Review: Growing Up Beautiful

Synopsis

In the summer of 1986, three young American women are chosen to join a modeling agency in Europe’s fashion capitol of Milan.

United as roommates by chance, Star, Joanne and Casey soon find their dreamed-of careers as models taking paths as different as their personalities.

Star, who leaves behind her waitress job along with a handful of crumpled up dollar tips, sees her beauty as a way move to the top of Milan’s social strata.

Joanne, raised in a privileged lifestyle, is expected to continue an Ivy League education, which doesn't interest her as much as a young photographer she meets on a casting.

Casey is a naïve seventeen year old who is ready for adventure, even the dangerous kind.

Together, these three learn the funny, unexpected and sometimes ugly truths about growing up beautiful.

Purchase

Review

I started this book a while ago but, struggled to get into it. I think it might have been the fact that I was reading similar books around the time therefore I was slightly disenchanted when I started reading this. However, I recently picked it up after months to discover it is not that bad (once you get into it.) I’m not a big fan of models or celebrities in general however, the synopsis sounded impossible to ignore.

I struggled reviewing this book since I wasn't sure how I felt about it. On one hand Lori Jones is clearly a brilliant author, the book is fluent, well written and in theory I should be head over heels in love with this book. However I didn't relate to any of the characters. I thought they were a tad self obsessed; they started to grate on me a few chapters. Overall it is not the worst book I've read this year but It is definitely not the best, which is shame really because I wanted to love it.

In a few months I might read this again and have a different opinion.