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Scripted Unscripted
Ellie Quinn has spent most of her sixteen years behind the scenes in Hollywood, helping her father manage a crew of four-legged movie stars. Although she longs to be acknowledged as an animal trainer in her own right, she's often referred to around the studio lot as the "dog sitter to the stars."
When teen megastar Kate Montgomery's sidekick gets fired while filming a pilot, Ellie is forced to temporarily fill-in. The producers seem enamored with the newly christened Elle --and so do Kate's two love interests on the show, "it boy" Logan Canfield, and brand-new actor Cam Alvarez--causing trouble on and off the set.
Now Ellie must decide between living the drama in front of the camera or behind it. If she quits and the pilot fails, she and her father will have to close their failing business and move to her grandfather's lettuce farm. But if she stays on the road to stardom, it could mean losing the boy she's fallen for--and herself--in the process. Can she save the TV show and her father's business without losing everything else?
When teen megastar Kate Montgomery's sidekick gets fired while filming a pilot, Ellie is forced to temporarily fill-in. The producers seem enamored with the newly christened Elle --and so do Kate's two love interests on the show, "it boy" Logan Canfield, and brand-new actor Cam Alvarez--causing trouble on and off the set.
Now Ellie must decide between living the drama in front of the camera or behind it. If she quits and the pilot fails, she and her father will have to close their failing business and move to her grandfather's lettuce farm. But if she stays on the road to stardom, it could mean losing the boy she's fallen for--and herself--in the process. Can she save the TV show and her father's business without losing everything else?
278 pages, Paperback
Published May 14, 2019
1 person is currently reading
57 people want to read
About the author
Kristina Miranda
2 books6 followersI write young adult novels for teens and tweens about empowered girls in fun situations that usually include a dog, or a horse, and a worthy crush.
My upcoming novel, SCRIPTED UNSCRIPTED (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1684423058) is a romantic comedy about a sixteen-year-old girl who gets cast in a TV pilot she wants nothing to do with. (Turner Publishing, May 15, 2019.)
http://www.kristinamiranda.com/
email: authorkmiranda@gmail.com
My upcoming novel, SCRIPTED UNSCRIPTED (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1684423058) is a romantic comedy about a sixteen-year-old girl who gets cast in a TV pilot she wants nothing to do with. (Turner Publishing, May 15, 2019.)
http://www.kristinamiranda.com/
email: authorkmiranda@gmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 17, 2019
Fun facts about me: I haven't ever had the desire to be an actress, but I love Hollywood and celebrities. I'm fascinated with the behind-the-scenes of movies/tv shows. I enjoy a good story about an every-day-normal girl rubbing shoulders with the stars. Of course I had to read this one because it incorporated so many of these interests into this story.
Ellie assists her dad with animal handling for Hollywood movies and tv shows and finds herself acting in the pilot of a new show. In a effort to save her family's business, she ends up navigating the cold, brutal, and lonely world of fame.
The confidence and wisdom that Ellie imparts is atypical of a teen girl her age, but those characteristics made me adore her, especially as a parent. The drama, backstabbing, and good acting allow for an entertaining story, with characters to love and others to hate, but overall, the message and moral of the story is a good one. Mistakes are made and compromises are requested, which makes it hard for some of these characters to stay true to who they are. This is a fun coming-of-age tale, Hollywood style, and I think most teen girls would enjoy it.
One last note--I felt the book ended way too abruptly and would have loved a more solid and complete finale.
Content: mild romance
*I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*
Ellie assists her dad with animal handling for Hollywood movies and tv shows and finds herself acting in the pilot of a new show. In a effort to save her family's business, she ends up navigating the cold, brutal, and lonely world of fame.
The confidence and wisdom that Ellie imparts is atypical of a teen girl her age, but those characteristics made me adore her, especially as a parent. The drama, backstabbing, and good acting allow for an entertaining story, with characters to love and others to hate, but overall, the message and moral of the story is a good one. Mistakes are made and compromises are requested, which makes it hard for some of these characters to stay true to who they are. This is a fun coming-of-age tale, Hollywood style, and I think most teen girls would enjoy it.
One last note--I felt the book ended way too abruptly and would have loved a more solid and complete finale.
Content: mild romance
*I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*
May 11, 2019
Check out this review and others at my blog Too Many Books!
A special thank you to Edelweiss and Turner/Ingram Publisher Services for a free advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
I've read a few stories about teenage stars in Hollywood but this one takes a unique perspective from a teenage animal trainer who stands in and ends up filling a bigger role. Her interactions with the other stars are honestly just so amazing, especially how these things are even able to begin. There is just so much that changes and even the friendships that begin to form are just honestly so cute and I honestly loved them so much, especially how the circumstances change and so do these relationships.
As someone who doesn't have a whole lot of background knowledge, it really seemed like the author knew what she was talking about and I was really able to enjoy the world that was created, even without having any of this base knowledge. The relationships between the actors and the other people that make up Hollywood were absolutely fascinating and I loved to be able to read about all of these things. It's an interesting perspective that from seemed realistic from my point of view.
The pacing was the only major issue for me. The beginning was just so slow but once it actually got into things, it was just so much better. Based on the first bit of the book, I was kind of expecting a three or four star read, but it got so much better and I really appreciated everything that ended up happening after this point. The ending also seemed off, like I wanted more and less at the same time. I'm not sure what exactly I wanted out of it, but the pacing at the beginning and the end was just off, but the vast majority of the middle was great to read and immersed me in the world of Ellie. A few of the minor characters also were just never pinned down in who they were and ended up detracting from the main plot for me.
Overall, this was an enjoyable story that got better as it went along, but some parts were just plain and I wanted more from this story that had great potential. It attempts to tackle some major issues in modern society. I definitely would recommend it for a light summer read about dogs, Hollywood, and discovering friends.
A special thank you to Edelweiss and Turner/Ingram Publisher Services for a free advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
I've read a few stories about teenage stars in Hollywood but this one takes a unique perspective from a teenage animal trainer who stands in and ends up filling a bigger role. Her interactions with the other stars are honestly just so amazing, especially how these things are even able to begin. There is just so much that changes and even the friendships that begin to form are just honestly so cute and I honestly loved them so much, especially how the circumstances change and so do these relationships.
As someone who doesn't have a whole lot of background knowledge, it really seemed like the author knew what she was talking about and I was really able to enjoy the world that was created, even without having any of this base knowledge. The relationships between the actors and the other people that make up Hollywood were absolutely fascinating and I loved to be able to read about all of these things. It's an interesting perspective that from seemed realistic from my point of view.
The pacing was the only major issue for me. The beginning was just so slow but once it actually got into things, it was just so much better. Based on the first bit of the book, I was kind of expecting a three or four star read, but it got so much better and I really appreciated everything that ended up happening after this point. The ending also seemed off, like I wanted more and less at the same time. I'm not sure what exactly I wanted out of it, but the pacing at the beginning and the end was just off, but the vast majority of the middle was great to read and immersed me in the world of Ellie. A few of the minor characters also were just never pinned down in who they were and ended up detracting from the main plot for me.
Overall, this was an enjoyable story that got better as it went along, but some parts were just plain and I wanted more from this story that had great potential. It attempts to tackle some major issues in modern society. I definitely would recommend it for a light summer read about dogs, Hollywood, and discovering friends.
May 21, 2019
Thank you to Kidlit Exchange and to Turner for the ARC of Kristina Miranda’s young adult novel SCRIPTED UNSCRIPTED. All opinions are my own.
Ellie Quinn is happy to be an animal trainer in her dad’s dwindling Hollywood business, serving stars like her diva frenemy Kate Montgomery behind the scenes. But when when Kate’s usual best friend for the studio’s new new teenage sitcom Born in Beverly Hills (could be my age, but I get campy nineties sitcom vibes), doesn’t work out… the producer calls in Ellie as backup.
But Ellie – renamed Elle, “Ellie with out the I” – for the show, doesn’t fit the mold of megastar Kate’s mousy, mediocre best friend for the studio’s. She has too much personality, which doesn’t exactly get her in good with Kate. She has to date who the producer tells her – Kate’s ex, their sleazeball castmate Logan – while watching Kate be made to date her real crush, Cam. (Discovered while picking up his niece at daycare, because… it’s LA).
Alienating the producer means Dad’s business will fail and it’s back to the lettuce farm in Salinas.
Kristina, who is still humble enough to respond to messages from her SCBWI friends, tells me that she’s never worked in TV. However, SCRIPTED UNSCRIPTED reads like a hilarious and heartbreaking tell-all expose of a behind-the-scenes of a Hollywood teen heartthrob publicity machine. This book is a rare if not unique gem in that that we see the uber-rich lifestyle while the brand names are present but constant
Caveat: A scene where much-more-famous Logan forces a kiss on Ellie (of course it ends up in the tabloids) might be triggering to some readers. That aside, SCRIPTED UNSCRIPTED is surprisingly a clean read given its setting.
(Of course, if you take Hollywood gossip magazines to be gospel, you’ll have a huge problem with this book but I’m a writer not a therapist.)
In between all the glamour, Ellie learns about staying true to herself (her Aunt Jess from the lettuce farm is the cautionary tale for if you don’t), navigating a secret romance with hot nice-guy Cam, and making peace with her mom’s death during her birth. The ending is satisfying and just-happy-enough.
In short, debut author and ex-Californian Kristina Miranda takes on a lot in SCRIPTED UNSCRIPTED and crushes it.
SCRIPTED UNSCRIPTED is available now.
Ellie Quinn is happy to be an animal trainer in her dad’s dwindling Hollywood business, serving stars like her diva frenemy Kate Montgomery behind the scenes. But when when Kate’s usual best friend for the studio’s new new teenage sitcom Born in Beverly Hills (could be my age, but I get campy nineties sitcom vibes), doesn’t work out… the producer calls in Ellie as backup.
But Ellie – renamed Elle, “Ellie with out the I” – for the show, doesn’t fit the mold of megastar Kate’s mousy, mediocre best friend for the studio’s. She has too much personality, which doesn’t exactly get her in good with Kate. She has to date who the producer tells her – Kate’s ex, their sleazeball castmate Logan – while watching Kate be made to date her real crush, Cam. (Discovered while picking up his niece at daycare, because… it’s LA).
Alienating the producer means Dad’s business will fail and it’s back to the lettuce farm in Salinas.
Kristina, who is still humble enough to respond to messages from her SCBWI friends, tells me that she’s never worked in TV. However, SCRIPTED UNSCRIPTED reads like a hilarious and heartbreaking tell-all expose of a behind-the-scenes of a Hollywood teen heartthrob publicity machine. This book is a rare if not unique gem in that that we see the uber-rich lifestyle while the brand names are present but constant
Caveat: A scene where much-more-famous Logan forces a kiss on Ellie (of course it ends up in the tabloids) might be triggering to some readers. That aside, SCRIPTED UNSCRIPTED is surprisingly a clean read given its setting.
(Of course, if you take Hollywood gossip magazines to be gospel, you’ll have a huge problem with this book but I’m a writer not a therapist.)
In between all the glamour, Ellie learns about staying true to herself (her Aunt Jess from the lettuce farm is the cautionary tale for if you don’t), navigating a secret romance with hot nice-guy Cam, and making peace with her mom’s death during her birth. The ending is satisfying and just-happy-enough.
In short, debut author and ex-Californian Kristina Miranda takes on a lot in SCRIPTED UNSCRIPTED and crushes it.
SCRIPTED UNSCRIPTED is available now.
April 30, 2019
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Scripted Unscripted is a young-adult read about a former pet caretaker turned rising star, and the struggles in her life with factors such as publicity, finding herself, and love. The main character, Ellie Quinn, loves helping her father take care of the famous star's pets, but is suddenly dragged into the spotlight when a main character in the series is fired. I loved this book because most young adult novels for teenagers today are about very dark things such as depression, while this book was light and happy, easy to get into and very refreshing. The main character, Ellie, is great because she's a very normal, relatable person thrown into a dramatic lifestyle. I also really liked seeing behind the set of a regular day in the life of a hollywood actor because I've never experienced something like that before. While the party scenes were cool, my favorite parts of this book is when the characters were actually in the movie because some of the lines the characters said in the movie were actually what was happening in their real lives, and that was funny! This riveting read is a fantastic book for readers who love dramatic tales of love and loss, all the while behind a Hollywood movie set.
April 20, 2019
This multi-layered book surprised me--in the best of ways. The premise may seem light and airy--a fun, summer read--but I was elated to discover the deeper themes, too. Friendship, family, and loyalty take the reins here, but first-loves play a part, too. Ellie is an animal-loving teen, always more comfortable behind the Hollywood scenes than in them, even when that means working with ungrateful mega-stars. What starts out as a typical good girl vs. bad girl plot-line, turns into a compelling story of friendship. Ellie's compassion for animals, runs just as deep with humans. She learns that everyone has a story, a purpose, and a reason for being. Once you understand someone, you can empathize and maybe, just maybe, even learn to like them. Discovering this about Kate--and to a lesser degree, even other sub-characters--eventually helps Ellie learn truths about herself, too. Truths that help her discover her own passion and purpose in the bright lights of a Hollywood world.
This book includes dogs, so really, I shouldn't have to say more, but honestly, there's so much to love about the novel. I'm a true sucker for a story with heart, and SCRIPTED, UNSCRIPTED delivered!
This book includes dogs, so really, I shouldn't have to say more, but honestly, there's so much to love about the novel. I'm a true sucker for a story with heart, and SCRIPTED, UNSCRIPTED delivered!
May 18, 2019
This one pulled me in from page one and I read it pretty much in one sitting. Ellie is spunky, but vulnerable, caring, but prone to letting her guilt level make bad decisions for her. Others, both human and animal tend to come before her own needs and she has trouble recognizing her own talents. Of course, when you know that your mom died giving you life, that's huge. Being from a family where Dad is now struggling to make ends meet, you've been home schooled all your life and you relate to animals better than people, create further challenges, especially when you're suddenly thrust into the spotlight as a potential rival for a self-centered and very temperamental teen actress. Then there's having your first real feelings for a guy, another teen idol who is messing with your head and the sudden change in the dynamics surrounding the TV series pilot you're now in. Mix all this up and garnish with sudden exposure to tabloids, not to mention a new family crisis at the family lettuce farm and what you have is an extremely satisfying read.
June 18, 2019
I received this as an eARC through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Ellie's father is an animal handler, a job that Ellie hopes to one day have herself. She plans to spend her time helping her father out with his latest TV filming. Her father has been struggling to keep the business afloat, if this TV show isn't a success, they may need to move back to her father's childhood home with her jaded aunt, bratty cousins, and grumpy grandfather. Ellie is desperate for success, even though the lead starlet is a diva, who expects Ellie to babysit her dog. When the second lead is fired in the middle of filming, Ellie is asked to fill in. While she never wanted to be in front of the camera, her desperation pushes her towards it. Ellie is a smashing success and she is shooting sparks with one of the male leads. As the media starts getting involved and the TV show starts creating buzz, Ellie finds that the limelight might be more than she can handle. How can Ellie have everything she wants, is it even possible?
This was a typically teen fluffy novel and a story I have seen many times before. However, it is memorable and I enjoyed the character interactions. However, it will be interesting to see the latinx community's reaction to the novels treatment of their characters. It felt heavy-handed about how to properly treat the latinx community, by someone not part of this community. While it all may be cool, it is a potential stumbling block.
Ellie's father is an animal handler, a job that Ellie hopes to one day have herself. She plans to spend her time helping her father out with his latest TV filming. Her father has been struggling to keep the business afloat, if this TV show isn't a success, they may need to move back to her father's childhood home with her jaded aunt, bratty cousins, and grumpy grandfather. Ellie is desperate for success, even though the lead starlet is a diva, who expects Ellie to babysit her dog. When the second lead is fired in the middle of filming, Ellie is asked to fill in. While she never wanted to be in front of the camera, her desperation pushes her towards it. Ellie is a smashing success and she is shooting sparks with one of the male leads. As the media starts getting involved and the TV show starts creating buzz, Ellie finds that the limelight might be more than she can handle. How can Ellie have everything she wants, is it even possible?
This was a typically teen fluffy novel and a story I have seen many times before. However, it is memorable and I enjoyed the character interactions. However, it will be interesting to see the latinx community's reaction to the novels treatment of their characters. It felt heavy-handed about how to properly treat the latinx community, by someone not part of this community. While it all may be cool, it is a potential stumbling block.
May 15, 2019
Scripted Unscripted is a young-adult novel written by Kristina Miranda tells the story of a former pet caretaker turned rising star. Read along as she struggles to adjust to her new life dealing with publicity, finding herself, and love. An intriguing story with multiple layers of surprise and drama. Scripted Unscripted is a fun, fast-paced airy read that is the perfect summer read. This is not a light read, there are underlying themes of friendship, family, and loyalty with a hint of first love. Miranda has created an interesting storyline with well-written characters that have creative backstories. Scripted Unscripted is a riveting story that is sure to take readers into a dramatic story of love and loss all set behind the lights of a Hollywood movie set.
July 13, 2019
This book was a wonderful read. I fell in love with the main character, Ellie. She is an animal trainer in her dad’s business, but his business isn’t doing well. In a fun turn of events, Ellie is cast in the studio’s famous sitcom, Born in Beverly Hills. Although Ellie would rather be with her animals, she faces the drama and intrigue of the Hollywood world. This is a story about friendship, family, love and finding yourself. Miranda has written a funny and heartfelt story that I fell in love with. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2019
For a more in-depth review watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0HbG...
This was a cute book with a great premise however it never really moved beyond average. The characters and the love story were just okay and the overall narrative felt too familiar.
This was a cute book with a great premise however it never really moved beyond average. The characters and the love story were just okay and the overall narrative felt too familiar.
May 18, 2019
A sweet, fun read with an 'insider' feel about the dangers of Hollywood and fame and the importance of being yourself.
January 14, 2020
Loved it so much, it kept me waiting and on the edge of my seat for the couple in the book. ( Does that even make sense)
April 25, 2019
For a more in-depth review watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0HbG...
Ellie's father is the handler for many animal movie stars and she wants to follow in his footsteps. Unfortunately, Ellie ends up spending a lot of her days babysitting the pets of some of Hollywood's biggest stars. Ellie's life begins to change when the sidekick in a television pilot Ellie and her dad are working on gets fired. The producers have Ellie take the part and she soon finds herself entangled in drama on and off the screen. Ellie is forced to play the love interest for heartthrob Logan but it's her quiet co-star Cam who really catches her eye and maybe her heart.
I was a little disappointed by this book. I wanted a fun a flirty romance but I never really felt like it got there. The premise was great and had a lot of potential but the characters felt a little bland. Also, the relationships didn't quite feel developed enough. Plus, the plot felt a little meandering a slow. This is a perfectly fine teen or tween romance but it never made it to great for me.
I received an eARC of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Ellie's father is the handler for many animal movie stars and she wants to follow in his footsteps. Unfortunately, Ellie ends up spending a lot of her days babysitting the pets of some of Hollywood's biggest stars. Ellie's life begins to change when the sidekick in a television pilot Ellie and her dad are working on gets fired. The producers have Ellie take the part and she soon finds herself entangled in drama on and off the screen. Ellie is forced to play the love interest for heartthrob Logan but it's her quiet co-star Cam who really catches her eye and maybe her heart.
I was a little disappointed by this book. I wanted a fun a flirty romance but I never really felt like it got there. The premise was great and had a lot of potential but the characters felt a little bland. Also, the relationships didn't quite feel developed enough. Plus, the plot felt a little meandering a slow. This is a perfectly fine teen or tween romance but it never made it to great for me.
I received an eARC of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
April 22, 2019
I liked Scripted Unscripted and give it 3.5 stars.
See my full review at Book Series Recaps & Reviews!
See my full review at Book Series Recaps & Reviews!
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