Mary Kennedy Confessions of an Almost Movie Star

Confessions of an Almost Movie Star

Mary Kennedy

Berkley, Jul 2005, $8.99, 240 pp.

ISBN: 0425204677

Fearless Productions arranges to shoot a movie starring teen heartthrob Shane Rockett at Fairmont Academy for Girls. The film Reckless Summer will use students as extras, but one lucky female will star as Shane's romantic interest. Several are selected, but shocking everyone, especially herself, Jessie Phillips gets the part.

Anyone can see the attraction between Jessie and Shane, though both are seeing others. Jessie struggles to remain faithful to her boyfriend Marc, who was away at school but arrived on the set while Shane is seeing starlet Heidi Hopkins. However, things start turning ugly when someone tells all to the tabloids. Shane, his manager and the filmmakers angrily assume Jessie and her best friend Tracy did the deed. Jessie and Tracy try to prove otherwise, as they believe jealous student Alexis Bright blabbed, but set it up so that Jessie takes the fall. Things turn even uglier when an arson fire occurs, and a robbery happens with Jessie and Tracy once again in the middle.

CONFESSIONS OF AN ALMOST MOVIE STAR is a fantastic teen amateur sleuth tale, that fans, especially high school age will enjoy, though older readers like this geriatric reviewer loved the novel too. The storyline is fast-paced as Jessie, accompanied by her sidekick, seems to land in one frying pan after another, besides dealing with typical high school woes. Readers will appreciate Mary Kennedy's fine thriller that avoids dumbing down; instead the author assumes her audience can think, chew gum (sugar-free for us older fans) and read at the same time.