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Model Student: A Tale of Co-eds and Cover Girls
It’s the late 1980s—hair is big, Lycra is rampant, and supermodels rule the earth. Every girl in America dreams of becoming the next Cindy, Claudia, or Naomi, and seventeen-year-old Emily Woods is no different. She looks different, though—striking enough to start a career. Despite the protestations of her hippie parents, she plunges into the glamorous but grueling world of professional modeling. But Emily is more than just a small-town beauty with stars in her She’s been accepted to Columbia University, and she’s not about to let couture and klieg lights get in the way of an Ivy League education.
Thus begins Emily’s double cramming for a final at an exotic swimsuit shoot in the Caribbean; fighting the freshman fifteen to avoid the wrath of her agent; owning a closet full of Versace but nothing to wear to a frat party; sitting in a women’s studies class while ads featuring girls she knows are picked apart; juggling the attention of both college guys and the sought-after fashion photographer of the moment.
But as Emily pursues her chic fantasy of Vogue covers and prestigious cosmetic campaigns, her priorities start to shift. In the ultra-competitive quest for supermodel fame and fortune, strutting off the runway to study Shakespeare might mean letting another pretty face snag her stilettos, and Emily’s thisclose to getting a leg up on her dreams.
Before long, the seamier side of the fashion industry—cocaine and cads, collagen and implants, fad diets and eating disorders—becomes close up and personal. All of a sudden, Emily realizes how far she’s strayed from her dream of having it all. With sliding grades that threaten her future at Columbia and spotty bookings that put her career as a model in question, Emily is finally forced to make a choice between style and substance.
Dazzling, dramatic, and as real as it gets, Model Student shines a spotlight behind the scenes and reminds us why you can’t judge a book by its cover girl.
From the Hardcover edition.
Thus begins Emily’s double cramming for a final at an exotic swimsuit shoot in the Caribbean; fighting the freshman fifteen to avoid the wrath of her agent; owning a closet full of Versace but nothing to wear to a frat party; sitting in a women’s studies class while ads featuring girls she knows are picked apart; juggling the attention of both college guys and the sought-after fashion photographer of the moment.
But as Emily pursues her chic fantasy of Vogue covers and prestigious cosmetic campaigns, her priorities start to shift. In the ultra-competitive quest for supermodel fame and fortune, strutting off the runway to study Shakespeare might mean letting another pretty face snag her stilettos, and Emily’s thisclose to getting a leg up on her dreams.
Before long, the seamier side of the fashion industry—cocaine and cads, collagen and implants, fad diets and eating disorders—becomes close up and personal. All of a sudden, Emily realizes how far she’s strayed from her dream of having it all. With sliding grades that threaten her future at Columbia and spotty bookings that put her career as a model in question, Emily is finally forced to make a choice between style and substance.
Dazzling, dramatic, and as real as it gets, Model Student shines a spotlight behind the scenes and reminds us why you can’t judge a book by its cover girl.
From the Hardcover edition.
383 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
August 9, 2007
The main character is named Emily, is from Wisconsin, and moves to New York City to go to college and pursue a modeling career. I was hoping for some real steamy, decadent, cat-fighting, coke-snorting, maid-slapping action, but this is a pretty tame tale of the seedy world of modeling. Sure there is some drug use, an affair with a married photographer and the requisite dieting drama but in this world of cracked-out celebs and over-the-top bad girls it's just not enough. The reading is fast, but not very rewarding and the characters are boring. The author is obviously using her own life as the basis for the story but it is not nearly as revealing, entertaining or compelling as it could be. Valley of the Dolls still reigns supreme as the ultimate look at the nefarious world of celebrity, glamour and money.
October 17, 2013
I thought I would have enjoyed this, but it instead recalled what could be so bland about the 80s--supermodels and the girls who wanna be them. The novel wasn't totally cliched though and was probably based on the author's own working days as a model and college student. And the reader will recoil from some of the sleaziness of the industry, the mindless want and consumption of expensive designer clothes, and naked ambition. Wish I had read "The Devil Wears Prada" instead.
March 4, 2012
This is a dumb book.
December 2, 2008
It was an interesting look at the model industry. It read like a memoir, though it wasn't (or, ostensibly wasn't). I feel like I learned a lot about both the upsides and downsides of modeling.
October 20, 2012
I hated this book. The book dragged on and on (it was entirely too long) was about nothing really and wasn't well written. I only finished it because I hate stopping books, once I've started.
May 22, 2022
This would have been a wonderful memoir, and I think it should have been. Unfortunately, however, I did not enjoy this book.
Every character was intensely unlikeable, including the main character. You don't root for anyone, it's like watching a forest fire for millions of years with no ending in sight. There's no joy, you're just reading about the entitled rich people at the top of our society and wanting to strangle them. I admit, it does shed light on some serious issues in the modeling world. But, other books have done so much better. The writing itself was also very clunky. In general, I'd describe this book as uncomfortable.
Every character was intensely unlikeable, including the main character. You don't root for anyone, it's like watching a forest fire for millions of years with no ending in sight. There's no joy, you're just reading about the entitled rich people at the top of our society and wanting to strangle them. I admit, it does shed light on some serious issues in the modeling world. But, other books have done so much better. The writing itself was also very clunky. In general, I'd describe this book as uncomfortable.
June 4, 2021
A really good read about the modeling world from the perspective of a former model.
October 1, 2024
OK. This was a guilty pleasure read for me. I used to enjoy watching “America’s Next Top Model,” and this gave me the same nutritionless entertainment with all the over-the-top details and characters of the modeling world in the 90s.
It’s about a Columbia student who wants to be the next top supermodel, to the sacrifice of friends, academia, health, and family. Will she be the next top model? Read on.
Will I remember any of the plot and people in this book a month from now? Nope. But pass the popcorn.
It’s about a Columbia student who wants to be the next top supermodel, to the sacrifice of friends, academia, health, and family. Will she be the next top model? Read on.
Will I remember any of the plot and people in this book a month from now? Nope. But pass the popcorn.
August 20, 2015
IQ "this conversation has geopolitical overtones that I didn't anticipate-and I'd like to express this by insulting Iceland, though truthfully, and perhaps because I am American, I know nothing about the country." Emily, 201
In this day and age it seems far better to go the acting or singing route to become famous than to be a model, you basically get all the perks (covers, access to fashion, access to famous people) with the added bonus that you are more likely able to afford the clothes you model and won't be forced to share a room with bulimic cokeheads. America's Next Top Model did a good job of any preconceived notions I had about the modeling world being all glitz and glamour but I read this book in the hopes of understanding why anyone would pursue this as a career and I still don't get it. Emily used a lot of the money to pay for college, makes sense. But then she has second thoughts about college...I guess you can always go back to school and you won't be young and beautiful forever but I still wish the author had spent more time focusing on the non-material reasons Emily wanted to be a model (because she claimed she knew nothing about fashion so it couldn't be material based). Bear in mind going into this novel that it's sent in the '80s and '90s and thus everyone might not have known what Barney's was outside of major U.S. cities or known how to reach out to people to dig up research/personal information on people in the business (I say this because I totally forgot and didn't understand why Emily didn't just google things).
I did love Emily's snark as portrayed in the selected quote. The author realistically explores the feelings of superiority that likely occur when one is in a high-profile profession and Emily is quick to forget about the little people/grow annoyed by them. This bummed me out because her college friends seemed a lot more interesting than she did and her poor hometown Wisconsin friend got dropped super fast even though she was friends with her when Emily was a nobody. But she gets no credit for that, only mockery because she doesn't support Emily's coke habit. Emily's a jerk but this was made easier to stomach because I appreciated her literary references, it's too bad that her love of Tom Jones/cads became all too real in her own life. Ultimately I didn't mind that Emily wasn't a nice person, I minded that I cared very little about her journey or her decision of modeling vs. college. It especially irked me that she didn't want to go abroad. I also wish the epilogue had been better explained. It does include makeup and photography tips though if you're into that sort of thing, a nice bonus I suppose.
In this day and age it seems far better to go the acting or singing route to become famous than to be a model, you basically get all the perks (covers, access to fashion, access to famous people) with the added bonus that you are more likely able to afford the clothes you model and won't be forced to share a room with bulimic cokeheads. America's Next Top Model did a good job of any preconceived notions I had about the modeling world being all glitz and glamour but I read this book in the hopes of understanding why anyone would pursue this as a career and I still don't get it. Emily used a lot of the money to pay for college, makes sense. But then she has second thoughts about college...I guess you can always go back to school and you won't be young and beautiful forever but I still wish the author had spent more time focusing on the non-material reasons Emily wanted to be a model (because she claimed she knew nothing about fashion so it couldn't be material based). Bear in mind going into this novel that it's sent in the '80s and '90s and thus everyone might not have known what Barney's was outside of major U.S. cities or known how to reach out to people to dig up research/personal information on people in the business (I say this because I totally forgot and didn't understand why Emily didn't just google things).
I did love Emily's snark as portrayed in the selected quote. The author realistically explores the feelings of superiority that likely occur when one is in a high-profile profession and Emily is quick to forget about the little people/grow annoyed by them. This bummed me out because her college friends seemed a lot more interesting than she did and her poor hometown Wisconsin friend got dropped super fast even though she was friends with her when Emily was a nobody. But she gets no credit for that, only mockery because she doesn't support Emily's coke habit. Emily's a jerk but this was made easier to stomach because I appreciated her literary references, it's too bad that her love of Tom Jones/cads became all too real in her own life. Ultimately I didn't mind that Emily wasn't a nice person, I minded that I cared very little about her journey or her decision of modeling vs. college. It especially irked me that she didn't want to go abroad. I also wish the epilogue had been better explained. It does include makeup and photography tips though if you're into that sort of thing, a nice bonus I suppose.
April 24, 2009
More book stash.
And it was stash for a reason. Yet another one in an unfortunately long line of roman à clef novels that focus on "à clef" part and forget altogether the "roman." In other words, a thinly disguised memoir that decides its heroine is so fascinating, there's no need to add in the usual requirements of a novel such as plot, characterization, rising action or theme. While the writing is nowhere near as clunky as Karen Yampolsky's "Falling Out of Fashion," author Hazelwood forgets to make us care about the trials and tribulations of her alter ego, which boil down to: Study at at Columbia University, or jet around the world as an admittedly second-tier but still lucratively paid model?
The problem is that neither option really sucks, and the heroine stumbles at both not because of some Faustian deal for her soul, but because she can't fully commit to either. Whining that someone else took your place as a Vogue cover girl and thus the world's next supermodel because you were in a snit and didn't return your agent's phone calls does not exactly make the reader warm to you. Whining about your grades at Columbia because you were on a beach getting paid (and high) also does not make the reader warm to you. The main character doesn't seem to have idea of what she wants, except to be rich and famous without putting any work into it. And it seems to come as a surprise to her when she discovers she has to make an effort at studying as well.
If you are interested in the modeling world in the late '80s, there are some good insider gossip scenes. Kate Moss makes a cameo, and the agency wars are touched on. However, if you are looking for insight into what it takes to be a supermodel and the caveats/drawbacks/perks, this isn't the book. The heroine is ultimately not successful as a model because she can't fully commit to either life, yet there is precious self-awareness or life lessons gleaned. She does take the high moral road in the end, but mostly it seems because she can't book the really big international ad campaign as opposed to any firm ethics or convictions.
And it was stash for a reason. Yet another one in an unfortunately long line of roman à clef novels that focus on "à clef" part and forget altogether the "roman." In other words, a thinly disguised memoir that decides its heroine is so fascinating, there's no need to add in the usual requirements of a novel such as plot, characterization, rising action or theme. While the writing is nowhere near as clunky as Karen Yampolsky's "Falling Out of Fashion," author Hazelwood forgets to make us care about the trials and tribulations of her alter ego, which boil down to: Study at at Columbia University, or jet around the world as an admittedly second-tier but still lucratively paid model?
The problem is that neither option really sucks, and the heroine stumbles at both not because of some Faustian deal for her soul, but because she can't fully commit to either. Whining that someone else took your place as a Vogue cover girl and thus the world's next supermodel because you were in a snit and didn't return your agent's phone calls does not exactly make the reader warm to you. Whining about your grades at Columbia because you were on a beach getting paid (and high) also does not make the reader warm to you. The main character doesn't seem to have idea of what she wants, except to be rich and famous without putting any work into it. And it seems to come as a surprise to her when she discovers she has to make an effort at studying as well.
If you are interested in the modeling world in the late '80s, there are some good insider gossip scenes. Kate Moss makes a cameo, and the agency wars are touched on. However, if you are looking for insight into what it takes to be a supermodel and the caveats/drawbacks/perks, this isn't the book. The heroine is ultimately not successful as a model because she can't fully commit to either life, yet there is precious self-awareness or life lessons gleaned. She does take the high moral road in the end, but mostly it seems because she can't book the really big international ad campaign as opposed to any firm ethics or convictions.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2011
For a book that should be a light read, ‘Model Student’ does a good job being informative and serious. Even if you aren’t into modeling/fashion tales you still might enjoy this book. Unlike the Cinderella theme the title implies, ‘Model’ is far from a fairytale. Obviously semi-autobiographical by first time novelist Robin Hazelwood, ‘Model’ is more about the dark side of the profession than about all the glamour starry-eyed teens would hope for.
Emily Woods is one of those starry-eyed teens from the Midwest when the story begins. Raised by hippy parents who are proud their only daughter got into Columbia, they see her part-time job as something that will help her pay for college but not be her full-time profession. Like any co-ed faced with a world of temptation, Woods soon finds herself exposed and submitting to drugs, eating disorders, and sexual exploitation – along with living what appears to be a double life juggling demands between being a student and being a model.
What I liked about this book was that it didn’t sugarcoat the seduction of modeling. Woods is sucked up by the profession with promises of becoming the next Cindy Crawford along with making pretty good paychecks, yet she is never quite at the right place at the right time. Like a heroin addict chasing a high she follows professional advice even though such advice takes her further from her life as a student…and most of the time her goals for being a model.
Unlike most chick lit (in this case chic lit) there is not a central romance although a few chapters are devoted to a romantic adventure. Woods is primarily struggling with an inner conflict which does make a compelling read. The weaknesses of ‘Model; include an ending which was cliché-ish and secondary characters that were as well drawn out as an average kindergartener’s depiction of their house.
I would recommend ‘Model’ for anyone interested in the fashion biz – it is far better than most of the offerings out there which use ‘Vogue’ magazine as plot device. And for the starry-eyed teens who may still aspire to the world of modeling ‘Model Student’ is definitely a cautionary tale.
Emily Woods is one of those starry-eyed teens from the Midwest when the story begins. Raised by hippy parents who are proud their only daughter got into Columbia, they see her part-time job as something that will help her pay for college but not be her full-time profession. Like any co-ed faced with a world of temptation, Woods soon finds herself exposed and submitting to drugs, eating disorders, and sexual exploitation – along with living what appears to be a double life juggling demands between being a student and being a model.
What I liked about this book was that it didn’t sugarcoat the seduction of modeling. Woods is sucked up by the profession with promises of becoming the next Cindy Crawford along with making pretty good paychecks, yet she is never quite at the right place at the right time. Like a heroin addict chasing a high she follows professional advice even though such advice takes her further from her life as a student…and most of the time her goals for being a model.
Unlike most chick lit (in this case chic lit) there is not a central romance although a few chapters are devoted to a romantic adventure. Woods is primarily struggling with an inner conflict which does make a compelling read. The weaknesses of ‘Model; include an ending which was cliché-ish and secondary characters that were as well drawn out as an average kindergartener’s depiction of their house.
I would recommend ‘Model’ for anyone interested in the fashion biz – it is far better than most of the offerings out there which use ‘Vogue’ magazine as plot device. And for the starry-eyed teens who may still aspire to the world of modeling ‘Model Student’ is definitely a cautionary tale.
February 14, 2008
This book was a throwaway from my little sister, who couldn't finish it. I actually loved it - I couldn't put it down! There are several reasons for that.
First of all, it's written by a former model and it gives a great insider's look at the fashion and modeling industries. I LOVED reading about that; I mean, she even included beauty tricks that the models and designers use (it's in the narrative, not a separate section)! The beautiful is complemented by the ugly (cocaine and double-timing modeling agents). It's just great.
Another reason I couldn't put it down was because of the glorious double entendre that the title suggests: Will the main character (can't remember her name!) be a model, a student, or can she pull off both? (Hint: You won't find out 'til the end, so keep reading!)
Anyone interested in the fashion industry or modeling should totally pick this up and give it a chance.
First of all, it's written by a former model and it gives a great insider's look at the fashion and modeling industries. I LOVED reading about that; I mean, she even included beauty tricks that the models and designers use (it's in the narrative, not a separate section)! The beautiful is complemented by the ugly (cocaine and double-timing modeling agents). It's just great.
Another reason I couldn't put it down was because of the glorious double entendre that the title suggests: Will the main character (can't remember her name!) be a model, a student, or can she pull off both? (Hint: You won't find out 'til the end, so keep reading!)
Anyone interested in the fashion industry or modeling should totally pick this up and give it a chance.
February 3, 2016
Wow. This book has a lot of good reviews. Unfortunately I did not feel the same - this one just wasn't for me.
When I bought this book I thought it would be great to see how the other half live - a day in the life of a model! Instead I found myself immersed in the author writing about her glory days in a tone that reeked of "I'm better than everyone because I go to COLUMBIA" and yet somehow that wouldn't help her book jobs. Huh. You don't say. Then if she didn't book a job - ohhhh let the whining and the blaming begin! A few insights into the world of modeling (drugs, modelizers, etc) no plot and a whiny main character who can't make up her mind and wants everything handed to her on a silver platter and cries when it's not (I mean she goes to COLUMBIA after all! Book her now!) makes this a story that I struggled to finish and cheered when I did.
When I bought this book I thought it would be great to see how the other half live - a day in the life of a model! Instead I found myself immersed in the author writing about her glory days in a tone that reeked of "I'm better than everyone because I go to COLUMBIA" and yet somehow that wouldn't help her book jobs. Huh. You don't say. Then if she didn't book a job - ohhhh let the whining and the blaming begin! A few insights into the world of modeling (drugs, modelizers, etc) no plot and a whiny main character who can't make up her mind and wants everything handed to her on a silver platter and cries when it's not (I mean she goes to COLUMBIA after all! Book her now!) makes this a story that I struggled to finish and cheered when I did.
May 12, 2009
There's not much to say about this book -- in between four letter words and lines of coke, there's a story here about a nice midwestern girl who becomes a model in the late 80s, the time of the supermodel. She goes down all the wrong, but predictable, paths, and completely sells out, but in the end she quits the business and gets a real life, finishing her degree at Columbia. The sad thing is, the book is written by a woman who was a model in the 80s and 90s, and who graduated from Yale. Something tells me this is ever-so-slightly autobiographical. How depressing, although I'll admit the author's picture on the back flap is drop-dead gorgeous. From the reviews, it appears that the novel, though fictional, is very realistic. If that's how life is for the tall and lovely of the world, they can have it.
July 7, 2010
I was reading a much more serious book and decided I needed something a little lighter for the summer. This book did the trick!
It's the story of Emily, a young girl just starting out in the modeling business. She is also new to the college scene as a freshman at Columbia. Emily has to figure out how to juggle both things that she loves - education and her burgeoning career. Will one trump the other? Will she get swept up in a scene she's not sure of? Will she find a boyfriend in the process?
Just the kind of book I wanted for my 4th of July weekend! I loved it because it was quick and because it held my interest. Plus it was written by a former model and I think she must have based some of the story on her own experiences. Pure fun!
It's the story of Emily, a young girl just starting out in the modeling business. She is also new to the college scene as a freshman at Columbia. Emily has to figure out how to juggle both things that she loves - education and her burgeoning career. Will one trump the other? Will she get swept up in a scene she's not sure of? Will she find a boyfriend in the process?
Just the kind of book I wanted for my 4th of July weekend! I loved it because it was quick and because it held my interest. Plus it was written by a former model and I think she must have based some of the story on her own experiences. Pure fun!
August 3, 2015
Really well written book that gives an insiders glimpse of the modeling world. Emily starts modeling in her small town of Wisconsin during high school. She takes a brief trip to LA, when those modeling options on the West Coast don't pan out she heads to the East Coast, with the intent to juggle her pursuit of modeling while a full time student at Columbia undergrad. The demands on her time at both college and modeling make this an ever more challenging goal. Ultimately either her modeling career or her studies suffer. She alternates her focus, but ultimately she must chose one path, as the stakes get higher and higher. You wind up routing for Emily even when you know she makes the wrong choices (and so does she to a certain extent). Enjoyable, entertaining, and interesting read!
August 9, 2011
I loved this book! I found it a dollar store. $1 well spent! What I loved about this book was how much I could relate to it. It focuses on a girl in college like me. The similarites pretty much end there but it was a great story. I feel that there are few great stories that have realistic college students as main characters. Even though she is dealing with a modeling career, she is also dealing with finals and frat parties. This book really examines the pressure that a lot of college students feel trying to balance everything. This is one of the best modern and realistic books I have ever read!
June 20, 2007
for some reason, i have a first edition signed copy of this book. i imagine it's because i got seduced at b&n.
anyway, it's the story of a girl who tries to balance modeling and being a student at columbia (which is of course what suckered me in) and it's pretty formulaic. i mean, if you've seen an episode of america's next top model, you pretty much have read this book. however, the ending deserves merit, and is why it gets three stars instead of less.
plus it's a first novel. maybe she'll grow?
anyway, it's the story of a girl who tries to balance modeling and being a student at columbia (which is of course what suckered me in) and it's pretty formulaic. i mean, if you've seen an episode of america's next top model, you pretty much have read this book. however, the ending deserves merit, and is why it gets three stars instead of less.
plus it's a first novel. maybe she'll grow?
March 15, 2011
Overall, this book was not well written and I ended up having to put it down halfway. Between the overuse of swearing and drug use, I couldn't continue to let myself read such depressing literature. This would be a good book for the beach or somewhere that you don't need much concentration for, as the plot wasn't well formed and was just not interesting. As a writer, I learned that it's better to appeal to a wider audience and cut down the negative swearing and drug references than it is to appeal to such a selective group.
March 22, 2012
Alright, I got a confession to make, top model shows are my guilty pleasure, and since megaupload is no longer, and I am currently not watching ANTM re-runs I am living vicariously through books. I do not understand this, and as a feminist, the shows annoy me but it is so entertaining. Move aside Jersey Shore give me my model drama. Ahem.
This is a pretty good book filled with drugs, sex scandals, and delicious model drama. Time well wasted. :D
I need to find more model books stat! Feel free to recommend. :D
This is a pretty good book filled with drugs, sex scandals, and delicious model drama. Time well wasted. :D
I need to find more model books stat! Feel free to recommend. :D
July 20, 2012
I always have a hard time finding fiction above YA that engages or appeals to me. This one did that, absolutely. I feel like I sh/could have issues with some of its slightly more adult themes, but they were minor and eclipsed by the fast-paced fun. It ended up being a little darker than expected, but dark in ways that are fun to read, like screaming catalog photographers and drugs and the pressure to do racy shoots (told in a way that actually shows you why someone would succumb to the pressure even if they start out thinking they'd never do that).
April 30, 2008
A thinly veiled memoir of a girl who modelled in the 80's while attending an Ivy League school, this book suffers from the flaw of many thinly veiled memoirs: there are a number of half fleshed out characters who seem to only be included as 'nods' to the real person in the author's life.
That said, it's actually decently well written for a book of its kind, and the author/main character seems too snarkily intelligent for her end goal. I read it at a feverish pace.
That said, it's actually decently well written for a book of its kind, and the author/main character seems too snarkily intelligent for her end goal. I read it at a feverish pace.
August 4, 2009
I bought this for the beach and read it on beach and it was extremely entertaining for the beach. About par for this type of book. It is a pretty accurate depiction of the industry from the viewpoint of one of its less "super" models. This book takes the glamor off an industry that--even when showing its skeletons--is way too glamorized. It's a refreshing look and still fun enough for the beach.
July 1, 2018
This book held my interest, with its easy narrative tone and the voyeuristic insights into the world of modeling. The main character. Emily, who's trying to straddle the worlds of top modeling with the ivy league, is likable, and she manages to dabble in eating disorders, drugs, exploitation, and shallowness without being fully taken over by any of them. When I closed the book, though, I felt like I'd eaten an air sandwich on fluffy bread. Was there any there there?
February 4, 2013
I loved this insider's look at the modeling industry in the 90s (the author was a model, so I'm guessing most of the book was pretty autobiographical). The main character was very likable- a pretty, friendly, smart, hard-working girl from the mid-west who is going to school at Columbia while maintaining a very impressive modeling career. There were lots of ups and downs during a few years of this girl's life, and through it all I was hooked. A fun, light read.
December 29, 2013
I enjoyed this story-- loved the 80s references to Duran Duran and big hair and the crazy adventures of Emily Woods. The narrator was likable and interesting, if sometimes obnoxiously self-absorbed (probably no moreso than the typical 18-21 year old), and Robin Hazelwood was able to realistically portray her experiences and struggles. The story was a bit formulaic and predictable, but other than that, it was a very fun novel.
August 21, 2007
I really liked this book. I work with a lot of young models, and it felt like the main character was just like another one of the girls whom I had met.
It gives you all the enticing stuff that people expect from the modelling industry at first, then the reality/fantasized reality hits.
It gives you all the enticing stuff that people expect from the modelling industry at first, then the reality/fantasized reality hits.
April 26, 2011
Meh. I do like reading about the glamorous life, but this story seemed kind of all over the place. It took a while to get through, mostly because it just wasn't a page turner. It was fun to read, but not awesome.
October 3, 2008
cute, easy read, nothing fantastic.
March 11, 2010
Fun to read at the gym, but not much substance. The plot also jumped without warning so I often had to look back and remind myself who the various characters were.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews