I Represent Sean Rosen

by Jeff Baron

Sean Rosen makes funny videos you can watch online. He also has ideas for movies, TV shows, and games that he knows are good enough to be produced by the biggest studios in Hollywood. The only problem is, he's a kid. And he's busy with school. And he lives far from Los Angeles or New York City. But Sean does have a laptop and a phone, and he's smart. He's about to have the ride of a lifetime as he discovers the ins and outs—and dos and don'ts—of becoming one of the youngest movie moguls the world's ever known. An inventive, original, and hilarious novel that will leave fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid , Carl Hiaasen, and Louis Sachar eager for Sean's next adventure.

Genres: Humor, Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Middle Grade, Chapter Books, Contemporary

352 pages, Hardcover

First published March 19, 2013

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't even know where to begin, so I'll just begin with some adjectives.

God-awful
Insipid
Vapid
Cringe-worthy
Idiotic


Yet these don't even reflect how much I truly despised this book. It might be the worst book I've ever read. And I've read a lot of crap. SO. MUCH. CRAP.

First of all, if you're familiar with the elements of plot, it's safe to say this book follows none of them. Ok. Maybe there's an exposition, but everything that follows is a summary.

In fact, at one point, there's a summary for a movie, and even THAT summary lacks a plot.

I can't for the life of me determine what the conflict of this book is. Maybe that Sean Rosen wants to get a movie deal? Whatever. He's thirteen. That contrivance is barely believable - and I'm willing to suspend my disbelief if the writing is good.

But good god. I've read self-published novels that are worthier than this. Hell, I'd even say Maximum Ride is a work of art compared to this, and I hated that book so much I can barely look at the cover without going into full-on rage mode.

Here's a paragraph from the book.

"I went home, but I didn't even go into the house. I dropped my knapsack in the garage and got my bike. I rode to this little waterfall, just a place where water falls from one level down to another. It's pretty and I like the sound. I sat on the ground next to my bike for a while. I started throwing rocks into the water, but I thought there might be fish in there, so I stopped." (p. 164)

Then he gets on his bike and goes home. Yup.

What. The. Hell.

And this is one of the better go-nowhere paragraphs! There are literally hundreds of them, all adding up to NOTHING. Lists of foods, summaries of conversations, an ending that Isn't An Ending BECAUSE THERE IS NO CONFLICT. It just gets worse and worse as the book rambles on for 350 pages.

I Represent Sean Rosen is, quite possibly, deserving of zero stars.

And I wouldn't even give Twilight zero stars.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring book does nothing and ends without satisfactory closure. I may be rating the book poorly because I feel reading it was not enjoyable. I had a hope that it would improve, perhaps with a conclusion that involved him selling an idea or telling his parents. Instead there is an abrupt ending and I had to read the final chapter a second time just to verify that it was in fact the end.

The book does do a fairly good job of explaining what it's like to try and get into the industry as a writer.

It does however fail to amuse.

The digital ARC I read was very well formatted.

[claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty bad

[Nell]

I don't remember if I actually ever finished this book but the author came to visit my english class in 7th grade and we had to read the beginning of the book I think.

[Liz Friend · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story: Sean Rosen has an idea that will change the business of entertainment as we know it. But he doesn't have an agent, and he doesn't have a manager. And since he's only 13, nobody will talk to him with out a manager or an agent. So Sean does what any normal kid would do--he invents a manager, sets "Dan Welch" up with an email and a company name, and sets off to represent himself. So...will he get famous? Or will he just get busted?

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Nudity G; Sexual Content G; Violence G; Substance Abuse G; GLBT themes G; magic & the occult G; adult themes G; overall rating G.

Liz's comments: this was a really fun story about a kid going after what he wants. All the way through, you're thinking "there's no way he can pull this off"--but when he does, you want to give him a hug and send him off to talk to your kids about being a little more engaged with their own lives. (Although they don't always have to leave their parents completely out of the loop like Sean does.)

Annotation with spoilers: Sean Rosen has a Great Idea, and he wants to sell it to a major studio. This is the story of how he does it (and all the stuff he learns about the industry on the way). When he approaches said Big Studio about it, he's told they only work through agents or managers. He has no agent, but decides to invent Dan Welch as his manager. He sets up an email address and emails again. He also contacts an actual manager (Martin Manager--Sean never discloses his big idea, or the actual names of people or companies in Big Entertainment) and gets some tips.

As things progress, Sean inveigles a Skype with a Big Studio executive, where he pitches ideas (making them up as he goes) for a movie series and gets a first--then a second--offer for his movie...all without his parents' knowing what's going on. In the end, he decides not to take the movie contract because he wants more artistic control of his creations, but he's already moving on with the idea of representing other kids at school, as well as with his own future endeavors.

Sean is bright, creative, and motivated. He also has a good relationship with his parents, which is refreshing too. So although this is primarily a fun, entertaining story, there's a solid moral here about the value of working hard and pursuing your dreams. Go Sean!

[Jack Tanner (a) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I represent Sean Rosen by Jeff Baron is a general fiction book full of humor ,and it’s set in present day. It’s a story about kid who wants to get into Hollywood, but he doesn't have an agent, or a manager. And since he's only 13 years old, no one will talk to him without one. Since Sean can’t afford one he makes one up and names him Dan Welch; he even has a fake company and email. He schedules a Skype meeting with an entertainment executive disguised as Dan Welch. Sean has done plenty of funny videos online, and he’s also full of great ideas for movies, TV shows, and games. So what will happen next during the meeting. Will Sean get caught as fake or will he become famous?

There are several examples of conflict in this book. One example of internal conflict is character versus self. This conflict happens when Sean is debating with himself on whether or not to tell his parents about his idea on how to change Hollywood. Sean is very independent almost secretive about what he plans to do. There is also an example of external conflict: character versus society. This conflict happens when Sean wants to get his idea to the entertainment industry, but no one will pay attention to him until he has a manager because he is only thirteen.

My opinion of this book is, it’s a good book. I liked it because it is a great story about a boy who believes in himself. I like the way Sean works on getting what he wants and does what it takes to make things happen even when everyone else tells him no. This book would be good for middle school kids ages 11-14 years old.

[Alex45 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did you pose as a manager for yourself so that you could pitch movie ideas to Hollywood? well Sean Rosen did. In the book "I Represent Sean Rosen" Sean Rosen, a thirteen year old boy, has a big movie idea that he wants to pitch to an entertainment company, the only thing is there are a couple of road blocks that he has to pass. Sean's first problem was the entertainment company would not give a real response to his letter. "Thank you for your interest in ________ (the entertainment company). In response to your letter, it is the official published policy of our company not to accept unsolicited submissions of any kind or nature." This is the first part of the letter that Sean gets from the entertainment company. Sean is very upset about this because he did not even submit anything so he knows that they did not actually read his letter. What he notices the most though is a sentence at the end of the letter. It says "Should you wish to approach this company again, we suggest you do so through a agent agent or a management firm." This gives Sean the idea to come up with an agent for himself and contact the company via his fake agent. But then he realizes that agents need a license and the company would probably look up the name of the fake agent find out he was fake and not reply. So to avoid this Sean comes up with a manager for himself named Dan Welch. He gets this name by looking at a Welches grape juice bottle and a Dannon yogurt cup. he makes an email for Dan and then contacts the company again, and this time they give him a real response. Dan, or Sean, sets up a Skype meeting with the owner because Sean lives very far away from California. In this meeting Sean is able to pitch his idea to the company and they accept. Now the problem is he cannot write the movie himself if he wants them to produce it.

If you want to find out what happens next I highly recommend this book to any child in grades 4-12 and even some adults. This book is perfect for you if you live comedy and a very good fun book to read.

[Sails and Scales · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review originally published by Brigham Young University's Children's Book and Media Review

Sean Rosen makes funny videos online, but he’s also full of great ideas for movies, TV shows, and games that he knows would be big hits if they were produced by the biggest companies in Hollywood. He soon discovers that he doesn’t know anyone in Hollywood and without those connections, it’s difficult to get a start in the big companies. Still, he decides that he can be his own manager to get what he wants. He contacts different companies and manages to land an offer from one of his most desired companies. As he goes, he has to figure out the business and how to make big decisions that will impact his future and the future of his ideas.

The book is funny and Sean is an intelligent, interesting character, but readers have to work hard to suspend their disbelief in the story. As clever as a thirteen-year-old might be, it is difficult to believe that he would be able to do as well as he does in pretending to be his own manager. Still, in spite of the unrealistic situation, the way Sean handles getting what he wants and his initiative to make things happen when everyone else tells him no is inspiring. Kids who want to go into Hollywood or to be entrepreneurs will enjoy Sean’s funny adventures.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sean is a 13 year old with an idea that he promises will revolutionize the entertainment industry. The only problem is that no one wants to hear his idea without a manager or an agent. Does he hire one? Not exactly. He makes one up.

Enter Dan Welch, manager extraordinaire, who helps Sean enter talks with a major movie studio. Now in addition to school, Sean is balancing a budding career in show business and moonlighting as his own manager. By novel's end he still hasn't revealed his revolutionary idea so methinks a sequel will soon follow.

This character has a great voice. Though this book is pretty long and that sometimes turns readers off, it reads very fast. There's a good balance of Sean's school, family, and friend life represented in addition to his secret dealings with Hollywood execs.

Readers can also view Sean's podcasts @ www.seanrosen.com. They were pretty believable creations for a 13 year old and the character actually asks some good questions.

Overall, a funny, light read that I think kids will really like due to the showbiz plot. Grades 4-6.

[Phoebe · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the adorable cover to the fresh writing this book has lots of appeal for the average 7th grade reader. It does stretch on a little longer than absolutely necessary; a good editor would have tightened up the often overly chatty style, but Sean is funny and friendly and gets himself into an astonishing mess. He wants to be part of the Hollywood scene, so badly that he has a subscription to a major Hollywood trade magazine; he regularly creates podcasts, and dreams of breaking into the industry. And so he does: he creates a fictional manager and, rather unbelievably, works the system until someone actually takes notice of him at a major production company. How a 13-year-old kid sells a movie idea before he even has the idea will make readers groan, but Sean's rather innocent audacity and initiative are crazily appealing. We keep waiting for an adult to step in; for something in Sean to cave and ask for help, but he doesn't. Will Baron write a second installment in Sean's adventures? 7th-8th grade.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would probably rate the first half of the book 3 stars and the last half 4 stars. So all around 3.5 stars. This book is about a boy who tries to make it into the movie business. He ends up making up a manager and figuring out making a movie idea. There were only two things I definitely did not like. One was the cover. The cover makes it seem like it will be a... my mom calls them "junk books"... like Diary of a Wimpy Kid or Big Nate, but it actually has a story. The other thing is, the book tries to relate to you by not naming the companies and people, but it makes it unrelatable. I mean, I kind of liked Stefanie, but it would make it much better if that was her actual name! Oh, did I say two? The other thing I do not like is the main character. His thought process for everything is "You know what? This requires work, so I do not want to do it. Unless it involves my movie, which I spend half my day on." It's just kind of annoying. Anyway, nice idea, just a few things be couldn't pull off right.

[Brady · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the book "I Represent Sean Rosen" a kid that is thirteen years old thinks he has a million dollar idea. When he struggles to find a agent or manager he makes his own, Dan Welch, he is not a actual person but Sean writes emails to a company about meeting together on Skype. He talks to them about his movie idea and they actually like his idea, but then he soon figures out that he will only make 7,500 dollars. But in the end all he wanted was his name on the cover of a top hit movie, and thats what he got.

In my opinion this book was very unrealistic and very boring and could of been made better. One part that I thought was very fake was when Sean made his own manager, if you're 13 kids can't just get away with making this manager that he named after food in his kitchen. I would rate this book poorly and would not recommend this book to people, But I'm more of a sci-fy person anyway.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a humorous tale featuring Sean Rosen, a would-be filmmaker and media mogul. Thirteen year old Sean has a idea for changing the entertainment industry and he desperately wants to share it with a major Hollywood studio. Unfortunately no one will even take his call. He finds out that he might be more successful if he has an agent or manager, but even that proves to be an impossibility. So he does what any red-blooded creative adolescent would do--he makes up a manager! Using his fictitious Dan Welch persona, Sean manages not only to contact a studio, but he also snags a Hollywood offer. Of course, now his life is really complicated.

I really enjoyed this book which I picked up because my son actually IS a Hollywood agent. It's also complemented by a series of podcasts available to accompany the book. I have recommended this to my 6th grade students.

[Lisa Nocita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sean is a thirteen year old with big ambitions and a wildly inventive imagination. He thinks he has an idea that will revolutionize and change the face of entertainment. If he only he could get a meeting with Hollywood bigwigs! When his first practice attempts are less than successful, he creates a fictitious manager who knows how to get things done. Pretty soon Sean's practice pitch takes on a life of its own and Sean, while excited, isn't really sure what to do.
Told with good voice through traditional first person narrative, texts, and emails. Sean is smart and humorous and stands by his principles. There really is a seanrosen.com site where you can watch his podcasts. Entertaining and humorous if not entirely credible.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this one on the recommendation of a kid who LOVED it, and likes realistic kids' fiction of the school story type (not "trauma" fiction). In return, I set him up with "PICKLE: the (Formerly) Anonymous Prank Club of Fountain Point Middle School," which he also loved. I liked this one, but not as much as PICKLE, and won't pull it out as a top recommendation when kids ask for stories of this kind. The next time I see him, I plan to recommend "Better Nate Than Ever," as "Sean Rosen" also involves a kid looking to find his way into show business (and I liked "Nate" more than "Sean," perhaps because it is not only about a kid looking to find his way into show business).

[Addison Children's Services · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sean, 13, has a great idea to revolutionize the entertainment industry and he even knows which industry giant he wants to work with. Sean always does a trial run though, so he approaches his second choice and learns they don't want to hear ideas from anyone without an agent or a manager. He then approaches some of those and gets the brush off. So he makes up a manager persona, gets him an email address and approaches his second choice again. It's an amusing romp as Sean learns about the entertainment industry.

[Ben Sylvester · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think it’s an ok book, pretty easy read, but it lacks many elements of any story. The book lacks a conflict, the story telling is foggy and it creates questions that the reader is expected to forget about, hence the lack of conflict. I think the biggest reason it sounds “foggy” is because the narrator, Sean, is largely oblivious to what’s going on around him, he’s more like a 5 year old than a 13 year old. I think it read more like “a day in the life of” rather than a full blown story. But all that aside I think it was pretty funny.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute, somewhat lacking middle grade book about a kid who writes a script, and decides to represent himself instead of get an agent and manager. It's a cute concept with questionable execution overall, and it's a book that I read close to six months ago and have basically forgotten, which is never a great sign. Ultimately, the idea has been done before, and perhaps better. Good, but not essential.

[Rochelle Sondae · Rating 3 out of 5]

I ended up really liking this book. It's told entirely by 13 year old Sean Rosen. I agree that the story ended rather quickly after so many details in earlier chapters. I was expecting a broader friendship with Ethan before he and Sean suddenly began producing podcasts together in the final chapter. I think I'd have a hard time selling it as a hardcover. Now that we're one of the last bookstores around I might have to start carrying a few.

[Tracie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sean Rosen has an idea for the next big way people will access and view their movies, music, etc. but he finds that no one will listen to him without an agent or producer - so he makes one up! The story gives all kinds of details about other things but we never get to hear just what this big idea is; instead Sean gets to pitch his idea for a movie. I think some reluctant middle school readers might find this story enjoyable.

[Lonna Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 1st-person account of an ambitious 13 year-old, Sean Rose, creates podcasts (actually available online @)http://seanrosen.com/)a screenplay, and has a really BIG idea he wants to sell to a huge entertainment conglomerate. Only, as a minor and an unknown, they won't go near him without an agent and/or a manager. So Sean invents his own agent! The plot thickens, as they say, and creativity wins. The voice in this mid-grade novel is outstanding.

[Luke Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was amusing to me, it kept me wanting to know what happens next. Sean Rosen is a 13-year old boy that has an idea of a movie for a big name company. But he has trouble contacting a big company so than he can make his millions of dollars off his idea.

Thats where Dan Welch comes in. Dan Welch is Sean Rosen's manager. Except, Dan has a problem. He's not real. Thats where the story gets interesting.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great story about a boy who believes in himself. Sean Rosen has a terrific idea for a movie, but no one will listen to a kid, so he invents the persona of his agent and proceeds to learn the ropes of the industry, with cunning and conviction. While this is a "teen read" I see no reason to limit its audience and deprive adults of the fun and charm it provides.

[Margaret McGuire · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is based on an ARC provided to me by the publisher.

Great Middle School pick...
GIve this book a chance, it is a bit slow at first but it will grow on you. Sean Rosen has an idea. A big, big idea. Now all he has to do is sell it to a major studio. Read about how he finds (creates) an "agent" to represent him.

[Mike Mendez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sean is a clever 13 year old that turns his ideas into movie offer from a big time studio. I thought the book was a bit slow in places, but I liked the way it was written. I think that middle school boys that like to read would enjoy it, but it will not grab the reluctant reader like so many of the others in this genre do.

[Mel Raschke]

Wimpy Kid fans will love this book. Sean wants to be in entertainment, but he discovers he needs an agent to help him navigate the cracks, crevices and canyons of the Entertainment Industry. He has to do that while also finding his way through the dark forests and across the mountains of a typical middle grade boy. Sean is funny, irresistable and clever.

[Jan Carlson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book because it was funny and clever. I think kids will enjoy it because the narrator is so likeable. I was disappointed, though. The narrator has a terrific idea he wants to sell to a big Hollywood Studio. The reader never finds out what it is. When I finished the book, I felt like the dangling carrot disappeared.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sean has to find someone who will represent a 13 year old to big movie studio, and has quite the unique solution. Clever and interesting, but moves a bit slowly. I think this is one for already strong readers.

[Foothill Library! Salt Lake City Public Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sean has to find someone who will represent a 13 year old to big movie studio, and has quite the unique solution. Clever and interesting, but moves a bit slowly. I think this is one for already strong readers.

~Scott

[shereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't expecting to like this book but it was fun and chraming. Couldn't help but fall in love with Sean and root for him as he tries to get make it big!