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Hollywood Car Wash: A Novel
by
Lori Culwell (Goodreads Author)
College drama student Amy Spencer dreams of starring in independent films. When her roommate signs her up for a mysterious "television project" audition, she blows away the competition with her girl-next-door looks and impressive acting chops, inadvertently getting a starring role on a major TV show and going from Michigan teen to Hollywood starlet overnight.
To keep the pa...more
To keep the pa...more
ebook, 256 pages
Published
May 5th 2009
by Touchstone
(first published March 28th 2007)
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Welcome to the world of fake boobs and plastic people, aka Hollywood. Amy Spencer finds herself thrust into the spotlight via the advice of her best friend to try out for a tv show. Amy leaves her life behind in Michigan and her friend at college to pursue the American dream. Amy gets the lead on a new show called Autumn Leaves. Amy is happy to have her big break, although she preferred to go the indie route. she's happy either way to make a name for herself and help out her family. What Amy doe...more
A Hollywood car wash, according to author Lori Culwell, is the transformation process imposed on women in the entertainment industry. The novel details the hollywood car wash heroine Amy Spencer is pressured to under go including liposuction, rhinoplasty, cosmetic dentistry, and dangerous diet drugs to keep the lead in her hit television series. Nor is the transformation process limited to Amy's physical appearance, but also spills over into her personal life when she is paid to date mega celebr...more
Hollywood Car Wash is about the overnight rise to fame of a University of Michigan student to a Golden Globe nominee TV actress. In a matter of an instant, Amy Spencer's life drastically changes. When her roommate signs her up for the audition, Amy reluctantly attends and to her surprise she is the "face" they have in mind for the part. Amy is whisked away to LA where she lands the lead role on Autumn Leaves.
Amy suddenly goes from poor college student to earning $500,000 by the end of season one...more
Amy suddenly goes from poor college student to earning $500,000 by the end of season one...more
Amy Spencer has an audition that will change her life forever--only its for a teen pop-like tv show instead of an independant film (which is what she dreams of staring in). She gets the job and movies to LA to begin a new life where what is normal back in her midwest hometown is now not acceptable in the high maintenence world of superstardom. Her best friend, Vince, a gay stylist, moves out to LA and they both live the dream. But superstardom is not all that its cracked up to be. There is a pri...more
Midwestern college student and aspiring-indie-films-actress, Amy Spencer, auditions for the lead role in a new TV series. Soon she’s on an plane to California, put up in an exclusive hotel and show to the network studio where…she gets the job!
Of course they say they hired her for her acting ability, but she’s quickly put through the ‘hollywood car wash’- diets, hair color, plastic surgery- to make her more marketable, the enviable ‘ideal’. The question ever before her is how much is she willing...more
Of course they say they hired her for her acting ability, but she’s quickly put through the ‘hollywood car wash’- diets, hair color, plastic surgery- to make her more marketable, the enviable ‘ideal’. The question ever before her is how much is she willing...more
Feb 28, 2011
Leah
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
couldnt-finish,
books-read-2011
Basically I just couldn't finish the novel. I got 50 pages in and I'd had enough. The editing is rubbish, and I just can't read a book that is so poorly presented. It makes me want to take a black marker pen to it. Plus the time-jumping was a nightmare, instead of focusing on certain scenes and giving us more background info on the whole TV show audition process it just jumped constantly so Amy auditioned the first time. Jump to the second time. Third time. She has the job. No in-between, no gos...more
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This book was fairly enjoyable once I got over my annoyances with the author. The main character is from Bay City Michigan and a graduate of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, but for some reason the author kept referring to it as UM rather than U of M. Also early on in the book, the character references that while she may be from Bay City, MI she has never seen any or been in any corn fields. As a character who has driven between A2 and Bay City numerous, I am sure that is far from the re...more
Review originally posted:
http://www.bittersweet-enchantment.co...
Hollywood Car Wash is the second book I have read by author Lori Culwell. The first being her latest novel "The Dirt". I was not sure what to expect going into this one but I will say I did hope I would love it as much as I did The Dirt. I was right, so right! This book has everything from interesting characters to a fun and engrossing story-line. I mean I know everyone loves hearing some juicy gossip. It's all about the world of...more
http://www.bittersweet-enchantment.co...
Hollywood Car Wash is the second book I have read by author Lori Culwell. The first being her latest novel "The Dirt". I was not sure what to expect going into this one but I will say I did hope I would love it as much as I did The Dirt. I was right, so right! This book has everything from interesting characters to a fun and engrossing story-line. I mean I know everyone loves hearing some juicy gossip. It's all about the world of...more
I really enjoyed this book and funny because I almost didn't buy it (even though it was on sale at a local discount store in town for $1.99!). I know they say don't judge a bok by its cover, but I did - I was less then enthralled by its cover photos and title but when I read some of the rave reviews here on Goodreads, I raced back to the store and purchased it. I am so glad I did because it turned out to be such a fabulous chick lit read. By reading just the back summary, I thought this novel wa...more
Lori Culwell's emotional intelligence, insider knowledge of Hollywood, and excellent writing skills combine to create the ultimate reading experience in Hollywood Car Wash.
Amy Spencer, a young, hopeful, dreamy actress, plunges headfirst into the starring role of an edgy TV weekly drama. Culwell perfectly captures Amy's innocence and naivete. I fell in love with Amy and identified with her. How can one resist a character who embodies the sweet idealism of youth?
Amy's idealism slowly erodes throug...more
Amy Spencer, a young, hopeful, dreamy actress, plunges headfirst into the starring role of an edgy TV weekly drama. Culwell perfectly captures Amy's innocence and naivete. I fell in love with Amy and identified with her. How can one resist a character who embodies the sweet idealism of youth?
Amy's idealism slowly erodes throug...more
Of course, the draw for me here was the whole "Katie Holmes threw a hissy fit when she read this b/c she thought it was about her" factor. Interestingly, it doesn't really get to the contract engagement part until about 3/4 through, and I couldn't help but snicker throughout that section. I did enjoy the snark though, especially the main character Amy "Star" Spencer's best friend Vince (the stock endearing gay best pal stylist) that allowed for her submerged irony to come through as she submits...more
I hadn't heard of this book until I won it in a goodreads giveaway. However, that didn't stop me from really enjoying the book. This would be a great beach read or a lazy Sat. read. It really makes you wonder if thats what real hollywood goes through. If thats the case we shouldn't spend so much money on the gossip magazines because its all a sham anyways. I did get a little sick of the main star talking about her weight the entire book but not enough to turn me off of the book.
This was one where I just wanted something to read and my kids didn't let me go look so I just grabbed a book off the shelf. It wasn't all that bad, but it's not something I would read again. It gave you a look at what some people will do to make it in Hollywood and how a normal person can get roped into some of the craziest things and lose themselves.
The book was well written and the auther must of done a lot of research, before writting. I'm not sure this would of been a book I would normally read. I found the characters funny and sad. What a life it must be to go through all that to be something that you are not. The main character went through so much and the changes in her life. The book did give me a good laugh though.
Life must be tuff in Hollywood if even some of it is ture. Not a life for me.
Life must be tuff in Hollywood if even some of it is ture. Not a life for me.
Finally! A really good chick lit novel! :) This book was well written and very realistic about how young actresses are really put through the wringer in Hollywood. I recommend this for anyone who is enamoured of the Hollywood lifestyle. You'll change your mind quick! ;)
entertaining, deadly expose on the hollywood machine and how they shape their stars lives and bodies to create optimal revenue. gross. depressing but interesting. reflects katie homes and tom cruise relationship set up as most people seem to see it as such.
Jan 10, 2011
Christine
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
contemporary-fiction
This book is supposed to be about Katie Holmes, but I don't see it. I think that was just said to make people want to buy this book. It's definately why I bought it. The book didn't live up to the hype, and was very dissapointing. Big waste of time....
Stylistically, this book was not that great. Most of the characters existed to serve plot points, the narration was curiously flat, and I dind't care about the main character. However, this is the PERFECT gossipy, trashy, scandalous summer read.
this is probably my favorite summer reading book so far...i love the balance between "people" magazine content, amazing fashion references and actual life experiences i can relate to.
This book is the chicken soup for my soul. Wow that makes me sound shallow. But when I don't feel good, having a bad day, or even just sick, I end up with this book in my hands.
This book is a guilty pleasure. Like reading People or US. Fun, easy and still intriguing. Ms. Culwell knows how to suck you in for a good read.
Full review here
http://www.yourneedtoread.blogspot.co...
http://www.yourneedtoread.blogspot.co...
Perfect beach read- and fun because my friend's cousin has the movie rights... hope it becomes one!
A wonderful beach read....if I only had a beach it would have been even better! :)
An easy read, kind of funny, and a good reminder that absolutely everything in Hollywood is fake.
Great beach book. Its supposedly based on the "real" story of Tom and Katie!
Light fun read, so based on Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise.
Getting your teeth capped sounds really painful.
good book with an inside look into the lives of actors
I'm a sucker for "behind the scenes" books anyway and this one really lets you know what's going on. I couldn't believe some of the stuff the main character had to do/go through! CRAZY!
The book was great, but the editing could've been better. So many missed quotation marks! I'd get confused and have to go back and re-read a sentence because I didn't realize the first time round that it was dialogue. And there was a issue with the word, "said," instead of, "says." That was confusing too. But the...more
The book was great, but the editing could've been better. So many missed quotation marks! I'd get confused and have to go back and re-read a sentence because I didn't realize the first time round that it was dialogue. And there was a issue with the word, "said," instead of, "says." That was confusing too. But the...more
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