Twelve-year-old Brittany Rush is the toast of the commercial and print advertising scene. Ever since she was a gurgling baby and was discovered to become the face of Good Baby formula, she hasn’t known a life where her face hasn’t graced television screens, magazine pages, or massive displays in fast food restaurants. Other girls cower when she walks into auditions and her prestigious agent practically worships the ground she walks on. To Brittany, life is lights, makeup, and pretense. And she loves every minute of it. But when her mother, a journalist, is transferred to Hong Kong for a year, Brittany has no choice but to leave the world she loves. At least she’s content in the knowledge that it’s just a year. A year can’t change much, can’t alter her status and fame. Right? Wrong. Because when Brittany returns to New York, her agent tells her that everything has changed. Being thirteen is way different than being twelve, and Phoebe, a girl who previously couldn’t even remember her lines, is now booking jobs left and right. Brittany is left in the dust, relegated to “friend” status while Phoebe shines in the limelight. But Brittany soon has a plan to bring Phoebe down. But will her guilt–and a burgeoning interest in both Phoebe’s brother Liam and a new art class–get in the way of the career she yearns to regain?
Famous for Thirty Seconds by P.G. Kain
Famous for Thirty Seconds, the first book in P.G. Kain’s new Commercial Breaks series, was a cute, fun, fast read that, while quite predictable, still managed to hold my attention. Brittany’s determined, bubbly personality will appeal to many readers. and I was quite surprised to discover that P.G. Kain is a male, as the female voice is quite realistic. The behind-the-scene details of the world of commercial and print casting were fascinating and detailed, and you can tell that the author has experience in the field. In fact, a lot of these inside details reminded me a lot of Jen Calonita’s Secrets of My Hollywood Life series, if with a younger tone here.
However, something about Brittany’s character rubbed me the wrong way. While her transformation from a determined career girl to a more well-adapted and well-rounded tween was the point of the story, this transformation almost seemed too rushed, the conclusion too sudden and pat. Similarly, her “before” side often seemed too ruthless and determined, almost to the detriment of the character’s likability.
Nevertheless, I definitely enjoyed this one, and my middle school self would have gobbled up the glamorous details of Brittany’s life. Hand this off to fans of Lauren Barnholdt’s middle grade books. I can also see fans of Lisa Yee and of Lauren Myracle’s middle grade books liking this one.
Disclosure: Copy received from the author for review.