Seeing Stars by Diane Hammond
Release date: 2010 / 459 pages
Synopsis (from front cover): Ruth Rabinowitz believes. She believes that her daughter, Bethy (now going by Bethany Ann Roosevelt), is a terrific little actress. And if Bethy wants to leave her father, leave her school, leave the Pacific Northwest for a crappy studio apartment in LA and a merry-go-round of auditions, classes, coaching, and callbacks — well, Ruth will try and lead the way.
First line: “Ruth Rabinowitz had a waking nightmare that she had hit a transvestite crossing Highland at Hollywood Boulevard.”
Review: I loved Hammond’s Hannah’s Dream — and have recommended it often — so when TLC Book Tours contacted me about reviewing an ARC of Seeing Stars, I jumped at the chance without even reading the premise or plot synopsis — and what a surprise this novel was!
Seeing Stars is about child actors in Hollywood and the mothers behind them. Now, I cannot even imagine wanting to be famous, certainly not an actor, and the thought of peddling a child in this industry is quite honestly repugnant. But, I know that many, many Americans seek this dream — I actually love watching American Idol and even America’s Next Top Model (eek!) – so watching the journey to stardom unfold from the “inside” was actually quite interesting.
Hammond’s take on Hollywood is refreshingly realistic — the monetary cost of Los Angeles, the “orphans” (children whose parents leave them in L.A. under the “guidance” of a talent manager), the relentless optimism and inevitable disappointment — and resulted in an engaging tale.
Note the opening monologue:
The thing about Hollywood is it makes you doubt yourself — your identity, your judgment, your motivation, your parenting — because you are trafficking in children. Harsh but true…”
The characters are well-developed and quite fascinating. Even though I could not imagine why Ruth left her home and lovely husband to ”shop” her fourteen-year-old daughter, I still liked her well-enough and loved sweet, sincere Bethy, who describes her interest in acting in the following manner:
What Bethany loved most about acting was that you could take yourself off like a coat and put on somebody else — usually someone you liked a lot better. No one else knew, not even her best friend, Rianne, but for years she had walked around as Courage Girl…
The more damaged characters were especially interesting and never became caricatures. I had great empathy and compassion for both wayward Quinn and misguided Allison and loved the heartbreaking scene of viewing the life Bethy and Ruth had left behind to seek fame through the eyes of Allison. A dark, unsettled premonition colored Quinn and Allison’s stories, and the resolution of each was both believable and satisfying.
Now, myprimary reservation with the novel involved its length — 459 pages was way too long, but fortunately the novel is fast-paced and enjoyable. Personally, I would have cut out Angie and Laurel’s plotline, neither of whom we get to know as well as the other characters and their story was too specific to add to the overall meaning of the novel.
However, otherwise I found this an interesting peek into a life so many endure in order to procure a life I can’t imagine living…
Interested? Please drop me a comment and I’ll choose a winner by Saturday!
Interested in what other’s thought about this novel?
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Thursday, April 8th: A Sea of Books
Monday, April 12th: Confessions…of a Real Librarian
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Friday, April 16th: Café of Dreams
Wednesday, April 21st: Book Club Classics!
Sounds like a good one to add to my summer reading list:)
Thanks Kristen!
~Renee
Thanks for the giveaway.
Please include me…I enjoyed Hannah’s Dream and know this too would be an enjoyable read!
Sounds interesting to me. Love to read it. Please enter me. Thanks!
Sounds great – please include me!
I love your perspective on books. It’s always very fascinating and makes me wish I was in a book club with you.
I love American Idol too, and that first quote you gave about Hollywood making you doubt yourself…wow. Powerful.
Thank you, Trish! I’m so glad to see interest in Hammond’s latest work — I do think many readers would enjoy this even more than I did!
Definitely count me in! Thanks.
I’d love to read this!
I love the sounds of this book. Would love to be included.
Thanks for the chance.
sharon54220@gmail.com
I just looked at this book today at the bookstore. It looks like a good read. Count me in.