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Star Crazy Me
A brilliant comedy drama from Jean Ure, all about the ups and downs of seeking fame. Carmen is in Year 9 and has serious ambitions to be a rock star. She has a great voice, has taught herself to play the guitar, and with one of her best friends, Josh, actually writes her own songs. The school is having a Top Spot contest for would-be pop stars, and Carmen eagerly puts her name on the list. But when Carmen hears a spiteful girl at her school make comments about her weight, she bunks off school and swears she is never going back…
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
About the author
Jean Ure
269 books123 followersProlific English children and young adult author.
Had her first book published while still in high school, then studied theater at Webber-Douglas in London. Her most well-known work is the Point Crime novel Dance with Death. Others include Plague 99, After the Plague (previously "Come Lucky April"), Big Tom, Family Fan Club and Shrinking Violet, as well as the fantasy The Wizard In the Woods.
Today, Ure is very popular with British female teenage readers with novels such as Shrinking Violet, Family Fan Club and Passion Flower.
Ure has also translated Danish writer Sven Hassel's WWII novels to English.
Had her first book published while still in high school, then studied theater at Webber-Douglas in London. Her most well-known work is the Point Crime novel Dance with Death. Others include Plague 99, After the Plague (previously "Come Lucky April"), Big Tom, Family Fan Club and Shrinking Violet, as well as the fantasy The Wizard In the Woods.
Today, Ure is very popular with British female teenage readers with novels such as Shrinking Violet, Family Fan Club and Passion Flower.
Ure has also translated Danish writer Sven Hassel's WWII novels to English.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
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August 3, 2019Inspiring and Motivating
I really enjoyed this book and I easily was sucked into it. Even though the the age rating says 8-12, I feel that some of the language wasn't appropriate for age 8-9. I would definitely encourage someone to read this!
I really enjoyed this book and I easily was sucked into it. Even though the the age rating says 8-12, I feel that some of the language wasn't appropriate for age 8-9. I would definitely encourage someone to read this!
October 21, 2018
This book is good. Carmen is a well laid out character with friends who support her. SHe overcomes difficulties to get to her target. This is a good popstar lover book.
March 13, 2025
I would rate this a ⭐⭐.25 because I love drama and there was drama but not a lot and I could predict the end from the beginning but I love her writing style
November 6, 2025
DNF
Thought I might enjoy this one about a girl who dreams of becoming a famous rocker...
I didn't actually finish this one so I can't tell you whether the plot gets any better and whether any characters have any development but I can tell you a little about what I've read so far......
I didn't mind Carmen as a character, especially her ambition to become a rockstar. Although, she felt a little flat and one-sided to me (maybe this is because I didn't read the whole book)
The main antagonist of this book is a girl in Carmen's school called Marigold: she is truly horrible. I hated how she mocked Carmen's size. I'm going to add how I personally felt that Marigold felt a little one-dimensional too. (There was zero explanation as to *WHY* she hated Carmen, other than Carmen being plus-size)
Carmen's friends also didn't feel real enough to me. Which is kind of ironic, as Jean Ure characters quite often feel realistic.
There was quite a lot of "secondary school drama" which is something that never particularly interests me. Also her passion for becoming a rockstar didn't seem real enough to me. (And the "lyrics" she and her friend Josh wrote were....ahem....painfully juvenile)
Maybe some younger teen girls would enjoy this book, but I personally couldn't finish it.
Thought I might enjoy this one about a girl who dreams of becoming a famous rocker...
I didn't actually finish this one so I can't tell you whether the plot gets any better and whether any characters have any development but I can tell you a little about what I've read so far......
I didn't mind Carmen as a character, especially her ambition to become a rockstar. Although, she felt a little flat and one-sided to me (maybe this is because I didn't read the whole book)
The main antagonist of this book is a girl in Carmen's school called Marigold: she is truly horrible. I hated how she mocked Carmen's size. I'm going to add how I personally felt that Marigold felt a little one-dimensional too. (There was zero explanation as to *WHY* she hated Carmen, other than Carmen being plus-size)
Carmen's friends also didn't feel real enough to me. Which is kind of ironic, as Jean Ure characters quite often feel realistic.
There was quite a lot of "secondary school drama" which is something that never particularly interests me. Also her passion for becoming a rockstar didn't seem real enough to me. (And the "lyrics" she and her friend Josh wrote were....ahem....painfully juvenile)
Maybe some younger teen girls would enjoy this book, but I personally couldn't finish it.
March 31, 2018
INSEGUENDO I PROPRI SOGNI
La protagonista di questo romanzo è Carmen, che impara l'importanza di credere in se stessi, l'unica cosa che ci permette di volare lontano dai bulli, dai problemi di peso e da quelli famigliari per intraprendere, con l'aiuto di una fata madrina, la strada verso i propri sogni.
L'avrò riletto diecimila volte, sopraffatta dalla maestria con cui sono coniugati i due elementi che sono centrali nella vita di Carmen, il canto e il rapporto con il proprio corpo e col cibo, quelle che definirei le fondamenta della mia esistenza, rigenerante la prima, distruttiva l'altra. Ma, all'epoca, chi avrebbe mai immaginato che la seconda sarebbe divenuta così ingombrante?
La protagonista di questo romanzo è Carmen, che impara l'importanza di credere in se stessi, l'unica cosa che ci permette di volare lontano dai bulli, dai problemi di peso e da quelli famigliari per intraprendere, con l'aiuto di una fata madrina, la strada verso i propri sogni.
L'avrò riletto diecimila volte, sopraffatta dalla maestria con cui sono coniugati i due elementi che sono centrali nella vita di Carmen, il canto e il rapporto con il proprio corpo e col cibo, quelle che definirei le fondamenta della mia esistenza, rigenerante la prima, distruttiva l'altra. Ma, all'epoca, chi avrebbe mai immaginato che la seconda sarebbe divenuta così ingombrante?
September 12, 2009
it was okay.....
July 11, 2013
This book is fantastic!!
July 22, 2013
It was okay I don't find to many books on music
November 14, 2014
I think the book was really good. It was tense at some parts and sad at others. The book always made me want to read on... To sum it up I would recommend it to you!
April 21, 2015
LOVED IT!!!!!
January 27, 2016
My friend lent this to me and at first glance and judging by the blurb I didn't think I'd like it but it was a great book
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews