, in all honesty, just doesn’t matter. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys matters. Delirium by Lauren Oliver matters. Hell, even Divergent or Harry Potter matter more than Beneath the Glitter does.

So no, I don’t think this is quality literature. I think that it accomplishes what it sets out to do, which is to provide vapid entertainment to a younger crowd that’s looking for older girls to look up to. It’s not a meaningful story. It doesn’t have character development, strong writing, or a complex plot. And I think that’s my issue; I take it personally when books are a waste of words. It’s totally fine for me to have two sisters making money off of YouTube videos, because it’s not like you can get a whole lot of depth from a ten minute video, anyway. But I hate it when people mess with books. I hate it when there are really shitty books out there that get published because they’re going to sell, while there are really GOOD books out there that aren’t getting published, because maybe there’s less demand for them. It makes me sad. Books are supposed to be about stories that demand to be told. And Elle and Blair’s story (or Ava and Sophia’s, since this is ~fiction~) just doesn’t need to be told. It’s nothing special. It gets depicted on E! all the time. It just doesn’t matter.
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Mar 10, 2013 Molli rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'll admit I liked this book better than I thought I would. While I watch the Fowlers on YouTube, I'm not into the glamorous, high-fashion kind of world portrayed in in the book. That said, readers that ARE into that kind of world would probably have a higher appreciation for this book.

First off, the foreword states that the story is "very loosely based" on the lives of the Fowler sisters, but it comes off more "literal" than "loose" to me. I expected characters that were very similar to the rea...more

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Nov 09, 2012 Emma F rated it 5 of 5 stars

Beneath The Glitter by Elle and Blair is a really nice book, that is aimed at young adults. I know many people don't love it, but I do. It's about Makeup, Fashion and shopping, etc. So if your not into that kind of thing, you may not like this book. I watch and love Elle and Blair and they're even more amazing after writing this. The way they write it and set the scene is really lovely. For me, this was a page turner because there was always something happening.

Ava and Sophia London are sisters...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Charlotte rated it 3 of 5 stars

http://charlotteswebofbooks.blogspot....

For not really being a girly girl or having even heard of Blair and Elle before this book, I really enjoyed Beneath the Glitter. For the most part. I liked Ava and Sophie, they seemed really down to earth and were just trying to make it big in a city notorious eating up people and spitting them out. I really enjoyed watching their relationship grow through the tribulation that comes with success. I even enjoyed watching them each interact with the differen...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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The story starts at the end, with the London sisters being arrested at a party, then goes back five months earlier. We don't actually see them moving to LA or how they decided to start London Calling.... they already have all that. It would have been interesting, though. Instead, we see them get an award that makes them even more popular. Because of this and an accidental run-in with an old lady who owns a cosmetics company, they are offered a chance to create a London Cal...more Read more reviews here!

The story starts at the end, with the London sisters being arrested at a party, then goes back five months earlier. We don't actually see them moving to LA or how they decided to start London Calling.... they already have all that. It would have been interesting, though. Instead, we see them get an award that makes them even more popular. Because of this and an accidental run-in with an old lady who owns a cosmetics company, they are offered a chance to create a London Calling makeup line.

Really, though, the book is a lot less about their brand than their personal lives. Sophia was recently dumped by her college sweetheart for no reason and is on a boytox.... however is just so amazingly beautiful that guys can't help falling for her and she is torn between the rich guy and a witty bartender. Ava meets the movie star of her teenage dreams and they start dating because, in the only part that's not focused on Ava or Sophia, Liam tells us that Ava is just so refreshingly innocent. Liam has a bad rep, though, and Sophia is wary. This leads to a lot of misunderstanding and hard feelings between the girls, almost ruining their makeup launch, but they make up in time to be arrested.

Honestly, if the arrest hadn't been at the beginning too, it would have come out of nowhere. The blurb makes it sound like someone trying to take them down is a huge part of the book, but it's not. There is not a hint that someone is out to get them until the last chapter and epilogue. I also have a little spoiler rant about this so...

(view spoiler)

The characters are based on Elle and Blair, but seem to be based more on their Youtube personas. They didn't seem like real people at all. They were just too perfect, even when they were not supposed to be. I did get a little tired of the characters, Ava more than anyone. I know that Ava is supposed to be based on Blair, but I could only picture Amanda Bynes from What a Girl Wants in this role because that's who Ava reminded me of. There were even some scenes that remind me of that movie, especially the mean old lady who has a dog that doesn't like anyone, but immediately loves the girl. Still, I liked Ava less than Daphne.

The interaction with the girls didn't feel real to me. The dialogue felt contrived, especially when there was banter back and forth. Maybe the only time there seemed to be a real moment was when the girls were fighting. There was also a lot of telling, such as "Ava mimed turning a key on her lips and locking them down tight.", that made the book's flow falter.

There was one scene in particular that I liked. Ava and Dalton saved a dog and her puppies. It might have been unrealistic, but I like that dogs were saved. I always get nervous when dogs are in books... I guess I can't get horror books or Where the Red Fern Grows out of my head.

I watched the videos where Elle and Blair talked about how excited they were for their book and it makes me wish I liked it more than I did. Still, it was an okay book. It reminds me a little of Spoiled or the A-list books, but without a bitch main character or as much name-dropping. You can tell, though, that Elle and Blair are into fashion because every single item of every single outfit was described. There is actually little makeup description, which surprised me a little. There is going to be another book next year and I may get the next one to see which of the few characters introduced is out to get Sophia and Ava, but it's not at the top of the list.

This book has also put London Calling by The Clash in my head for days.(less)

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Aug 27, 2012 Ali (alireadsbooks) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, ya, advance-readers-copy

I won an advance reader's copy of this book and therefore had the chance to read it before it came out.

To be honest, I really didn't expect much from this book. I was glad that I won a copy of it, because I was curious but didn't want to buy it. This is my first time reading an advance reader's copy, so I'm not sure how much changes between it and the final published copy, but one of the first things I noticed was the Blair's name is spelled "Blaire" on the top of every page. I also noticed a lo...more I won an advance reader's copy of this book and therefore had the chance to read it before it came out.

To be honest, I really didn't expect much from this book. I was glad that I won a copy of it, because I was curious but didn't want to buy it. This is my first time reading an advance reader's copy, so I'm not sure how much changes between it and the final published copy, but one of the first things I noticed was the Blair's name is spelled "Blaire" on the top of every page. I also noticed a lot of grammatical errors, but I have a feeling that might just be the writing and not a mistake.

As for the actual novel, I was really disappointed with the character development. I've watched enough of Elle and Blair's YouTube videos to know that Sophia and Ava London ARE Elle and Blair Fowler. I know they have said multiple times that the characters are only based on them, but there were details (one blonde and one brunette sister, the blonde sister being in a sorority and having a partially deaf cat) that are taken directly from their lives. Therefore, I couldn't help but read it with their faces in mind for the character, which kind of took away from the imaginative aspect of reading the book.

I was also disappointed with the storyline, because there were major gaps that I couldn't help but notice. The whole relationship between Ava and Liam, for one, seemed like it was only thrown in there because it wouldn't have been a story about Hollywood without a main character dating a celebrity. Liam was an incredibly dry character. It was obvious that the authors didn't know if he should be a good guy who isn't right for Ava or a bad guy disguised as a good guy. Their relationship seemed forced and childish, and Liam seemed to disappear toward the end of the novel for the sake of a better storyline.

Lastly, the story sets itself up for a sequel, but not in an interesting, cliff-hanging way. Frankly, I was left feeling confused and frustrated. Even if they plan on writing a sequel, there were plot points that needed to be cleared up before the end of this book. I didn't like or relate to the characters and I wasn't overly interested in the plot, so I'm not sure I would read a sequel if they were to write one.

This book is acceptable if you want a light, fluffy beach read, but even with that in mind I wasn't impressed.(less)

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Aug 10, 2012 Shane rated it 4 of 5 stars

An enthralling, lighthearted, irresistible, and romantic story surrounding two rising stars that are not only close sisters but best friends facing an adventurous journey together.

Beneath the Glitter was very enjoyable, not that I'm surprised. This novel has some similarities to the lives of the Fowler sisters and what it is they do, so fans of contemporary, chick lits, and quick paced funny reads will certainly find delight in this one.

Sophia and Ava are far from each other but quite alike at...more An enthralling, lighthearted, irresistible, and romantic story surrounding two rising stars that are not only close sisters but best friends facing an adventurous journey together.

Beneath the Glitter was very enjoyable, not that I'm surprised. This novel has some similarities to the lives of the Fowler sisters and what it is they do, so fans of contemporary, chick lits, and quick paced funny reads will certainly find delight in this one.

Sophia and Ava are far from each other but quite alike at the same time. Both share the same admiration and consideration for the other, and of course, the sister bond is something to always love in any story. The eldest London plays that role remarkably well. Her decisions are never made unless carefully thought out, while the youngest London, Ava, is more of the risk taker so to speak. What I love about the sisters is their protectiveness for each other and their need to motivate and encourage the other. Of course there were times when the relationship was tested but they managed to overcome their issues and not lose their focus on what's more important to them.

I know plenty of people are saying this novel is all about fashion and beauty but not true. Sure there's reference to the aforementioned and going to hip parties around L.A, but that is apart of their brand. Aside from the cuteness, there are other aspects of the novel contributing to an interesting story and that I think helps to balance things out.

I would say Beneath the Glitter is more about the relationship of the sisters, how becoming stars takes them into a world where they might trust the wrong people, love the wrong guys, but find some keepers along the way. Again, it focuses on the importance of family and friends, not to mention staying true to yourself. I've learned a great deal of that throughout the story, especially from one character in particular. Giovanni.

Giovanni was kind of like the wise character offering good and meaningful advice to Sophia. Everything he said made sense, and along with the sisters', Giovanni's character had relevance in the story.

I also enjoyed the romance side. I liked how both sisters ended up with guys they deemed as perfect in the beginning but towards the end realized perfection wasn't always right. But, I felt that the end was a bit rushed where Ava's part was concerned when her feelings were requited. That was my only issue with the book, other than that, I loved the fact that it's obviously going to continue, being that the ending wasn't exactly an ending to a story. So, can't wait to read the next and I do recommend YOU read this one.(less)

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Sep 18, 2012 Niamh rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Tweens, Teens

Okay, Start off I didn't buy this book, I had no interest to. My cousin Kindly lent me it (reminder: I need to give it back)
For lovers of Books with a secret message, a meaning and a depth.
It's not for you.
I think the main audience Is for the watchers of their videos. To get an inside view.
Whilst Reading the book I thought it was much to descriptive. Would you want to read a half page of description about a chair (not included in the book)
Mainly the book was a YA chick-lit Stereo-Type.
Best place...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Morgan rated it 4 of 5 stars

First off, I was really not expecting to love this book because I thought it would be poorly written and have an awful story line. After beginning this book, I was extremely happy because I found myself not being able to put the book down! I have been watching Elle and Blair's YouTube videos for about two years now, which is really the only reason why I was intrigued to read their book. The two main characters, Sophia and Ava London live in Los Angeles while being beauty guru's on YouTube, just...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Ellie rated it 4 of 5 stars

First, I watch both Elle and Blairs YT videos. This is the only reason I purchased this book on my Nook to read. I am not into this "Hills" type of book... BUT surprisingly I really enjoyed the book. It might be because it was a easy fast read, short chapters, and there wasn't a bunch of fluff. Each chapter usually had something to do with one of the guys Ava or Sophia was interested in. I loved the little banter between the characters. I have a younger sister that I am really close to, so I get...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Kelli rated it 3 of 5 stars

Let me start off by saying I had no idea this book was the 1st of a series that has yet to be completed. Throughout this book, I saw the thickness of the pages I had left getting smaller and smaller and wondering what exactly the plot to this book was. I mean, they start out by talking about this lady, some evil lady, Liam Carlson's "ex" obviously, watching them with evil glee. Throughout the entire rest of the book it's about them fixing their friendship and the boys they spend their time with...more Let me start off by saying I had no idea this book was the 1st of a series that has yet to be completed. Throughout this book, I saw the thickness of the pages I had left getting smaller and smaller and wondering what exactly the plot to this book was. I mean, they start out by talking about this lady, some evil lady, Liam Carlson's "ex" obviously, watching them with evil glee. Throughout the entire rest of the book it's about them fixing their friendship and the boys they spend their time with.
In my opinion, it's quite obvious from the last chapter that it was Liam Carlson and the woman speaking. I wasn't sure if that was Fowler's intentions, or if she was trying to keep us guessing. If that was the case, she probably shouldn't have added in the last chapter.
But anyways, other than a few grammar mistakes, this book was pretty good. I mean, I watch Elle and Blair Fowler on youtube, and I actually won this book in a giveaway so I didn't pick it up because I was interested in it, I just entered the giveaway and won it.
I can't say I wasn't interested, however, as it did seem like an "ok" book, and it was an ok book! Maybe even a little better. I didn't picture Elle Fowler being a writer, but I guess she is! She just needs to make her plot a bit clearer in my opinion--I couldn't figure out what that evil lady in the beginning was going to take action.
This book was obviously just about the start of relationships, I guess. It's a bit boring but not bad, not bad at all. You may get headache's from all the "LIAM CARLSON IS TALKING TO ME!!!!!"'s...but other than that this was not a bad book, and I actually sort of like the ending with the "LonDO's and LonDONT's". They're pretty neat, and they remind me of "The Clique" series as that was what Harrison would do as well.
Other than that all I can say about this book is it was pretty good for a beginner! I mean, it wasn't AMAZING, and I don't recommend it if you just read an amazing novel/series as it won't seem quite so good, but it's not bad, not bad at all. I just wasn't sure if she was trying to make it obvious who the thieves were or if she didn't mean to? Either way, it's very obvious unless Fowler somehow puts a twist to it (unless her intentions are to make it obvious).(less)

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Jul 27, 2012 Kelsey rated it 1 of 5 stars

*yawn* this book is written ether by people who are mediocre writers or ghost writers...probably the second choice. This is just another person with a little fame that is trying to get money from teen boppers by making an unoriginal book loosely revolved around there "glamorous life". These LA styled books are completely unoriginal. I used to love these girls but now they are money hungry and they just want to make an easy book to make money off of young teens. Please parents be aware of what yo...more

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Jan 27, 2013 Kaalah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I of course loved this book because I am a huge Elle Fowler fan. I have probably seen every glitterature, vlog and tutorial she has ever made, as well as most of her sisters videos. Therefore I was interested in this book as a sort of biography, although many aspects of their lives were changed.
It was really interesting to see their relationship as sisters, as I have seen comments on YouTube claiming the sisters are catty toward one another, and have witnessed Blair being somewhat bossy towards...more

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Oct 11, 2012 Tiffany (For Those About to Read...) rated it 4 of 5 stars

While Beneath the Glitter is not the world’s best story, I still really enjoyed it. We see Hollywood from the perspective of two normal girls as they get thrown into a world of glitz and glamour. There are a lot of fabulous parties and, of course, romance as the girls start to learn about the L.A. lifestyle.

I am usually enthralled by the lavish lifestyle in these types of books, but that is actually not what appealed to me in Beneath the Glitter. Sophia and Ava are quite relatable and I loved re...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Blair added it

Basically, I picked this book up because I've watched the girls that wrote it on YouTube. So, I expected a lot of the things in the book because I knew them. The book is loosely based on their lives with the whole making videos and starting their own make-up line.
You could tell that they were new writers with their over embellished descriptions of things, but other than that I enjoyed the book! It starts out a little slow and boring. The ending and epilogue was great though! I would have never...more

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Aug 26, 2012 Fatimah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: humorous, loved-sooooo-much, quick-read, romance, summer-reads-2012, ya, chick-lit, no-emotional-impact-left-behind, series

OMGGGG!!!!Beneath the Glitter was far better than I expected!!! Taking place in LA the book is about sisters Ava and Sophia London who have a dream of establishing their makeup brand...In the mist of everything they become famous and problems between the sisters stir...Ava(Blair) is the naive,bubbly,and younger sister who loves taking risks and exploring all the joys in life. Sophia(Elle) is the older,mature,and wiser sister..

Ava meets her celebrity crush Liam Carlson and they soon begin dating(...more

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Aug 26, 2012 Cassie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I'll be honest, I wasn't too sure about this at first because I'm usually not into this kind of book, but it turned out to be pretty good.

I really liked the sisters', Ava and Sophia London's, relationship. They're so good together and they make a great team.

And the relationships? So much drama there! Both girls are juggling two men at once, though they don't really know it. I always had an idea of who they would end up with, it's obvious by the way the guys treat them, but it was still interes...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Daria ♞ marked it as to-read

Shelves: craptastic-books

I'm not planning on reading this regardless of my shelf. I really don't want to sound mean since I watched Elle and Blair for years and I really do like them, but, this book sounds just horrible. It doesn't sound intelligent or deep and the characters sound shallow. It actually makes me mad. It's something my eleven-year old self might have picked up just because it was pink and I wanted to look cool reading from the YA section. It sounds like one of those same-old, been-done-before,nothing-new...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

I actually do watch Elle and Blair on youtube, and I have to say, I didn't think this book would actually be as good as it is! I read some of the reviews on goodreads and some of readers don't like it, but I do!

This book is supposed to be a bit based on their life and after hearing that, every time I came across some things, I wondered if that actually happened to them. Some of the things that are true that they do do is that they make youtube videos and they have launched their own makeup line....more

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Feb 04, 2013 Carina rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: bookshelf, tauschkiste

Inhalt:
Die Schwestern Sophia und Ava London sind durch ihre YouTube Videos bekannt geworden und vor kurzem nach L.A. gezogen. Dort eröffnet sich ihnen die Welt der Schönen und Reichen mit fantastischen Partys, Paparazzis und natürlich jeder Menge heißer Jungs. So ist es nicht verwunderlich, dass Sophia einen Millionärssohn kennenlernt, während Ava einen Hollywood Schauspieler datet. Doch schon bald müssen die beiden erkennen, dass so viel Ruhm auch seine Schattenseiten hat.

Meinung:
„Beneath the...more Inhalt:
Die Schwestern Sophia und Ava London sind durch ihre YouTube Videos bekannt geworden und vor kurzem nach L.A. gezogen. Dort eröffnet sich ihnen die Welt der Schönen und Reichen mit fantastischen Partys, Paparazzis und natürlich jeder Menge heißer Jungs. So ist es nicht verwunderlich, dass Sophia einen Millionärssohn kennenlernt, während Ava einen Hollywood Schauspieler datet. Doch schon bald müssen die beiden erkennen, dass so viel Ruhm auch seine Schattenseiten hat.

Meinung:
„Beneath the Glitter“ ist der erste Roman von Elle und Blair Fowler, zwei Schwestern, die durch Beauty-Videos auf YouTube bekannt geworden sind. Die Geschichte erinnert an ihre eigene, doch ist sie nur angelehnt. Ich selbst habe ein paar Videos von den beiden gesehen und war einfach neugierig, ob zwei YouTube-Stars auch das Zeug zum Autor haben. Dem ist aber leider nicht so.
Die Geschichte handelt von Sophia und Ava London, zwei Schwestern welche vor einiger Zeit nach Los Angeles gezogen sind. Dort wollen sie ihre eigene Make-Up Marke „London Calling“ auf den Markt bringen. Als sie einen wichtigen Internet Preis gewinnen werden sie über Nacht zu Berühmtheiten und erhalten somit Zutritt zu Los Angeles High Society. Anfangs genießen sie noch die Vorteile, doch schon bald müssen sie erkennen, dass nicht alles Gold ist, was glänzt.

Vom Inhalt her habe ich mich schon auf eine leichte, oberflächliche Lektüre eingestellt. Der Anfang war dann aber verhältnismäßig spannend: direkt im Prolog werden die beiden Schwestern verhaftet und es wird angedeutet, dass sie einer großen Intrige zum Opfer gefallen sind. Dann gibt es einen Flashback zu einem Zeitpunkt 5 Monate vorher, und der gesamte Rest des Buches beschäftigt sich mit diesem Flashback, was ich sehr schade fand, denn wirklich spannende Sachen passieren in dieser Zeit nicht. Größtenteils handeltdas Buch also von dem Werdegang von Ava und Sophia, durch welche Zufälle sie ihre eigene Make-Up Linie gesponsert bekommen, wie sie ihre Freunde kennenlernen und so weiter. Zudem müssen die beiden mit dem immer größer werdenden Druck klar kommen, welcher auf ihnen lastet. Während Sophia sich sehr um ihr Image sorgt, und jeden Skandal, der ihnen schaden könnte, direkt im Keim erstickt, versucht Ava sich auf die Rampenlicht-Erfahrungen ihres Freundes zu verlassen, was natürlich schon bald zum Streit zwischen den beiden führt. Ich konnte der Geschichte zwar leicht folgen, weil zum einen die Sprache sehr einfach gehalten war und ich zum anderen immer auf die Auflösung der anfänglichen Verhaftung gewartet habe, wirklich mitreißende Momente gab es aber nicht.
Das Buch erzählt eher die alltäglichen Erfahrungen und Probleme zweier jungen Frauen, welche sich plötzlich in einer für sie unbekannten Welt zurecht finden müssen. Insgesamt wirkte es jedoch eher wie die Träume eines Teenagers.

Die Charaktere konnten mich leider nicht überzeugen. Sowohl Sophia als auch Ava wirkten eher flach und klischee-behaftet, als dass sie meine Sympathie geweckt haben. Das teilweise sehr divahafte bzw. übertriebene Verhalten hat mich eher gestört, und vor allem Avas exzessive Schwärmereien für Liam waren mehr als nervig, von Liam selbst ganz zu schweigen. Einzig Giovanni stellt einen spannenden Charakter dar, auf dessen Auftreten ich mich immer gefreut habe. Er ist geheimnisvoll und weißt verschiedenste Facetten auf, was durchwegs für Abwechslung gesorgt hat.

Das Buch gibt es bis jetzt nur auf Englisch, aber die verwendete Sprache war leicht umgesetzt, und deshalb sehr gut zu verstehen. Der Schreibstil an sich war mir teilweise zu ausgeschmückt. An einigen Stellen wurden Outfits, Gefühle und Szenen bis ins kleinste Detail und mit vielen kitschigen Metaphern beschrieben.
Das Cover passt wirklich hervorragend zum Inhalt, denn es spiegelt die Welt der beiden London-Schwestern mit viel Mode, Rosa und Glitzer sehr gut wieder. Rein vom Äußerlichen betrachtet finde ich es zudem ganz nett, aber es weckt keine pure Begeisterung.

Im Frühjahr/Sommer 2013 erscheint der zweite Teil dieser Buchserie.

Fazit:
Ich vergebe leider nur 2 Sterne für „Beneath the Glitter“. Für jüngere Mädchen ist das Buch sicherlich sehr interessant und unterhaltsam, denn obwohl ich es halbwegs zügig durchlesen konnte, war es für meinen Geschmack jedoch einfach viel zu oberflächlich. Zudem konnten mich weder die Hauptcharaktere noch der Spannungsaufbau überzeugen. (less)

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Sep 15, 2012 Allie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: week-to-read

I picked up this book mostly out of pure curiosity, I had to know what the book was like and I wanted to be impressed by Elle and Blair's foray into writing -and of course, I was curious to know what their life is really like. In that sense, I was completely disappointed, despite a blurb at the beginning thanking their fans on YouTube for all the support, the sisters' making videos is barely even mentioned in the book. This books is really just a story about two girls living in LA and each of th...more I picked up this book mostly out of pure curiosity, I had to know what the book was like and I wanted to be impressed by Elle and Blair's foray into writing -and of course, I was curious to know what their life is really like. In that sense, I was completely disappointed, despite a blurb at the beginning thanking their fans on YouTube for all the support, the sisters' making videos is barely even mentioned in the book. This books is really just a story about two girls living in LA and each of them being interested in two guys. I think I would have been a lot happier if they had just written an autobiography...maybe one day!

I think I expected different things from the book, I expected a novel about Elle & Blair, and I got an incredibly predictable story aimed at tween girls. Obviously, I'm not the target audience! I found the "fights" to be pretty random and unfounded, and the best way to describe it was there was a lot of "telling, not showing". I'm not sure how old the girls are in the book but it just surprised me how immature they both are. It made me think that what was "beneath the glitter" didn't go very deep.

However, I will give this book two stars, for a few reasons: 1. this book wasn't what I was expecting and I can't fault it for not living up to what I wanted the book to be and 2. Despite not being the next War and Peace, one section of the book made me really sympathize with Elle & Blair. The one line was during a photo shoot when Ava wonders what they even did to deserve being so successful, and that she feels like a fraud. That one tiny part made me feel for them immensely. The book itself though? A lot of telling, not showing, i.e. "Ava's mad (and we're not going to explain why or how she got this way, she's just mad!!)"

What type of read is it? Simple

Would I recommend this book? No....

Will I read it again/the sequels? Probably not...maybe if I see the paperbacks on a $5 special.

What's "beneath the glitter"? Modpodge that the glitter was stuck to.

Overall Review: 2/5 stars

http://weektoread.blogspot.ca (less)

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Dec 30, 2012 Iladybird rated it 5 of 5 stars

At first, I was nervous because of all the mediocre reviews. The beginning didn't really draw me in because it seemed like I could write it and was very stereotypical. However, as the story continued, it was surprisingly unlike any novel I've read and I could see how it was based on their lives but that did not stop me from enjoying it. There were quite a few gripping moments where you really feel emotion for the characters, and I really enjoyed that. The ending was also a huge plot twist, and t...more

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Sep 05, 2012 Brittany Pickett rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned-books, 2012

I really liked this book a lot! I know a lot of people were skeptical about this book because it wasn't written by actual authors. Many are saying Elle and Blair were just trying to get more money. They are saying that the girls think of themselves as stars and just a ton of other rude things. I like watching the girls videos. I have to agree I was skeptical when I first found out about it and I didn't think I would like it. Not because it wasn't a good book and the girls aren't authors, but bec...more I really liked this book a lot! I know a lot of people were skeptical about this book because it wasn't written by actual authors. Many are saying Elle and Blair were just trying to get more money. They are saying that the girls think of themselves as stars and just a ton of other rude things. I like watching the girls videos. I have to agree I was skeptical when I first found out about it and I didn't think I would like it. Not because it wasn't a good book and the girls aren't authors, but because it isn't the type of book a normally like. I hadn't originally planned on buying it, but I saw it in the store a few days ago and thought I would give it a try since it was only 10 dollars.

The best way for me to read the book was to completely erase the fact that the girls wrote it and pretend it was just a book I picked up by an author I don't know because I thought it sounded interesting.

Ok so the book centers ago Sophia and Ava London who make YouTube videos and live in LA together. They are trying to start their makeup line London Calling. They have lots of friends and a nice lifestyle because of YouTube. The book is basically about the sisters relationship and the toll Hollywood takes on it. They start to drift apart and it ends up disastrously.

Many peoples problem with the book was that the 2 characters completely resemble Elle and Blair themselves. Yes, many of the basic things in this story resemble the girls. Their hair color, their jobs, the videos, their pets. You can also tell that some of the personality traits are the same. However, I can still tell a difference between the fictional charaters and Elle and Blair. Sophia and Ava seem much more immature than Elle and Blair. The circumstances that make Sophia and Ava drift apart don't seem like something that would happen to Elle and Blair.

I look at it this way. They only thing I get to see of Elle and Blair is what they let me see. I don't begin to think I know anything about their relationship as sisters and the way they live their lives. So I don't understand why other think they know everything about them and that this book is exactly the way their lives are. We have no clue so everyone just needs to chill. It was actually very easy to separate the characters while I was reading them because it is not Elle and Blair at all it is fiction.

The one thing I would say is that I thought the book was going to be a little different than it was. The prologue made it sounds like the arresting was going to happen sooner, but that part of the story didn't come until the last chapter. It was basically like it wasn't even a part of this book. The scandal story is just a peek into the next book in the series. So if you think that is what this story is going to be about it is not. I still really liked it though and am excited for the next book.

I didn't have a problem with the writing style some say the all Caps in some places was annoying, but I didn't mind. I though the LonDO's and LonDONT's was cute at the end of each chapter. I don't think we really know what guys we can trust at the end of this book. It seems as if the bad people are Liam and Whitney or Hunter and Whitney. I don't think Dalton is bad. I also didn't really care for Giovanni. I know he was supposed to be this really hot foreigner guy that Sophia likes but he was just too creepy for me. The way he spoke he sounded like a father figure to me not boyfriend material. So hopefully Sophia doesn't end up with him although that's where the story seems to be heading for book 2.

It is a really easy book to read. It is a great summer of beach read. If you like Elle and Blair I think you will definitely like the story and if you don't I would still give it a try.
Oh and I forgot to say that I think the girls wrote this book. On the inside it says that they had a co-writer. I believe that they came up with many of the story ideas and may have even wrote some, but I don't think it was completely ghost written. If you read the book you can tell the ideas came from the girls. It is kinda like when a music artist co-writes an album or a song, they work on it together.(less)

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Dec 17, 2012 Ashlee-Rose Lovegood rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book was actually better than I expected. I felt like I had to give it a shot, since I watch Elle Fowler's videos (which are very good for beauty and fashion). There were parts of the book that I felt were over done - such as Ava's excitement about that film star dude, which made me feel exhausted just reading, and the descriptions of how gorgeous the girls were in almost every chapter, which seemed a little conceited to me since the characters are based on themselves. But all in all, it wa...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Live Video Chat with Elle & Blair Fowler	472	128	May 15, 2013 11:30am
you haven't even given it a chance girlfriend!	10	136	Aug 25, 2012 11:32pm
Cringing	2	49	Aug 25, 2012 11:31pm

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