Hollywood Nobody

Hollywood Nobody #1

by Lisa Samson

Fifteen-year-old Scotty Dawn has spent her young life on the road, traveling to movie sets with her single mom, Charley, a food designer. Yet even though Scotty is wise beyond her years, she still struggles to find her identity. Complicating matters is a mother who offers no guidance and a father she's never met.

Now Scotty is determined to discover what she wants from life. She's even documenting the journey on her "Hollywood Nobody" blog. But as Scotty begins to find dark answers to tough questions, will her story have a happy ending?

The first in a series, Hollywood Nobody is a novel for teen girls that examines real issues with honesty and humor. Enhancing the book's themes, the story includes journal and blog entries as well as screenplay dialog, providing an engaging experience for readers.

Genres: Young Adult, Christian Fiction, Christian, Fiction, Chick Lit, Teen, Contemporary

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 24, 2007

About the author

The Christy-award winning author of nineteen books including the Women of Faith Novel of the Year Quaker Summer, Lisa Samson has been hailed by Publishers Weekly as "a talented novelist who isn't afraid to take risks." She lives in Kentucky with her husband and three kids.

Also, published under the name L.L. Samson

Reviews

[Dianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

What attracts you most about a book? For me it is definitely the cover, the first thing I noticed about the cover of this book was the girl’s cat glasses and the scooter. Who wears cat glasses now a days? Scotty Dawn does! She is fifteen, LOVES cheese, and is home schooled. She lives with Charley her vegan mom in an RV nicknamed the Y. Charley is a food stylist for low-budget films,so they travel a lot. Scotty starts a blog called “Hollywood Nobody” where she writes about all the latest new in hollywood. Because of Scotty’s life on the road she doesn’t have many friends, Charley is very secretive and they are always running, always hiding from someone, but who? She isn’t even allowed to give out her phone number and they never ever pay with something the can be traced back to. So who are they running from? When she goes looking for answers to all her questions, some may be to hard for her to handle. What will happen??

I give this book four stars. The story was very original and unique, and I just loved the way it was written. For a fun and quick read I definitly do recommend it.

[Melissa (Always Behind) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute short YA novel about the daughter of a weird Hollywood food stylist. Light spiritual content.
The first book in Christy Award
winner Samson's new series introduces Scotty, an astutely mature 15-year-old
girl. Although the plot is unusual
and interesting, her spiritual journey
lacks direction and resolution. Scotty's traveling around and working on movie sets, as well as her Hollywood blog, will definitely appeal to the book's target audience.

Scotty Fitzgerald has spent most of her life touring around the country with her offbeat mom Charlie, a food designer for the movies. Although Scotty loves her mom, her vegan lifestyle and secretive ways cause Scotty frustration. She meets up-and-coming young movie star Seth Haas on their latest shoot, and the two become friends. Scotty tries to figure out why her mother is so overprotective of her. Does it have something to do with the father she has never met?https://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-re...

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a mini ‘Books For Christian Girls’ review. It is not a full content review and will not receive one. These mini-reviews are years old and just for clarity on the rating the book received on Goodreads.

8/30/2015-
"Personally, I wasn't a fan of this book at all. Similar to a Jenny B. Jones in the terms of content, but I found the main character to be weak. The plot seemed far-fetched and Scotty was highly embarrassed to be homeschooled."

*Main Content-
Many mentions of plastic surgery and boob jobs; Mentions of sex, having it, & others having it. Lots of minor cussing including 'slutty' and 'crap'. (There was more questionable content, but this are the main things parents and teens should note.)

[Laura Martinelli · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a free book I found on the Kindle store, so really, I get what I paid for. While the idea was interesting, I was really underwhelmed by the story. I couldn't get into Scotty's situation, the narration was choppy and ranged wildly- it seemed unnatural and too adult at times. Also, I had no idea of what was going on. Plot elements kept dropping and appearing- like the whole sub-plot of the revival tent, which was really random- and the explanation at the end came out of left field. It made me feel that the story wasn't really over, but I don't know if I want to read the next book in the series, as this didn't impress me very much.

[Victoria Bylin · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been years since I read a YA book. I was charmed, fascinated and delighted with this 15-year-old heroine. Might even read the sequels just for fun.

[Jenny Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scotty is a 15 year old girl who is “road-schooled” and travels with her eccentric food artist mother Charley. Scotty writes an anonymous blog about behind the scenes life. Then she starts to suspect Charley isn’t being quite honest.

This is a fairly quick and light read. Scotty is doing a bit of soul searching and gets curious about God. As she observes life on movie sets, she talks about sex before marriage, boob jobs, drinking, and drugs. While these are all things all teens--Christians and non-Christians are confronted with, not every teen parent will want them reading about it.

I got this as a free kindle read, then discovered it is part of a series. For me, it didn’t get interesting until almost half way through and some of the plot seemed a bit far-fetched. I doubt I will check out the others in the series.

[Kaity-Jane Culbertson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up Hollywood Nobody about a month ago and ended up setting it down to finish a few other books that needed to be reviewed. Yesterday I picked it back up again and finished the somewhat small book this morning. I found the way it was written - a personal journal - very funny and insightful, as I could tell exactly what Scotty was thinking, and I also loved the add-in of an occasional post for her blog - Hollywood Nobody. I normally don't enjoy first-person accounts as much as third person, as I like to know what the other characters are thinking, I thought that Hollywood Nobody was excellent in first person and not once while reading it did I wish it was from a different perspective. I thought that Scotty's view on Hollywood was a cool one to look through and I thought Samson did a good job with that!

Scotty was a very humorous, blunt character that I enjoyed learning about. We had a common ground - we love our cheese and meats. Of course, Scotty's mother, whom she calls Charley, never permitted her to eat meat or cheese so that may be why she enjoyed it so much...but I still agreed with her 100% when she got all excited about having cheese! lol
While there were a few qualities of her that I didn't enjoy, such as her deceitfulness(explained further in content advisory), when all is done, I found Scotty a sweet and funny character that I wouldn't mind knowing in person.

Seth was a nice add-in. I found his personality charming and very friendly. His and Scotty's relationship was close and I thought they were very funny together. He was a great older-bro type, even though Scotty had a crush on him all throughout the book. ;)

Charley made me chuckle on more than one occasion! She was such an interesting, unique character. Ha! She was, to put it mildly, just plain weird! :P I loved her character though, and though she made some bad choices, she loved Scotty more than anything.

As for the content, I could write a mile long paragraph for this if I was to point out everything. So I shall point out the major things and a brief heads up on the minor things. The whole nature of the book should make it at least somewhat obvious to what type of content is in it. After all, it does take place in "Hollywood".

First off, there are several instances where Scotty mentions and casts down thong underwear and bathing suits. In one instance she is referring to how ridiculous Tom Cruise has become, another saying how she even though she isn't a Christian(only because she knows very little of God, yet is curious), she knows God disapproves of them(and low rise jeans), and another she is talking about how stupid the bathing suits are and that they should put more fabric on them. There is also an instance where Scotty is blogging and she says she has a new favorite actress because the woman loves cheese, and Scotty says she likes to "show off her girls" a bit, but forgives her because she likes cheese. One of the comments on the blog post said that she didn't mind that the actress shows off "her girls" because "you should flaunt them if you've got them". There is a mentioning of a woman being called "slutty". There is also a part where Seth mentions how his past relationships haven't gone well and Scotty writes "Translation - had sex and regretted it." and later after he mentions he didn't want her to make the same mistakes he did, she writes how she was wondering if Seth was trying to drop a hint at her being better off without sex cause a guy wouldn't want to "touch her with a 10ft pole anyway". There is also the mentioning of a girl wearing bikini and looking ridiculous because it was like 65 degrees outside. Another thing is that a girl is caught doing drugs in her room along with two drunk thirteen year olds.
Scotty has a crush on a guy and calls him "Hot" often in her journal.
Scotty is also deceiving and disobeys her mother, going behind her back when she's asleep. She never gets in trouble for such behavior, even after her mother found out.
Wow - I still manage to write a mile long content paragraph! :P It is all what you would expect in a teen novel. I did have some respect for a few of Scotty's disapprovals, but some of the things she still said I found uncalled for. Other than that, just a bit of crush talk and such.

Honestly, I had hoped for a cleaner book. After all, it was written for teenagers and is labeled "Christian fiction", but I wouldn't give this book to anyone younger than myself(16) and wouldn't recommend it to anyone else, really. As much as I would like to read the next one and see what happens(this one's a bit of a cliffhanger), I think I am going to pass. I really wished it hadn't had as much stuff in it.
One thing I did really like though was that Scotty attended a Christian tent meeting and when she had a desire to learn more about God and realized that it was all just a show. She thought the woman prophet was ridiculous and that everything - all of it - was just a show put on. I loved that! She ended up by the end just reading the Bible and for that I was happy. :)

So, all being said, it was an interesting book but I can't really recommend it highly to anyone. Of course, this is totally just my opinion and you may see it quite differently. If you like a typical teen book and want to see Hollywood through the eyes of a girl who's seen it all, this would be an excellent book for you!

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fifteen year old Scotty Fitzgerald lives a vagabond's life, with freedom most teens dream about. She's spent her childhood, and now her teen years, on the road with her hippie mom, Charley, a food designer. They travel from one independent movie set to another, with the underage Scotty driving their old Travco RV while Charley works in its kitchen. Scotty refers to her home on wheels as the "Y".

"As in Y do I live in this mobile home? Y do I have such an oddball food stylist for a mother? Y must we travel all year long?...And Y oh Y must Charlie be a vegan? More on that later. And Y do I know more about Hollywood than I should, or even want to?"

But that insider's knowledge and nomadic lifestyle lead Scotty to start a blog, on April Fool's Day, no less. She's going to use her blog to report, anonymously, on the current movie set, one rant against a Hollywood staple (her first one is against straightening irons), a kudo, a news blurb, and finish with a quote.

The focus of her first blog entry is a young actor she watched at a Shakespeare festival last summer in New England. His name is Seth Haas, but "Seth Hot is more like it." At nineteen, he's "fair game for at least a decade and a half span of ages."

On Friday, April 2nd, Scotty and Charlie (she refuses to be called mom—it denotes social hierarchy) leave the bump on the road called Wilmore, Kentucky and head for Toledo Island, off the coast of North Carolina coast. As Scotty waits for her laptop to download the directions, she ticks off the list of impending traffic violations in her head. Driving without a license. No seat belt on the passenger because said passenger is standing up in the back, cooking. Speeding, because, knowing Charlie, they're late before they even get started. No registration because "Charlie figured out years ago how to lift current stickers off of license plates."

Once over the North Carolina border, things begin to look up. Scotty is able to enter a Subway without Charlie. Joy! She's able to take the grandmotherly woman behind the counter into her confidence-Charlie is a vegan and Scotty is a cheese-a-holic. The understanding woman buries the cheese in Scotty's sandwich, heats the whole thing so the evidence doesn't fall out and then marks Scotty's so it doesn't fall into the wrong hands. North Carolina is looking pretty good.

The state's rankings shoot into the stratosphere when Scotty learns that one of the leads in this new movie is no other than Seth Hot. This movie shoot promises to be unlike any other. And it is. As work progresses on the film, Scotty's life begins to take new turns. Her questions regarding the father she's never known and her past take on a new urgency. On the beaches of an island off the Carolina coast, Scotty begins the sometimes joyful, other times painful, journey from child/teen to young adult.

Hollywood Nobody is written by award winning author Lisa Sampson (Straight Up, Tiger Lilly, The Church Ladies, Club Sandwich, Songbird). Written in a first person format, with blog entries throughout, Hollywood Nobody is an intimate read of one young person's struggle to find her place in an ever shifting world. The ending is one I didn't see coming and am still not quite sure about. But Hollywood Nobody is a funny and thoughtful read from one of the best authors today.

[Lenore Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did you ever think that raising children is like swimming in the deep end of the pool? Well it is a way I sorta look at things. I am talking about boundaries here. Kids will say they do not want rules but they do. Honestly! For without them they are swimming in the deep end of the pool. And they did not even know how they made it that far out.

Let me explain. When a child is learning to swim they step out a lil at a time testing the depth with their toes. Bouncing up and down in the water to see if they can still touch bottom. Eventually it gets just a lil too deep and under they go. Spitting, sputtering and all wet now, the child will turn around and get back to where they are safe. They just found their boundary. Now as they learn to dog paddle and get around better they can venture out a lil more each time. But they learn that going past that rope floating in the middle of the pool is where the deep end. No matter what they do out there they will not have the safety of touching bottom. We have all see the kids float up to that rope and look longing over it, knowing one day they will be able to venture out that far.

Well if we do not show them their boundaries with rules in life. Then I feel we are just throwing them in the deep end of the pool. That sink or swim mentality. And that is not the way to raise a child who will feel safe and secure. Of course they eventually learn how to swim. Go past the rope and even start jumping off the high dive as they become more and more accomplished. Just like life. The rules we give our kids are the testing grounds. You can go here but farther out is not safe at this time. And they test that limit. Many times as a matter of fact. Til they learn that is where it really is safe to be. In that safe area, kids can enjoy life. Play, learn and soak up all around them. This is where children are happiest at. Knowing they are loved, cared for and protected.

An example of that feeling in life is the basis of Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson. Here Scotty, a 15 year old girl, writes in her blog, Hollywood Nobody about the lack of limits in her life. And how it is illogical of her mother to let her do as she pleases while living an uncommon lifestyle. Traveling from movie site to movie site with her mother's job, Scotty has not been given boundaries. Her mother expects her to wing it and make it safely. Well of course it does not go that way. I have to say that it was enjoyable to real this novel this last week. But I cringed at how Scotty had to fend for herself so often. She had to figure out what and who was safe. What a responsibility to put on a teens head. I loved the blogger format that was throughout the story too. (Of course!) A good Young Adult read. This is the first book of four where you can follow Scotty through her travels and as she grows up.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Description:

Fifteen-year-old Scotty Fitzgerald has spent her young life on the road, traveling to movie sets with her single mom, Charley. Yet even though she is wise beyond her years, Scotty still struggles to find her identity. Complicating matters is a mother who offers no guidance and a father she's never met.

Scotty is determined to discover what she wants from life, even documenting the journey on her "Hollywood Nobody" blog. But as Scotty begins to find dark answers to tough questions, will her story have a happy ending?

The first in a series, Hollywood Nobody is a novel that examines real issues with honesty and humor.

My Review:

I devoured this book in two days. I rarely want to sneak off and read a book until I finish it, but this was one of those books. I adore anything Lisa Samson writes anyway because she is edgy and unconventional, but I'm telling you that she has a real winner here. The heroine is a fifteen-year-old girl, Scotty, who reminds me of several teens I know. Hey, I have a fifteen-year-old son and a fourteen-year-old son and I still loved the book, so you don't have to be YA to read it and love it. I adored how Scotty even had herself a pet phrase... "I'm just saying".

One reviewer said sometimes some of the things Scotty thought seemed old for her age. I totally disagree. I have very smart kids and they think like Scotty did...exactly. Teens are very perceptive these days. And Scotty had wisdom beyond her years due to exposure to many things she shouldn't know. The author made that point very well several times.

I loved the blogging theme of the story (of course) and the topics covered on the Hollywood Nobody blog. It was so realistic...right down to the funny comments. The main characters seemed so real to me. Her mother reminded me of some hippies I know (and knew) when I was younger. Very funny stuff! Especially the cheese fetish. Scotty was just so quirky and cool. I know several teens who love vintage wear and are so classy and weird in their own way, just like Scotty. I found her totally likable and believable. Wonderful story. Intriguing plot. Hot topics (and great tension) with a hottie hero who is a movie star and also a great guy because Hollywood hadn't ruined him yet.

So check this book out. I guarantee it'll hold your attention. The ending is killer satisfying, but leaves you wanting more at the same time. March 2008--when the sequel comes out--is not soon enough for me. I loved this book!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson
NavPress, 2007
209 pages
YA; Contemporary
4/5 stars

Source: Library

Read for YA Book Battle Longlist

Scotty and her mother Charley spend their time on film sets as Charley is a food stylist. This peripatetic lifestyle is largely to Scotty's taste as she has a good relationship with her mother, she gets to meet lots of cool people (including up-and-coming hottie actor Seth Haas), and she's very independent. There are downsides though. Charley won't tell Scotty anything about her father, Charley's vegan lifestyle keeps Scotty from her beloved cheese, and sometimes moving around isn't all that fun.

Scotty is incredibly likable, smart, funny, friendly, creative, and adventurous. Everything you could want in a narrator. Her constant pursuit of cheese was especially funny to me. She also loves movies and creates a blog celebrating the hot guys, the normal-sized women, and the talented in Hollywood (among other things).

On the latest film set in North Carolina, she embarks on a new set of adventures from the mundane like reading The Great Gatsby and conquering geometry to keeping the very cute Seth Haas from the clutches of rude Karissa Bonano, exploring Christianity, helping new friend Joy Overstreet, and escaping from the big biker dude.

The presence of said dude leads to a shocking revelation of Scotty and Charley's past. I spent much of the book wondering about the twist and hoping that Samson would tell in this book despite it being only the first in a series. And we do find out. There are good reasons for Charley keeping it hidden but I found the reason outlandish and not in keeping with the general tone of the book.

I also mentioned Christianity above. This is a Christian series but it's not a big part in this first book. Scotty has no religious background but becomes intrigued by tent meetings in the small town where they're living. While she finds the events of the tent meetings uninspiring, she does find Jesus compelling. That rings so true with me; even if ritualistic and legalistic actions threaten to engulf Christianity, I turn to Jesus and it's alright.

Overall: A cute and funny story with a fantastic main character.

Cover: Actually quite accurate with her glasses and not straight hair.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scotty Dawn is anything but your typical fifteen-year-old. She's spent her life traveling across the country in a battered RV with her mom, Charley, an ex-hippie who refuses to be known by the moniker of "mom." Charley's a food stylist who works on low-budget indie films and likes to keep on the move. Thanks to her mom's work, Scotty lives a life most teens her age would envy - she keeps no schedule, travels constantly, and rubs elbows with Hollywood stars. However, Scotty longs for a sense of normalcy and is starting to ask questions - first and foremost, she wants to know what Charley's so afraid of and why she refuses to discuss her past. On location in North Carolina, Scotty starts her own entertainment blog, Hollywood Nobody and makes friends with up-and-coming Hollywood hunk Seth Haas. When danger comes knocking, Scotty begins to realize that the truth about her life may be more than she can handle on her own.

I absolutely adore this book - once I started it, I couldn't put it down and finished it in just a few hours. Scotty is a fascinating character - an astute observer of human nature, she's funny, witty, sarcastic, and very, very real. Her blog entries are laugh-out-loud funny and full of "insider" Hollywood information. Growing up around film sets, she's seen the highs and the lows that come with fame and knows that all too often, the glitz and glamour of movie stars hide empty lives. She's not a Christian, and the questions she asks as she starts to investigate Christianity and God are unflinchingly honest - this is one girl who refuses to accept any "easy" answers. With Scotty, Lisa Samson has created a sassy, unique heroine you can't help but cheer for on her coming-of-age journey. Filled with mystery, danger, and the hint of potential romance, Hollywood Nobody is the start of what promises to be a captivating ride seeing life through the eyes of the unstoppable Scotty Dawn.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been... gosh, probably over a year since I read it, so this may be a little spotty.

I remember getting this book free Friday about a year ago. Well, let me tell you something about when I buy free books on the nook, I alwaus say I'm going to read them, but then I never do. Seriously, I have more or less two hundred books on the nook, and I have read about ten of them. Either way, I let this one sit around for about a week, right?

Then, a miraculous thing happened. I picked it up (in the, uh, digital sense of the word) and loved it.

Scotty loves The Great Gatsby, something I cannot personally identify with, but nobody said it was perfect. Anyway, Scotty's "mother" (notice the parentheses? Everything is not as it seems) is a vegan who is like a... food stylist, I think is what they called it, for indie films.

Well, being on movie sets all the time, well, Scotty thinks she knows a little bit about Hollywood.

And when you know about something in the twenty-first century?

You share that info with the world-via the Internet.

So, Scotty has this little blog aboout Hollywood. But its not the usual. She doesn't post about Nicole Richy, Jessica Simpson, Nicky Minaj, or even Kim Kardashian. She talks about her favorite indie actors. Specifically the star, Seth Something or other.

Okay, now that you guys are about up to speed, I can actually kind of review this.

I loved, loved, loved the mystery part. Combined with the "Omigod! Somebody is stalking me!" subplot.

I can't remember anything too specific that I didn't like about this book, but there probably was something.

[Margaret Chind · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hollywood Nobody was a great and fairly fast read and I cannot wait to read the next few in the series. The story of Scotty is told through many different ways with using just plain first person narrative, her diary, and her blog entries. Scotty is a diverse 15 year old that only wants what anyone at any age wants, to not be lonely. Lisa Samson did a great job of really sharing Scotty's life through this book. I can relate to Scotty and see where she gets her emotions and her strengths from. Not only do you get to read about a little Hollywood, but you also get a little romance, some family love, some suspense and extreme plot twists, but there is also this little mention of Christ's love. It is just enough that I do not think this book would scare anyone away, but perhaps interest them in just the slightest to be curious for a little more information. Which in my experience tends to be the best way to be an evangelical.

For me this book also slightly depressed me, but that's because I'm a lonely person and seeing how lonely Scotty was at times made me think of my own lonely-ness. Also, as ridiculous as it might be, it also made my slightly jealous of her. I write a blog too, but I cannot say that my rants and ravings give anything near the amount of people and comments as she. Sometimes, well most times, I feel like I write and nobody is listening nor cares. But either way, that just shows one of my weaknesses that I shall work on in the future of my own lonely attitude.

[Urs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because I wanted to read something really light. This was a free read from the kindle store.

This book is focused on fifteen year old Scotty, who travels around in an RV with her mother who is a food designer for movies. It seems like an exciting life, but Scotty is somewhat tired of it and ever aware of the fact that they always seem to be running from something.

The author deals with pre-teen topics such as crushes and finding yourself. It is all very innocent. Not much happens in the book, but I did not expect much to happen. It is not until the end of the story that you find out why they are running. It is a pretty compelling reason that is explained in one of the final chapters all at once. This book would have been a lot better if that story was the focus instead, since it was so interesting. Perhaps this book was just a set up for future books in the series.

This book is also light Christian Fiction. I liked the fact that Scotty was not a religious person at all and did not consider herself a Christian. This allowed her to explore religion from an outsiders view, much like I would imagine a young person would. The topic was approached from the angle of her studying and learning about religion just like any of her other school topics. (She homeschools herself). She does not get too far into the topic at all, so this will probably be explored more in future books in the series.

All in all, this was a decent read that may be appropriate for pre-teens and younger teens. It seemed a little too young to be labeled young adult, though.

[Jill Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

To most teens in America, Hollywood stars are royalty. In her Christy award winning young adult novel, Hollywood Nobody, Lisa Samson shows us that celebrities are people, just like everyone else.

Blogger Scotty Dawn has a unique life. She lives in an RV because her mom, Charley, is a food stylist. The two travel from movie set to movie set giving Scotty the up-close-and-personal on many of Hollywood’s A-list. She secretly blogs about these superstars on her Hollywood Nobody blog, which is growing in popularity every day.

But Scotty is lonely. On the set of her mother’s latest job, Scotty makes friends with newbie actor, Seth Haas, but is disappointed when he starts dating snotty “it girl” Karissa Bonano. Scotty keeps her distance from the new “couple,” thankful she’s able to vent incognito via her Hollywood Nobody blog.

When Charley starts getting suspicious phone calls, Scotty wonders what’s up? Why do they always have to run? Who is Charley hiding from? And does it have anything to do with Scotty’s father?

Scotty Dawn is a joy to read. I loved her antics from her blogging rants to her acting debut as a life-size mustard bottle. For a quick and fun read, with some surprise plot twists, Hollywood Nobody is a winner. Highly Recommended.

[Tamara Tilley · Rating 4 out of 5]

HOLLYWOOD NOBODY is a very entertaining novel for teens. I had to read this book for a blog review that I do. It wouldn’t have been anything I would’ve picked up on my own, but I did enjoy reading it.

HOLLYWOOD NOBODY is written in the form of a diary/blog. Scotty, is a 15-year old girl that spends her time on movie lots because her mother is a food stylist for movie productions. Scotty has a very eclectic upbringing. She has randomly adopted people she has met as she and her mother travel in their RV from movie set to movie set.

Scotty’s unconventional lifestyle comes with many unanswered questions. She knows her mother is running from something, but doesn’t know what. As she gets older, she is frustrated with the circumstances of her life, and with her mother continuing her secret ways. When she meets Seth Haas, an up and coming teen idol, she strikes up a friendship with him and enjoys the camaraderie that comes with hanging out with someone her own age. Though her questions about her past are never far from the surface, her newfound relationship with Seth helps to distract her and make her feel more normal.

Like I said before, this is not a book I would’ve picked up on my own but nevertheless was enjoyable. A great teen novel.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hollywood Nobody was a pretty easy read. It would have been a fast read, but one thing that I didn't like of the book was how it seems everyone that Scotty "randomly encounters" are all nice people. And it is because of this that made me just put down the book every time something similar happens. Aside from the very obvious antagonist, who is pretty obvious as being "un-likeable" all the other people, no matter how randomly Scotty meets them, are defaulted as nice people.

There are some parts that get boringly repetitive. How she nags about her life being constantly on the road, how she loves cheese, but it wasn't too bad.

The SHOCKING DISCOVERY near the end of the book was pretty SHOCKING as well, and actually said discovery made the book very unbelievable. But still, it was an interesting read was enjoyable while it lasted. This discovery also promises that the book is a series and not a stand-alone.

I suppose YAs would like this, but anyone looking for a quick read would find this enjoyable.

[Sylvia Munoz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hollywood Nobody by: Lisa Samson When I saw the cover I thought why not get the book. I received this book for free from ChristianBook.com. I love to read and sometimes I like to get a simple read that has no deep meaning or serious study. This book was a delight to read. I have Tween Nieces and yes they love to read also. I share cute books that I pick up for free and this is one I am seriously going to share with them. Hollywood Nobody is about a young teen Scotty who writes a blog, and lives in a trailer known as the Y. It is a cute story she is not your typical teen. She is self taught and has an adventurous life. Her mom is a food stylist and travels around the United States on movie shoots. So Scotty gets to meet all kinds of different people, and celebrities. I really enjoyed this book. It took me some time to read. Not because the book was boring, but because I was very busy. I am actually going to pick up the other book. I found out it is a Trilogy. It is worth a read, and I am actually going to purchase the other two books. Thank you Christianbooks.com for the great book.

[C.J. Darlington · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know how it is when you find a new book you love and you just want to tell everyone you know about it? Yeah. That's what Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson has been like for me. I started reading the first page and couldn't stop. I love that about a book.

Hollywood Nobody is a YA novel, but it can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Main character Scotty, a fifteen-year-old girl who's mother travels around to movie sets to cook for them is someone who's smart and quirky. But she doesn't have everything together. There are mysteries to her life she wants answers for. They aren't what she expects. (Hint: a twist at the end completely got me!)

This is a book that had me cracking up every other page, too. Scotty's mother is a vegan, and since my Dad was a vegan at one time I could very much relate to some of those "vegan moments". Quite funny.

Teens, you'll love this one. Parents, ditto. Everyone else (like me), don't let the fact that this is a YA novel deter you. These are life themes everyone's dealt with.

[Helen Dunn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this one as a freebie on Kindle and read it in one sitting this weekend while doing laundry. A totally breezy, mindless, read that was just perfect for me at the time.

It's from a Christian publisher and while I'm not bothered by the message, per se, in this particular book it seemed completely out of left field and thrown into the book just because it HAD to be there to qualify for publication or something. It would have been better without those small sections but they didn't detract much from the overall story.

Our main charcater Scotty is a fun teenager and I look forward to her future adventures. They set up lots of intrigue in this book that I'm sure will play out in future stories.

That said, I'm glad it was free. I think I'd be a little bugged by how fluffy it is had I paid good money for this title.

[Shelly♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scotty is a 15 y.o. girl on the road with her mom - a hollywood food designer. Scotty homeschools herself - making her hobbies and interests her class and writes a blog about the stars called "Hollywood Nodody". And she has no idea who her dad is. While on location in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, she meets Hollywood Newcomer, Seth. They become fast friends, but her and her mother's mysterious past is hovering, waiting to expose itself. Scotty longs to find out the truth.

I enjoyed this teeny bopper book. Scotty is a very likable main character. The mystery and drama are there, but not so overwhelming. There are a lot of little side stories and emerge - some get bigger and some fizzle. There are still some mysteries to be resolved, so I definitely need to read the next book.

[Jenna Scribbles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick review -

This book is written in present tense - but done so well and in a perfect voice and tone of a 15 year old girl that I didn't even notice until I was about 40% into it. Some people don't like books written in present tense. Normally they are a bit jarring but I liked this style for this book VERY much.

Religious aspect of this story - small, almost to the point of not being there.

*Spoiler alert* The final reveal of - who is the mystery stalker - was a bit out of left field and a over the top. I'm sure it is a set up for future books. I am looking forward to more, but felt it was out of place and awkward - this chunk of info didn't fit with the ease and light feeling of the story.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another recent Free Friday Nook selection!

Hollywood Nobody is about teenager Scotty Dawn and her life on the road traveling in an RV with her mom who is a food stylist for Indi films. She spends her time schooling herself, blogging about Hollywood and various celebrities, and trying to figure what to do with her life.
There is a sweet romantic interest, several quirky (but nice) RV travelers, various other folks that Scotty encounters while on this particular film shoot, and one menacing guy who is following them. Of course, there is a plot twist; mom has been keeping a secret.

This was a fun and easy read especially geared for young adult readers. (I think it can also be filed under Christian fiction, but it was not "preachy" at all.)

[Jennifer Griffith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, clean fun. I loved Scotty, the main character, especially her blog posts. The one criticism I ended up with is that I felt the story would have been stronger if Scotty had been 2 years older. I know the author wanted to carry the story through another book, but I would have been more satisfied as a reader if it had been a standalone story. It was a Christian novel, and I found it to be refreshingly non-preachy, and I loved that the love interest was a good boy, too. Great characters, neat setting, great twist at the end. I really liked this book. I read it on a trip on my Kindle, and it was just what the travel agent ordered.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another free Kindle book, but this one was bbetter than the last few I've read. It was an easy, quick read, so great when you're not looking for anything deep or thought-provoking. The storyline and mystery behind Scotty dad was interesting, and I like it enough to see if my library has the 2nd book (but not enough to pay for the 2nd book).

One random thing, though is that there are some out-of-place Christian/religious comments thrown in. It'd be fine if they fit with the story, but they really don't - they're just out of left field. Maybe they were required by the Christian publisher?

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

New review! My last one was really lame. But I haven't read this book in ages, so buckle up your seat belts, its sure to be a bumpy ride.

When I think of this book, and especially the main character, the word adorkable comes to mind.

This should be apparent just by looking at the cover. Frizzy hair, cat glasses, scooter. Nothing more adorkable than that.

And let me say, I haven't really read much chick lit. But this book isn't just chick lit.

It also, believe it or not, has some action in it. And mystery. And, undeniably romance.

Better review will be coming when I have the time to reread this.So hold on.

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Scotty has a unique life traveling with all over the country to various movie sets as her mom works as a food designer. There's also some mystery as to her past (and when we learned that history I was a bit disappointed, because it was super unrealistic and could have easily been made more realistic). Though this is christian fiction, it didn't feel preachy (the main character says that she's not very religious, but get's interested in tent meetings). In fact, it was nice to see a non drug addicted teenager for once.

[Jess Lessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in one sitting this rainy Saturday. It had been on my Kindle for who knows how long after I had found it for free. It is silly, easy, clean fun, and the odd thing is, I thought that it was better written than the highly acclaimed book I just finished yesterday! Scotty travels with her mother while she works on film sets and her life is interesting to read about. On top of that, the last half of the book introduces an intriguing mystery which kept me from putting it down. Perfect rainy day read. Sometimes I need Young Adult books in my life. Especially clever ones like this.

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was intended for young adults. I didn't think I would like this book as much as I did. I really ended up liking the main character, Scotty, a lot. She has a unique way of thinking and is strangely mature for a fifteen-year-old. She travels around in an old RV with her mom who works on different movie sets. I didn't know this was a series, so I will definately be reading the next book.