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Hidden Gem #1
Hidden Gem
Lavishly disguised pop singer, Queen Bee, is known abroad for her high-fashion wardrobe and killer vocals. In the states, she's just Gemma Hunter - shy suburban teenager in her strange new role of high school junior.
Luckily, Gemma is taken under the wing of the fiery and popular Madison, who leads her into the high school life of the charmed. Her world as Gemma quickly becomes everything she ever wanted in a normal life - that is until international teen heartthrob, Tyler Chase, announces his celebrity crush on Queen Bee. Suddenly, Gemma's alter ego becomes a household name as the handsome singer's loyal "Tyler Chasers" create a frenzy to discover her true identity.
And just when Gemma thinks she can hide from the celebrity drama in her high school life, Lucas - her next door neighbor as well as Madison's boyfriend - develops an interest in her that goes far beyond platonic, and Gemma soon learns that rumors aren't strictly for the stars.
Luckily, Gemma is taken under the wing of the fiery and popular Madison, who leads her into the high school life of the charmed. Her world as Gemma quickly becomes everything she ever wanted in a normal life - that is until international teen heartthrob, Tyler Chase, announces his celebrity crush on Queen Bee. Suddenly, Gemma's alter ego becomes a household name as the handsome singer's loyal "Tyler Chasers" create a frenzy to discover her true identity.
And just when Gemma thinks she can hide from the celebrity drama in her high school life, Lucas - her next door neighbor as well as Madison's boyfriend - develops an interest in her that goes far beyond platonic, and Gemma soon learns that rumors aren't strictly for the stars.
225 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 23, 2011
66 people are currently reading
1386 people want to read
About the author
India Lee
19 books268 followersIndia Lee is an author of young adult and women’s fiction themed in the world of media and entertainment. She is a lover of fashion, entertainment, shoes, good food, coffee, jetsetting, mild debauchery, and dogs.
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August 30, 2011
If I had to sum this book up in a single word, it would be forgettable. Basically, it’s like Hannah Montana meets The Clique.
Gemma is filthy rich thanks to her I’m-not-quite-sure-what-they-do-and-they’re-never-around-anyway parents, and so is her aunt, who she’s going to be living with. Her parents and aunt are really hung up on her hiding out and being “normal”, I don’t really get why either. Her aunt is her manager and even when Gemma misses a month of school to “go to London to stay with her sick grandma” at the EXACT same time Queen Bee goes on her US tour, nobody she knows for realz manages to even guess at the truth. You would think someone would be suspicious, especially if Madison is really that much of an evil genius… right?
I don’t really like puns, and the title was a pun on her name (Gemma = Hidden Gem = har har har. Not). Also, I don’t know why adults are so hung up on the term “queen bee” in YA novels, that’s old, get over it already. It wasn’t so clever in the first place either.
I’m probably not going to pick up the sequel/rest of the series and wouldn’t recommend it, either.
Gemma is filthy rich thanks to her I’m-not-quite-sure-what-they-do-and-they’re-never-around-anyway parents, and so is her aunt, who she’s going to be living with. Her parents and aunt are really hung up on her hiding out and being “normal”, I don’t really get why either. Her aunt is her manager and even when Gemma misses a month of school to “go to London to stay with her sick grandma” at the EXACT same time Queen Bee goes on her US tour, nobody she knows for realz manages to even guess at the truth. You would think someone would be suspicious, especially if Madison is really that much of an evil genius… right?
I don’t really like puns, and the title was a pun on her name (Gemma = Hidden Gem = har har har. Not). Also, I don’t know why adults are so hung up on the term “queen bee” in YA novels, that’s old, get over it already. It wasn’t so clever in the first place either.
I’m probably not going to pick up the sequel/rest of the series and wouldn’t recommend it, either.
July 13, 2011
Hidden Gem is a fun quick YA read. It's like the reader's version of chocolate. Once you start reading it - you just want to keep reading because it is so much fun. Who wouldn't want to be young, rich and have an alter ego that was a singing superstar sought out by other gorgeous young superstars? The surprising thing about this book is that every time I thought it would zig it zagged instead - I like that.
December 9, 2020
I guess young adult books like this have lost my interest.
March 8, 2013
This book reminded me of Jillian Dodd's Stalk Me.
Psychotic queen of the school "friend"? Check.
Famous heroine? Check.
Boy-hopping? Check.
16 year old teens trying to lose their virginity? Check.
Uncertainty as to whether this is actually a "romance"? And if so, with who? Check.
Saying that, this book is much better than Ms. Dodd's crazy high school rampage. It has a coherency that Stalk Me lacked. However, I'm not entirely happy with it's plot. Anyway, onto the review.
I love Ms. Lee's creativity in revealing little details that say a lot about her characters without rushing things along.
Gemma is focusing on living a normal life. She gets adopted into the uber-hot senior girls of highschool. Their ring leader, Madison, is enthusiastic but dangerous and she's dating Gemma's crush, Lucas. Madison is not someone you cross. She's an attention addict and power hungry. I was dreading the moment she went all psycho on Gemma.
As for the other friends, they were pretty ho-hum but there was this one sex conversation that had me laughing hysterically. The guys in this book are exceptional. There's so much boyfriend-material to go around.
Gavin is Gemma's older brother by a year. While he acts young and boyish, he's fiercely protective over Gemma's honour and bans his football mates from dating her.
Overall, I enjoyed reading it. I like the author's style.
Psychotic queen of the school "friend"? Check.
Famous heroine? Check.
Boy-hopping? Check.
16 year old teens trying to lose their virginity? Check.
Uncertainty as to whether this is actually a "romance"? And if so, with who? Check.
Saying that, this book is much better than Ms. Dodd's crazy high school rampage. It has a coherency that Stalk Me lacked. However, I'm not entirely happy with it's plot. Anyway, onto the review.
I love Ms. Lee's creativity in revealing little details that say a lot about her characters without rushing things along.
Gemma is focusing on living a normal life. She gets adopted into the uber-hot senior girls of highschool. Their ring leader, Madison, is enthusiastic but dangerous and she's dating Gemma's crush, Lucas. Madison is not someone you cross. She's an attention addict and power hungry. I was dreading the moment she went all psycho on Gemma.
As for the other friends, they were pretty ho-hum but there was this one sex conversation that had me laughing hysterically. The guys in this book are exceptional. There's so much boyfriend-material to go around.
Gavin is Gemma's older brother by a year. While he acts young and boyish, he's fiercely protective over Gemma's honour and bans his football mates from dating her.
Overall, I enjoyed reading it. I like the author's style.
August 21, 2011
Wow, I hope the author got paid for all the product placement in this book, it was waaaaay over the the top. There were certainly a lot of Paris Hilton types attending this public high school. Gemma's first day of school outfit, chosen because she didn't want to "flaunt" it was a silk t-shirt by the row, hudson jeans and jimmy choo boots. Oh and let's not forget the vintage leather jacket and stella mccartney tote. That's a $3000 outfit, hey but don't flaunt it. I'm not quite sure how the poor boy contractor's son next door got to live in this neighborhood.
One of the disturbing things in this book however is the main characters belief that only the beautiful girls deserve a boyfriend. There is nothing about intelligence, personality or personal achievement. So mom's don't let your average looking, athletic, science fair attending daughters read this it will give them an inferiority complex. Oh, also mom's these high school kids have fake ID's, go to bars, drink, swear and have sex. I was a very liberal parent when my daughters were teens, but I'm not sure I would have suggested they read this book.
So, why would I give it 3 stars, because between all the miu-miu, hermes, channel, alexander wang, vita-coco, bmw, valentino, etc. etc. etc, the writing and the story line were pretty good, but not great.
One of the disturbing things in this book however is the main characters belief that only the beautiful girls deserve a boyfriend. There is nothing about intelligence, personality or personal achievement. So mom's don't let your average looking, athletic, science fair attending daughters read this it will give them an inferiority complex. Oh, also mom's these high school kids have fake ID's, go to bars, drink, swear and have sex. I was a very liberal parent when my daughters were teens, but I'm not sure I would have suggested they read this book.
So, why would I give it 3 stars, because between all the miu-miu, hermes, channel, alexander wang, vita-coco, bmw, valentino, etc. etc. etc, the writing and the story line were pretty good, but not great.
September 19, 2011
The above summary of the book (via GoodReads) doesn’t really cover all the plot points, and it kind of makes a big deal out of one that isn’t all that important, so I went in expecting something a little different. That’s not good or bad, I just think the blurb could be written a little differently to describe the book better.
Queen Bee is a singer (already plenty famous overseas) who wears such elaborate costumes that nobody knows who she really is. She is just coming on the scene in the States and her star is really starting to rise. Her parents think it’s important for her to also have a normal life, so they have arranged for her to stay with her aunt for a year so she can attend school incognito and be just like the other normal kids. She’s looking forward to it because, you know, it really sucks to be rich and famous and travel the globe. But I digress.
This isn’t like some Hannah Montana thing where Gemma goes to school with idiots so they can’t tell it’s really Queen Bee in their midst. When they say she is lavishly disguised, they’re talking face masks, contacts and the like.
She moves into a house with her older brother and aunt (her parents are staying oversees with her elderly grandmother) and enrolls in school. And of course there is a hottie next door neighbor who happens to be doing work on Gemma’s aunt’s house. But he’s got a girlfriend, who happens to be the most popular girl in the school. Luckily for Gemma, Madison invites her into her social circle.
Gemma spends a while living it up before real life starts getting very real. Madison finds out about Gemma’s crush on Lucas, rumors start to swirl, a Justin Beiber-esque superstar announces a crush on Queen Bee… It all gets to be too much for Gemma and she wants to go back to being Queen Bee, but her family won’t let her. They want her to have a normal teenage experience, including all the pain and struggle.
The plot is different (except for the whole Hannah Montana thing), and there are surprises and twists I didn’t see coming. The writing is quick and lively. I do have 1 big bone to pick, though: there was a huge amount of label dropping. It seemed like every single paragraph had a logo dropped in it.
Gemma smiled as she slicked on peach-tinted Stila lip gloss
She settled on a striped Commes des Garçons sweater dress that reached her mid-thigh
Jillian and Kate bought pieces from Nicole Miller and Betsey Johnson respectively while Leah opted not to buy anything. “My mother has an Hervé Leger signature”
Mira didn’t budge and Gemma ended up leaving in a sequined sweater dress by Stella McCartney. It was cute, but she didn’t feel sexy in it. Especially not with Madison waltzing about in her skintight Hervé Leger bandage dress.
He wore a black dress shirt untucked over a pair of dark washed Diesel jeans. “I’ll be right out!” Gemma said, hanging up the phone and slipping it into her Alexander McQueen silver python clutch.
Seriously, every single page was like that. After the second chapter, it was annoying. After the fourth, it was aggravating. After the sixth, it was just pissing me off. I wonder if India Lee is getting some kind of royalty every time she mentions a designer.
I enjoyed the characters though they were a little dry. I had a hard time understanding why Lucas put up with what he did, why Madison acted the way she did, or why Damian did some of the things he did. I thought Gemma, her brother and her aunt were great as a family unit. The dialogue (aside from the above-mentioned obnoxious brand overload) was fun. The teens (and the adults) pulled no punches and didn’t tiptoe around each other. They were honest and direct and I liked that.
There was barely any romance, just a scene or two with one in particular that bordered on sexy hotness. There were a few tender moments, but nothing I would call super hot. There was plenty of teen sex talk that also managed to be real and direct.
The Sum Up: Hidden Gem is a fun, fast read that is plenty entertaining. It’s only available for ereaders, and it costs just ¢99. I say it’s worth a try.
Queen Bee is a singer (already plenty famous overseas) who wears such elaborate costumes that nobody knows who she really is. She is just coming on the scene in the States and her star is really starting to rise. Her parents think it’s important for her to also have a normal life, so they have arranged for her to stay with her aunt for a year so she can attend school incognito and be just like the other normal kids. She’s looking forward to it because, you know, it really sucks to be rich and famous and travel the globe. But I digress.
This isn’t like some Hannah Montana thing where Gemma goes to school with idiots so they can’t tell it’s really Queen Bee in their midst. When they say she is lavishly disguised, they’re talking face masks, contacts and the like.
She moves into a house with her older brother and aunt (her parents are staying oversees with her elderly grandmother) and enrolls in school. And of course there is a hottie next door neighbor who happens to be doing work on Gemma’s aunt’s house. But he’s got a girlfriend, who happens to be the most popular girl in the school. Luckily for Gemma, Madison invites her into her social circle.
Gemma spends a while living it up before real life starts getting very real. Madison finds out about Gemma’s crush on Lucas, rumors start to swirl, a Justin Beiber-esque superstar announces a crush on Queen Bee… It all gets to be too much for Gemma and she wants to go back to being Queen Bee, but her family won’t let her. They want her to have a normal teenage experience, including all the pain and struggle.
The plot is different (except for the whole Hannah Montana thing), and there are surprises and twists I didn’t see coming. The writing is quick and lively. I do have 1 big bone to pick, though: there was a huge amount of label dropping. It seemed like every single paragraph had a logo dropped in it.
Gemma smiled as she slicked on peach-tinted Stila lip gloss
She settled on a striped Commes des Garçons sweater dress that reached her mid-thigh
Jillian and Kate bought pieces from Nicole Miller and Betsey Johnson respectively while Leah opted not to buy anything. “My mother has an Hervé Leger signature”
Mira didn’t budge and Gemma ended up leaving in a sequined sweater dress by Stella McCartney. It was cute, but she didn’t feel sexy in it. Especially not with Madison waltzing about in her skintight Hervé Leger bandage dress.
He wore a black dress shirt untucked over a pair of dark washed Diesel jeans. “I’ll be right out!” Gemma said, hanging up the phone and slipping it into her Alexander McQueen silver python clutch.
Seriously, every single page was like that. After the second chapter, it was annoying. After the fourth, it was aggravating. After the sixth, it was just pissing me off. I wonder if India Lee is getting some kind of royalty every time she mentions a designer.
I enjoyed the characters though they were a little dry. I had a hard time understanding why Lucas put up with what he did, why Madison acted the way she did, or why Damian did some of the things he did. I thought Gemma, her brother and her aunt were great as a family unit. The dialogue (aside from the above-mentioned obnoxious brand overload) was fun. The teens (and the adults) pulled no punches and didn’t tiptoe around each other. They were honest and direct and I liked that.
There was barely any romance, just a scene or two with one in particular that bordered on sexy hotness. There were a few tender moments, but nothing I would call super hot. There was plenty of teen sex talk that also managed to be real and direct.
The Sum Up: Hidden Gem is a fun, fast read that is plenty entertaining. It’s only available for ereaders, and it costs just ¢99. I say it’s worth a try.
August 7, 2011
Of all the books I've read in recent note about teens working within stardom and juggling their normal lives with their famous ones, "Hidden Gem" by India Lee impressed me the most, not only for its identifiable leading character, but for its realistic handling of media issues alongside teenage struggles with identity. It's a fluid read and intriguing, though it revisits some common threads that can be found in YA literature, but it's familiarity is sweet, while standing firmly on its own. The true surprise comes in the directions that Lee chooses to take with it, and if it's any indication what this first book in an ongoing series has offered on the table, it should be quite a fun ride for readers from here on out.
16-year old Gemma Hunter is a shy teenager whose alternate identity is the confident and up-and-coming superstar Queen Bee, already famous overseas in Europe, Australia and Asia. Gemma's kept her true identity under wraps from her work as the international singer, but as Gemma starts gaining fame in her native country of the U.S., the need for Gemma to live life as a normal teenager becomes a concern for her parents, so she's sent to live with her aunt and attend public high school (as opposed to homeschooling) for the first time, alongside her brother Gavin.
At her high school, Gemma's quickly accepted socially into a group led by the dynamic Madison, and the experience is everything that Gemma's hoped high school life would be and more. But things become complicated not only when Gemma's love interest turns out to be Madison's boyfriend (who can't seem to stay away from Gemma), but also when international teen hearthrob Tyler Chase announces having a crush on Queen Bee. It becomes a struggle for Gemma to keep her private life afloat as well as keep her identity as Queen Bee a secret. I think teens would find it easy to identify with Gemma because of her struggles to fit in as well as her attempts to follow her heart in the blend of her relationships, both romantic and not. The conflicts are dynamic and realistic, and Gemma is a conscious character - aware of her problems and situations, as well as showing concern for the people around her. That makes her easier to identify with and far less irritating than many YA teen protagonists. Not to mention the presence and support of her family and friends is realistic and welcomed in terms of helping Gemma to realize and overcome her setbacks in some measures.
An interesting inclusion in the progressive storyline is where Lee includes snippets of media that play into the life and perceptions of Queen Bee. I liked this because it not only worked in a contemporary scope, but also provided a realistic portrayal of what a celebrity teen faces in the heart of stardom - and highlighted some of the conflicts that much more effectively. There were parts of the text where I was worried the designer-brand dropping would be overwhelming for the work, but surprisingly, it flows rather well and doesn't hamper the text at all.
There are portrayals of teen drinking and intimacy in this work to be mindful of, but I found it far less overbearing or out of context than other novels in comparison, for both the age range of the characters as well as the context of the story told within. Overall, I think "Hidden Gem" was a good read, and one I would recommend to those who enjoy teen stories involving teen celebrity and the struggle to be accepted for who one truly is.
Overall score: 4/5
16-year old Gemma Hunter is a shy teenager whose alternate identity is the confident and up-and-coming superstar Queen Bee, already famous overseas in Europe, Australia and Asia. Gemma's kept her true identity under wraps from her work as the international singer, but as Gemma starts gaining fame in her native country of the U.S., the need for Gemma to live life as a normal teenager becomes a concern for her parents, so she's sent to live with her aunt and attend public high school (as opposed to homeschooling) for the first time, alongside her brother Gavin.
At her high school, Gemma's quickly accepted socially into a group led by the dynamic Madison, and the experience is everything that Gemma's hoped high school life would be and more. But things become complicated not only when Gemma's love interest turns out to be Madison's boyfriend (who can't seem to stay away from Gemma), but also when international teen hearthrob Tyler Chase announces having a crush on Queen Bee. It becomes a struggle for Gemma to keep her private life afloat as well as keep her identity as Queen Bee a secret. I think teens would find it easy to identify with Gemma because of her struggles to fit in as well as her attempts to follow her heart in the blend of her relationships, both romantic and not. The conflicts are dynamic and realistic, and Gemma is a conscious character - aware of her problems and situations, as well as showing concern for the people around her. That makes her easier to identify with and far less irritating than many YA teen protagonists. Not to mention the presence and support of her family and friends is realistic and welcomed in terms of helping Gemma to realize and overcome her setbacks in some measures.
An interesting inclusion in the progressive storyline is where Lee includes snippets of media that play into the life and perceptions of Queen Bee. I liked this because it not only worked in a contemporary scope, but also provided a realistic portrayal of what a celebrity teen faces in the heart of stardom - and highlighted some of the conflicts that much more effectively. There were parts of the text where I was worried the designer-brand dropping would be overwhelming for the work, but surprisingly, it flows rather well and doesn't hamper the text at all.
There are portrayals of teen drinking and intimacy in this work to be mindful of, but I found it far less overbearing or out of context than other novels in comparison, for both the age range of the characters as well as the context of the story told within. Overall, I think "Hidden Gem" was a good read, and one I would recommend to those who enjoy teen stories involving teen celebrity and the struggle to be accepted for who one truly is.
Overall score: 4/5
March 26, 2012
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE REVIEWS AT READING, EATING AND DREAMING I WAS BLAIR WALDORF
Hidden Gem by India Lee is Hannah Montana meets Gossip Girl. Personally, I love both shows so this novel totally worked for me. One of the great things about this series is that there is so much potential for this series. At this point, India Lee could take this series multiple directions. There are many potential love interest for both Queen Bee and Gemma Hunter, and that in and of itself has the potential to make things very interesting.
In Hidden Gem, Queen Bee is an international pop star and Gemma Hunter is a shy girl who is about to attend public school for the first time. They are the same girl, but only two people outside of Gemma's family know her secret, her stylist and her makeup artist. Sound familiar? It's been a few years since I watched Hannah Montana, but when the show first came out, I fell in love with Hannah Montana and her double identity. I thought it was a fun concept, and I liked it even better in Hidden Gem because this novel is geared toward an older audience than Hannah Montana.
There were also a few things about this novel that reminded me of Gossip Girl: 1) The girls in this novel have money. Their lives are filled with spas, exclusive clubs, and designer clothes, shoes, and handbags. 2) "It girl" Madison brought the drama. 3) Blogger Tara C. is determined to uncover Queen Bee's real identity. Tara's Her Royal Secrecy blog posts reminded me of Gossip Girl. Personally, I love Gossip Girl so this wasn't a bad thing.
I am not saying that India Lee ripped of Hannah Montana or Gossip Girl. I'm really not. I am saying that people who enjoy Hannah Montana and Gossip Girl will most likely enjoy this novel!
I was in a really bad reading funk this weekend. I was just in a blah mood, and nothing satisfied me until I picked up this novel. Hidden Gem was a lot fun, and it got me over that hump. Gemma Hunter is a great protaganist. She lives an exciting life, but she also lives a real life where she is just like any other teenage girl. She gets crushes on boys (sometimes too many boys), she has moments where she feels insecure, she has fights with friends, and her older brother gets on her nerves. For the most part, she's just a regular girl.
I gave Hidden Gem by India Lee 4 STARS (3.5 STARS). I recommend this novel to fans of Hannah Montana and Gossip Girl!
-XOXO
READING, EATING AND DREAMING
Hidden Gem by India Lee is Hannah Montana meets Gossip Girl. Personally, I love both shows so this novel totally worked for me. One of the great things about this series is that there is so much potential for this series. At this point, India Lee could take this series multiple directions. There are many potential love interest for both Queen Bee and Gemma Hunter, and that in and of itself has the potential to make things very interesting.
In Hidden Gem, Queen Bee is an international pop star and Gemma Hunter is a shy girl who is about to attend public school for the first time. They are the same girl, but only two people outside of Gemma's family know her secret, her stylist and her makeup artist. Sound familiar? It's been a few years since I watched Hannah Montana, but when the show first came out, I fell in love with Hannah Montana and her double identity. I thought it was a fun concept, and I liked it even better in Hidden Gem because this novel is geared toward an older audience than Hannah Montana.
There were also a few things about this novel that reminded me of Gossip Girl: 1) The girls in this novel have money. Their lives are filled with spas, exclusive clubs, and designer clothes, shoes, and handbags. 2) "It girl" Madison brought the drama. 3) Blogger Tara C. is determined to uncover Queen Bee's real identity. Tara's Her Royal Secrecy blog posts reminded me of Gossip Girl. Personally, I love Gossip Girl so this wasn't a bad thing.
I am not saying that India Lee ripped of Hannah Montana or Gossip Girl. I'm really not. I am saying that people who enjoy Hannah Montana and Gossip Girl will most likely enjoy this novel!
I was in a really bad reading funk this weekend. I was just in a blah mood, and nothing satisfied me until I picked up this novel. Hidden Gem was a lot fun, and it got me over that hump. Gemma Hunter is a great protaganist. She lives an exciting life, but she also lives a real life where she is just like any other teenage girl. She gets crushes on boys (sometimes too many boys), she has moments where she feels insecure, she has fights with friends, and her older brother gets on her nerves. For the most part, she's just a regular girl.
I gave Hidden Gem by India Lee 4 STARS (3.5 STARS). I recommend this novel to fans of Hannah Montana and Gossip Girl!
-XOXO
READING, EATING AND DREAMING
November 2, 2012
I absolutely with all my heart love this book! I want the second book! NO, I need the second book:)!
I'm a sucker for books with teen celebrites in them! And this book topped my list! I bought this book on my Ipad, then later on in my kindle because my Ipad had no battery left... :/ Anyways, I bought it because well... It was free and it seemed really interesting! And interesting it was! Her friend Leah is just awesome! I have a friend just like her and her name is Chloe--> http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/13...
Damian was just soooo sweet and caring, plus he played the hero most of the time. It's sad that Gemma and Damian had to break up because long-term relationship just didn't seem right. And they broke up perfectly, like friends saying good-bye on summer break:( You see how sweet Damian can be? The nihgt that they decided to end things because it wouldn't work out, they were just lying in bed watching the waves until they both fell asleep. They still stayed friends after:)
Photo of what I thought they were seeing-
Lucas! Lucas is HOT! Perfect boy next door, popular and has everything he needs:) Who wouldn't want him in thier dreams???? Who really??? Anyways, I loved Lucas from the beginning to the end... He had a kind and caring personality and I hated how he chose to stay with Maddiosn, even though she's a complete BITCH! But I totally understand... Who would want thier friend trying to take away your boyfriend? Believe me I've experienced it, and it did not end pretty, actually read the story to find out---> http://www.goodreads.com/story/show/316102-you-and-i
All in all, This book was amazing:)
I'm a sucker for books with teen celebrites in them! And this book topped my list! I bought this book on my Ipad, then later on in my kindle because my Ipad had no battery left... :/ Anyways, I bought it because well... It was free and it seemed really interesting! And interesting it was! Her friend Leah is just awesome! I have a friend just like her and her name is Chloe--> http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/13...
Damian was just soooo sweet and caring, plus he played the hero most of the time. It's sad that Gemma and Damian had to break up because long-term relationship just didn't seem right. And they broke up perfectly, like friends saying good-bye on summer break:( You see how sweet Damian can be? The nihgt that they decided to end things because it wouldn't work out, they were just lying in bed watching the waves until they both fell asleep. They still stayed friends after:)
Photo of what I thought they were seeing-
Lucas! Lucas is HOT! Perfect boy next door, popular and has everything he needs:) Who wouldn't want him in thier dreams???? Who really??? Anyways, I loved Lucas from the beginning to the end... He had a kind and caring personality and I hated how he chose to stay with Maddiosn, even though she's a complete BITCH! But I totally understand... Who would want thier friend trying to take away your boyfriend? Believe me I've experienced it, and it did not end pretty, actually read the story to find out---> http://www.goodreads.com/story/show/316102-you-and-i
All in all, This book was amazing:)
September 12, 2012
Wow!!! SO GOOD!
This was a freebie on Amazon that I downloaded one day but never really thought I would get around to reading. I am so glad that I ended up reading it. When I first started reading it I wasn't sure if I was going to keep going or just drop the book and pick up a different one, but I got hooked real quick let me tell ya.
Gemma is a pop sensation rapidly gaining fame and fans but has a secret identity so she can have a normal life. It really is a Hannah Montana type story, but more intriguing in my opinion, what with all the drama wrapped up with being a high school teenager with girlfriend dramas/cat-fights and boy issues. But let me just say that our main character Gemma is awesome. She has the personality of a real high school girl and a favorite novel heroine all in one. She's not some needy, whiny, annoying, pathetic, pointless, boring female lead like we see in so many YA novels these days. She has the spirit and character that our heroine deserves while also maintaining the emotions and personality of a real life person. She is no infallible character like some authors tragically tend to make because they want readers to like their characters; she's real and wonderful which makes the book even more amazing.
The book really is addicting and I can't wait to read the next one.
This was a freebie on Amazon that I downloaded one day but never really thought I would get around to reading. I am so glad that I ended up reading it. When I first started reading it I wasn't sure if I was going to keep going or just drop the book and pick up a different one, but I got hooked real quick let me tell ya.
Gemma is a pop sensation rapidly gaining fame and fans but has a secret identity so she can have a normal life. It really is a Hannah Montana type story, but more intriguing in my opinion, what with all the drama wrapped up with being a high school teenager with girlfriend dramas/cat-fights and boy issues. But let me just say that our main character Gemma is awesome. She has the personality of a real high school girl and a favorite novel heroine all in one. She's not some needy, whiny, annoying, pathetic, pointless, boring female lead like we see in so many YA novels these days. She has the spirit and character that our heroine deserves while also maintaining the emotions and personality of a real life person. She is no infallible character like some authors tragically tend to make because they want readers to like their characters; she's real and wonderful which makes the book even more amazing.
The book really is addicting and I can't wait to read the next one.
August 17, 2012
Oh, Lord, I think I'm too old to even attempt reading books like these.
Hidden Gem ceased to have any concrete storyline when it got to a point that I couldn't get through five pages without finding mention of a designer; it's as if the author's personality was leaking through the pages through the highlights of fashion labels!
To make the book even more uninteresting, the female protagonist is nothing special: she's a rich kid who's even richer from her alter-ego's "career" as an international music star.
For her, being a "regular" girl going to a "regular" school means joining a clique where girls are flawless and drive silver Range Rovers and speak like, ohmigod, like this. The girl also sleeps on ivory Egyptian cotton sheets like a regular kid.
How now do we connect with a character like this? She's got money, she's got fame, her life revolves around her equally vain clique, and what label everything is in, from her eyeliner to her underwear. All this is for our benefit lest we forget that the author, I mean, Gemma, knows heaps about fashion.
It was enough to make me roll my eyes.
IT'S PART OF A SERIES??! 'da heck....?
Hidden Gem ceased to have any concrete storyline when it got to a point that I couldn't get through five pages without finding mention of a designer; it's as if the author's personality was leaking through the pages through the highlights of fashion labels!
To make the book even more uninteresting, the female protagonist is nothing special: she's a rich kid who's even richer from her alter-ego's "career" as an international music star.
For her, being a "regular" girl going to a "regular" school means joining a clique where girls are flawless and drive silver Range Rovers and speak like, ohmigod, like this. The girl also sleeps on ivory Egyptian cotton sheets like a regular kid.
How now do we connect with a character like this? She's got money, she's got fame, her life revolves around her equally vain clique, and what label everything is in, from her eyeliner to her underwear. All this is for our benefit lest we forget that the author, I mean, Gemma, knows heaps about fashion.
It was enough to make me roll my eyes.
IT'S PART OF A SERIES??! 'da heck....?
September 12, 2013
A great book... Just what I needed...Read it less than a day....
Overall I do not think I will be continuing with the series as there are 5 books and I just read the synopsis of them all ( I don't know why but I shouldn't) and I do not want to read all 5 of them .....I am happy where it left off.
No bigger review will come.... so goodbye!
Overall I do not think I will be continuing with the series as there are 5 books and I just read the synopsis of them all ( I don't know why but I shouldn't) and I do not want to read all 5 of them .....I am happy where it left off.
No bigger review will come.... so goodbye!
August 17, 2011
Liked the story line, hated how adult they made this book. It's supposed to be for teenagers and there are several extremely inappropriate parts. Way too mature for that audience. It always bums me out to find out that a book I'm mostly enjoying is ruined by smutty scenes.
January 16, 2018
Book Review- Hidden Gem by India Lee
Gemma is on break from being Queen Bee, a European pop sensation. She hasn’t gained popularity in the States yet, but time will come. Her parents and her aunt want her to come home and be a normal teenage girl for a while. Gemma is nervous. She has to keep Queen Bee a secret and be “normal”. She doesn’t know how. The first person she meets is her cute neighbor. He saves her from drowning in the lake. Not the most graceful introduction. She develops an instant crush as she feels a connection to him. Unfortunately, he is taken by one of her new friends. Gemma tries to forget him and date someone else. Things go well until jealousy and insecurity rear their ugly heads.
Queen Bee’s popularity starts to pick up in the States thanks to an R&B heartthrob. She has to make appearances yet keeping her real identity secret. Gemma feels torn by both worlds. She doesn’t know who she really is or should be. When everything in her “normal life” as Gemma comes crashing down, she has to figure out how to combine the two.
I liked this story. Gemma was pretty spoiled and the author really focused on designer labels and a higher social group then most teens know, but she really showed how Gemma struggled. Gemma had no clue how to be just Gemma. I liked seeing her enter the real world of high school and deal with what teens do everyday.
You knew that there would be a mean girl who was secretive and vindictive. There was going to be the boy she couldn’t have. Parts of the storyline were predictable. However, the Queen Bee aspect throws a different dimension. She has the whole country trying to guess who she is. She has irate fans wanting blood thanks to Chase. She has to go to extreme measures to be both people. I found it really fascinating. That world is completely foreign to me. I found it to be a good read. I give it a 4 out of 5.
Gemma is on break from being Queen Bee, a European pop sensation. She hasn’t gained popularity in the States yet, but time will come. Her parents and her aunt want her to come home and be a normal teenage girl for a while. Gemma is nervous. She has to keep Queen Bee a secret and be “normal”. She doesn’t know how. The first person she meets is her cute neighbor. He saves her from drowning in the lake. Not the most graceful introduction. She develops an instant crush as she feels a connection to him. Unfortunately, he is taken by one of her new friends. Gemma tries to forget him and date someone else. Things go well until jealousy and insecurity rear their ugly heads.
Queen Bee’s popularity starts to pick up in the States thanks to an R&B heartthrob. She has to make appearances yet keeping her real identity secret. Gemma feels torn by both worlds. She doesn’t know who she really is or should be. When everything in her “normal life” as Gemma comes crashing down, she has to figure out how to combine the two.
I liked this story. Gemma was pretty spoiled and the author really focused on designer labels and a higher social group then most teens know, but she really showed how Gemma struggled. Gemma had no clue how to be just Gemma. I liked seeing her enter the real world of high school and deal with what teens do everyday.
You knew that there would be a mean girl who was secretive and vindictive. There was going to be the boy she couldn’t have. Parts of the storyline were predictable. However, the Queen Bee aspect throws a different dimension. She has the whole country trying to guess who she is. She has irate fans wanting blood thanks to Chase. She has to go to extreme measures to be both people. I found it really fascinating. That world is completely foreign to me. I found it to be a good read. I give it a 4 out of 5.
May 24, 2016
Hmm. What to say about this one. I thought it was a fun little book (don't read too much into me using the word 'little'). I originally had this on my Chick-Lit shelf, because I had spotted it there and so placed this book on that shelf when I added it. But this book reads a lot more like a coming of age, young adult book than a chick-lit book.
One of these days I probably need to find a check list. Or make one. Since I have such a hard time wrapping my brain around the genre. But, whatever it is, it probably doesn't involve sixteen year olds. I assume, but I could be wrong. It's just that I keep running across main characters that are between the ages of 26 and 33. Nothing really younger, nothing really older than that. So sixteen is probably too young.
Regarding family - it's supposedly a big factor in chick-lits, something that differentiates it from contemporary romances - the one in this book confused me. I do not really understand the dynamic that is going on. The book opens with Gem going to go live with her aunt in New Jersey to attend high school. As a junior. At the same school her brother is a senior. They, apparently, have spent most of their lives separated. If the parents had been divorced, dead, or otherwise unavailable, siblings being separated, and children separated from parents might make certain sense but, as far as I could tell, none of that applied here. I assume. I mean, Gem does call her parents by their first names. This is normally a sign of something or other (like adoptive parents, step-parents, etc.).
I never got a good explanation as to why Emily and Malcolm lived separately from their children. Emily and Malcolm being the parents of Gavin and Gem. I got two impressions – they’re rich fucks that prefer bouncing around the planet on perpetual vacation and they have some vague need to take long visits with one of their mothers – spending the time that Gem is in New Jersey at school (first time she’s been in a school, tutored and home schooled before; while Gavin was off at boarding school, these parents sure enjoy pushing off their parental responsibilities onto others) living with ‘grandma’ something or other in London. If Gavin got kicked out of the last private school that would accept them, and Gemma is being forced to attend public school by Malcolm who wants her to have a ‘normal’ experience at some point in her young life, then why are they not in some school in London? Why pack them up to live with the aunt?
Sorry, these unexplained little plot points bothered me from page one, all the way to the end of the book. No explanation was given. Vaguely pisses me off.
Plot point two that vaguely pisses me off – why the fuck was Gemma always walking everywhere or bumming rides from others? Why don’t her super rich parents get her a car so she doesn’t walk miles and miles while her brother is off ditching her fucking some girl?
Well, I’ve hit a wall. Not sure what else to write. The whole Aunt Mira thing pisses me off. Might not if I had some more background about everything. But I don’t. They apparently went to live with her to go to high school, but she never appears to be around. Plus she kept making stupid cryptic annoying comments and
I suppose ‘plot point that annoyed me’ number three might be how vague all of it was. There were some good in-depth scenes, I state at the outset but . . . this is set in a high school. The whole point was to have Gem attend a high school. There is mention of her attending said high school but . . . other than mentions of lunch, studying in the library, skipping class, and leaving for the day, nothing much occurred at said high school. I’ve no real clue if she’s hates math, loves math, hates English, etc. etc. All silent. You’d think that’s something that would pop up at least once. I mean, I realize she’s in the popular girls group, but we are also inside her head, so thoughts about school subjects should have popped up at least once to intermingle with the many thoughts about boys and not looking stupid.
This vagueness also turns up with her touring. And lead to at least one confusing moment. Gem was going to start a US tour. First spot: NY. Her friends got tickets. Gem, strangely (I joke), couldn’t attend with her friends. Then there’s this brief comment that the concert went well. I scratched my head in confusion. That was kind of abrupt. Fairly shortly thereafter, though, I learned that that ‘concert’ was . . . well, not sure what, but wasn’t the NY one that was supposed to open the touring. Maybe I just got confused as to what the first stop was supposed to be. Still, the concerts mostly get described like so ‘my handlers put make up on me. Put outfits on. Mostly new dresses, but always that same one for the last number. My handlers take off my Queen Bee costume and put on a disguise so I can flee. ‘ Every once in a while something else would turn up, like when she bumped into her friends after the NY concert, and when she bumped into the 15 year old super-star Tyler Chase who has a crush on Queen Bee outside of LA. But vagueness overwhelms most scenes. At least in terms of school and concerts. There were details, just not as much as I would expect on certain topics.
One of these days I probably need to find a check list. Or make one. Since I have such a hard time wrapping my brain around the genre. But, whatever it is, it probably doesn't involve sixteen year olds. I assume, but I could be wrong. It's just that I keep running across main characters that are between the ages of 26 and 33. Nothing really younger, nothing really older than that. So sixteen is probably too young.
Regarding family - it's supposedly a big factor in chick-lits, something that differentiates it from contemporary romances - the one in this book confused me. I do not really understand the dynamic that is going on. The book opens with Gem going to go live with her aunt in New Jersey to attend high school. As a junior. At the same school her brother is a senior. They, apparently, have spent most of their lives separated. If the parents had been divorced, dead, or otherwise unavailable, siblings being separated, and children separated from parents might make certain sense but, as far as I could tell, none of that applied here. I assume. I mean, Gem does call her parents by their first names. This is normally a sign of something or other (like adoptive parents, step-parents, etc.).
I never got a good explanation as to why Emily and Malcolm lived separately from their children. Emily and Malcolm being the parents of Gavin and Gem. I got two impressions – they’re rich fucks that prefer bouncing around the planet on perpetual vacation and they have some vague need to take long visits with one of their mothers – spending the time that Gem is in New Jersey at school (first time she’s been in a school, tutored and home schooled before; while Gavin was off at boarding school, these parents sure enjoy pushing off their parental responsibilities onto others) living with ‘grandma’ something or other in London. If Gavin got kicked out of the last private school that would accept them, and Gemma is being forced to attend public school by Malcolm who wants her to have a ‘normal’ experience at some point in her young life, then why are they not in some school in London? Why pack them up to live with the aunt?
Sorry, these unexplained little plot points bothered me from page one, all the way to the end of the book. No explanation was given. Vaguely pisses me off.
Plot point two that vaguely pisses me off – why the fuck was Gemma always walking everywhere or bumming rides from others? Why don’t her super rich parents get her a car so she doesn’t walk miles and miles while her brother is off ditching her fucking some girl?
Well, I’ve hit a wall. Not sure what else to write. The whole Aunt Mira thing pisses me off. Might not if I had some more background about everything. But I don’t. They apparently went to live with her to go to high school, but she never appears to be around. Plus she kept making stupid cryptic annoying comments and
I suppose ‘plot point that annoyed me’ number three might be how vague all of it was. There were some good in-depth scenes, I state at the outset but . . . this is set in a high school. The whole point was to have Gem attend a high school. There is mention of her attending said high school but . . . other than mentions of lunch, studying in the library, skipping class, and leaving for the day, nothing much occurred at said high school. I’ve no real clue if she’s hates math, loves math, hates English, etc. etc. All silent. You’d think that’s something that would pop up at least once. I mean, I realize she’s in the popular girls group, but we are also inside her head, so thoughts about school subjects should have popped up at least once to intermingle with the many thoughts about boys and not looking stupid.
This vagueness also turns up with her touring. And lead to at least one confusing moment. Gem was going to start a US tour. First spot: NY. Her friends got tickets. Gem, strangely (I joke), couldn’t attend with her friends. Then there’s this brief comment that the concert went well. I scratched my head in confusion. That was kind of abrupt. Fairly shortly thereafter, though, I learned that that ‘concert’ was . . . well, not sure what, but wasn’t the NY one that was supposed to open the touring. Maybe I just got confused as to what the first stop was supposed to be. Still, the concerts mostly get described like so ‘my handlers put make up on me. Put outfits on. Mostly new dresses, but always that same one for the last number. My handlers take off my Queen Bee costume and put on a disguise so I can flee. ‘ Every once in a while something else would turn up, like when she bumped into her friends after the NY concert, and when she bumped into the 15 year old super-star Tyler Chase who has a crush on Queen Bee outside of LA. But vagueness overwhelms most scenes. At least in terms of school and concerts. There were details, just not as much as I would expect on certain topics.
May 8, 2018
Fun
I love this series. Reading about Gemma and her double life is fascinating. A pop star trying to fit into high school makes for a fun read.
I love this series. Reading about Gemma and her double life is fascinating. A pop star trying to fit into high school makes for a fun read.
November 27, 2018
Y/A book. Must love HIGH FASHION.... And i couldn't care a fig. But others...especially Y/A's will love this book
February 13, 2022
A good story but it is predictable and has been done before, a lot.
January 1, 2024
Love the illustrations by the author, reminiscent of John Klassen. The message of being your own gem is a welcome one.
July 29, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
September 25, 2011
Ok, so first thing I will say is, that cover is totally cool. I loved it from first glance, totally. Yes, I know, you all knew I was going to say that, right? ( I’m a bit on edge, slept very little in the last 24 hours, so if I’m ranting, well more then usual I mean, don’t say I didn’t warn you. )
So, considering my zombie-mode while reading it, this (e)book was actually surprisingly entertaining. When you haven’t slept much, you tend to be agitated, very, very, very easily lose focus and interest in whatever you’re doing, that sort of thing, you know? So I was just planning to sort of glance at the writing, just to have a teaser for the after-sleep reading session. And then, somehow, after my furtive glance, it’s hours later and I read the whole thing and I’m in a good mood, a very uncharacteristic manifestation for this stage of my sleep/wake cycle.
The blurb left me sort of wondering about just what in the world I’d be in for. After reading it I have two very conflicting emotions about the characters. The strongest, I will admit, is I pretty much hate in degrees, dislike in degrees or have no feelings about, basically, most of them. Except Gemma, and her brother who was just too funny to dislike, some of the “kids” seemed spoiled brats, cruel little pieces of very shiny dirt. Don’t get me wrong, they are very well written, but that’s what they are. Shallow, tag-oriented, snotty little brats. In this regard, reading this felt exactly like watching episodes of those awful creatures in monstrous “reality TV” shows up on MTV or whatever other place. I’ve never been part of their target audience, watching snotty brats has never ever been anything but highly irritating to me, regardless of their parents’ financial status, their looks or whatever else.
Of course, this is a very personal view. All the signature stuff floating around was also bleh to me; I’m very much into pretty things, but very little into brands. Very, very little into brands, and very, very little into people that pay them a lot of attention, really.
Now, considering my above and beyond confessions, the fact that I enjoyed reading this says a lot about the writing of the novel, really. The fact I disliked, would have liked to throttle, or just shove down a long, long flight of stairs some of the characters involved, also says a lot about the fact that I did, all in all, enjoy reading this novel. A big part of it is Gemma, and I loved her darling little heart. I really, really like Tyler, too, though there was precious little of him, and from the spoiler chapter of the next novel in the series, I get high hopes I’ll see more of him. Damian was cool too.
I would, however, merrily watch Madison choke on a cactus, and I disliked Lucas even more then his high-airs/high-maintenance girlfriend, probably because there’s little that grosses me out more then whipped boyfriends.
The plot wasn’t incredibly sinuous, but angsty, well orchestrated, thus entertaining. The writing was good, fun, and I really liked the way it focused on particular moments, and sort of blurred over others. This is a page-turner read, no doubt.
Now, my actual rating would be more a 3.5 then a 4, but I like Gemma enough to give her a + 0.5. I say give it a shot, it’s interesting and entertaining, and sets the stage for really awesome next books in the series, I think and hope.
So, considering my zombie-mode while reading it, this (e)book was actually surprisingly entertaining. When you haven’t slept much, you tend to be agitated, very, very, very easily lose focus and interest in whatever you’re doing, that sort of thing, you know? So I was just planning to sort of glance at the writing, just to have a teaser for the after-sleep reading session. And then, somehow, after my furtive glance, it’s hours later and I read the whole thing and I’m in a good mood, a very uncharacteristic manifestation for this stage of my sleep/wake cycle.
The blurb left me sort of wondering about just what in the world I’d be in for. After reading it I have two very conflicting emotions about the characters. The strongest, I will admit, is I pretty much hate in degrees, dislike in degrees or have no feelings about, basically, most of them. Except Gemma, and her brother who was just too funny to dislike, some of the “kids” seemed spoiled brats, cruel little pieces of very shiny dirt. Don’t get me wrong, they are very well written, but that’s what they are. Shallow, tag-oriented, snotty little brats. In this regard, reading this felt exactly like watching episodes of those awful creatures in monstrous “reality TV” shows up on MTV or whatever other place. I’ve never been part of their target audience, watching snotty brats has never ever been anything but highly irritating to me, regardless of their parents’ financial status, their looks or whatever else.
Of course, this is a very personal view. All the signature stuff floating around was also bleh to me; I’m very much into pretty things, but very little into brands. Very, very little into brands, and very, very little into people that pay them a lot of attention, really.
Now, considering my above and beyond confessions, the fact that I enjoyed reading this says a lot about the writing of the novel, really. The fact I disliked, would have liked to throttle, or just shove down a long, long flight of stairs some of the characters involved, also says a lot about the fact that I did, all in all, enjoy reading this novel. A big part of it is Gemma, and I loved her darling little heart. I really, really like Tyler, too, though there was precious little of him, and from the spoiler chapter of the next novel in the series, I get high hopes I’ll see more of him. Damian was cool too.
I would, however, merrily watch Madison choke on a cactus, and I disliked Lucas even more then his high-airs/high-maintenance girlfriend, probably because there’s little that grosses me out more then whipped boyfriends.
The plot wasn’t incredibly sinuous, but angsty, well orchestrated, thus entertaining. The writing was good, fun, and I really liked the way it focused on particular moments, and sort of blurred over others. This is a page-turner read, no doubt.
Now, my actual rating would be more a 3.5 then a 4, but I like Gemma enough to give her a + 0.5. I say give it a shot, it’s interesting and entertaining, and sets the stage for really awesome next books in the series, I think and hope.
June 25, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – Enjoyable and worth picking up!
September 15, 2011
Take Lady Gaga's outlandish fashion, talent, and quick sky-rocket to super stardom. Combine it with the Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana double-life story line. Add in fantastic writing, lovable and realistic characters, and much more maturity than you'd probably expect, and you have Hidden Gem.
I was really surprised by this book! I started reading it one night randomly, and then the next thing I knew I couldn't stop! It's so different from everything else I've read lately--no supernatural elements, no murders, no super human teen angst. Just a normal teen girl with a not-so normal secret, and her struggling to balance both.
Now, I you're probably thinking "Hannah Montana? No way." But trust me, it's really nothing like Hannah Montana at all. The only thing they have in common is the whole 'I'm a normal girl but I have a super star persona.' In Hidden Gem, the characters are so well written and fleshed out. I loved reading about all of them, even the bitchy ones.
Gemma was a great protagonist. I just wished that she could have been more confident in herself. I mean, she's an international pop star! And yet when she goes to high school, she feels intimidated by the Head Bitch. It's like, come on girl, you own her! Step up and show her who's the boss! Other than that, I thought she was great, and she handled the situations she got in really well. I also loved her brother, he was hilarious and super cute. Romance-wise, I kinda felt like the thing with Lucas was a bit overblown in the beginning, because they didn't know each other that well to cause such a fuss. And, honestly, I felt like is Lucas was dumb enough to actually put up with Madison AKA Queen Bitch, then he really wasn't good enough for Gemma. But I loved Damien, he was so sweet and totally hot! :) I really hope to see more of him in the future.
The only thing that really bugged me was the constant designer brand name dropping. Like, it would be one thing to say that designer brands of Queen Bee's outfits, because she's a pop star so it's expected. But throughout the entire novel, it's a constant thing with all the clothes. I'd rather just a description of what she's wearing, not the name of it.
Overall, I really liked Hidden Gem. India Lee has an utterly fantastic writing style. I definitely recommend you pick up a copy of Hidden Gem! 4 out of 5 stars.
I was really surprised by this book! I started reading it one night randomly, and then the next thing I knew I couldn't stop! It's so different from everything else I've read lately--no supernatural elements, no murders, no super human teen angst. Just a normal teen girl with a not-so normal secret, and her struggling to balance both.
Now, I you're probably thinking "Hannah Montana? No way." But trust me, it's really nothing like Hannah Montana at all. The only thing they have in common is the whole 'I'm a normal girl but I have a super star persona.' In Hidden Gem, the characters are so well written and fleshed out. I loved reading about all of them, even the bitchy ones.
Gemma was a great protagonist. I just wished that she could have been more confident in herself. I mean, she's an international pop star! And yet when she goes to high school, she feels intimidated by the Head Bitch. It's like, come on girl, you own her! Step up and show her who's the boss! Other than that, I thought she was great, and she handled the situations she got in really well. I also loved her brother, he was hilarious and super cute. Romance-wise, I kinda felt like the thing with Lucas was a bit overblown in the beginning, because they didn't know each other that well to cause such a fuss. And, honestly, I felt like is Lucas was dumb enough to actually put up with Madison AKA Queen Bitch, then he really wasn't good enough for Gemma. But I loved Damien, he was so sweet and totally hot! :) I really hope to see more of him in the future.
The only thing that really bugged me was the constant designer brand name dropping. Like, it would be one thing to say that designer brands of Queen Bee's outfits, because she's a pop star so it's expected. But throughout the entire novel, it's a constant thing with all the clothes. I'd rather just a description of what she's wearing, not the name of it.
Overall, I really liked Hidden Gem. India Lee has an utterly fantastic writing style. I definitely recommend you pick up a copy of Hidden Gem! 4 out of 5 stars.
October 6, 2015
Deze recensie is als eerste geplaatst op Carpe Libra
Hedendaagse oftewel 'contemporary' boeken zijn voor mij meestal boeken van een uurtje of twee leesplezier. Boeken waar ik weinig aandacht aan wil besteden, weinig moeite voor wil doen. Puur voor de fun en dan snel weer vergeten. Je zult waarschijnlijk dan ook niet veel van deze boeken hier tegen gaan komen. Ik vind ze gewoon geen goed recensie materiaal, over het algemeen. Er zijn echter natuurlijk uitzonderingen zoals Hidden Gem! Wat was dit een zeer aangename verrassing! De blurb trok me meteen al aan met dat intrigerende idee. Een vermomde pop artiest? Dat is zeker uniek! Vol enthousiasme begon ik met lezen, maar de achterkant geeft niet echt weer waar het verhaal om draait en dit zorgde voor heerlijke en af en toe verbijsterende wendingen. Geweldig!
Ik dacht namelijk eerst dat dit verhaal de "glamour" kant zou laten zin van Gemma's leven. Haar leven als Queen Bee. Verrassend genoeg is dit niet waar de nadruk op ligt. Nee het gaat juist om de "normale" Gemma en hoe zij omgaat met het leven in twee werelden. Dat vond ik nog het leukst om te lezen. Want iedereen weet dat faam ook een keerzijde heeft en op deze manier kan Gemma dat in ieder geval een beetje omzeilen. Ook al brengt dat weer nieuwe problemen met zich mee...
Ik ben alleen geen echte kledingliefhebber. Voor mij blijft een broek, een broek en schoenen gewoon schoenen. Ongeacht wie ze gemaakt hebben. De schrijfster is dit overduidelijk wel. Prada hier, Gucci daar... Dat werd op den duur wel een beetje vervelend. Wat maakt het uit wat ze draagt, ik wil weten hoe het verhaal verder gaat! Geen gedetailleerde kledingbeschrijving... Gelukkig leerde ik hier een beetje over heen te lezen :)
Hidden Gem is een heerlijk verhaal om te lezen. Ik heb vooral genoten van de onverwachte wendingen. De laatste plotwending was het beste, ook al was ik het daar niet echt mee eens. Het is een verhaal voor een rustige zondagmiddag met een lekker kopje thee of ijsthee, want dit boek is genieten :)
August 31, 2013
My friend and I have this thing where I try to get her to read one of my books (ASOIF, The Hunger Games Series, Agatha Christie, Poe, Vonnegut, Hamlet is usually met with a resounding no) and then I read one of hers. This was almost de-established when she tried to get me to read all of the twilight books, but we've managed to save it.
Anyways . . .
So this was her pick this week. I usually meet her recommendations with incredible trepidation and a bit of disappointment. This book started it off rough for me. Literally the first few chapters all I got were a names of a bunch of labels. I'm not really a label person, in fact, I really hate the overuse of labels in books and on people. However I continued with the book since I'm obligated to - she knows when I lie to her about reading and she gets very scary - and realized that I had heard this story before. Where was that?
Obviously this book has a lot of similarities with the plotline for (i)some(/i) Disney show I can't remember. The plotline where she was a famous singer with a double life didn't interest me. What I wanted to know was what is going on with Gavin? Honestly if this book was all in Gavin's POV, I would have enjoyed it a lot more. His character was what kept me going through the whole book. Damian too. You always read about the brooding, mysterious guy with these books and it was nice to get a genuinely nice guy for a change.
The book's saving grace was definitely the characters. Some were funny and others were stereotypical devious mean girls, but they were all pretty well developed. Except for Lucas. I never really liked Lucas. To me Lucas represented an ideal for her and he never seemed tangible as a character.
Despite the plotline, this book was very entertaining solely for its characters. Still, it was better than what I've usually come to expect with writers of this genre.
Anyways . . .
So this was her pick this week. I usually meet her recommendations with incredible trepidation and a bit of disappointment. This book started it off rough for me. Literally the first few chapters all I got were a names of a bunch of labels. I'm not really a label person, in fact, I really hate the overuse of labels in books and on people. However I continued with the book since I'm obligated to - she knows when I lie to her about reading and she gets very scary - and realized that I had heard this story before. Where was that?
Obviously this book has a lot of similarities with the plotline for (i)some(/i) Disney show I can't remember. The plotline where she was a famous singer with a double life didn't interest me. What I wanted to know was what is going on with Gavin? Honestly if this book was all in Gavin's POV, I would have enjoyed it a lot more. His character was what kept me going through the whole book. Damian too. You always read about the brooding, mysterious guy with these books and it was nice to get a genuinely nice guy for a change.
The book's saving grace was definitely the characters. Some were funny and others were stereotypical devious mean girls, but they were all pretty well developed. Except for Lucas. I never really liked Lucas. To me Lucas represented an ideal for her and he never seemed tangible as a character.
Despite the plotline, this book was very entertaining solely for its characters. Still, it was better than what I've usually come to expect with writers of this genre.
November 12, 2011
A hidden gem is right! India Lee's first book in her Hidden Gem series was chock full of everything I love in a story.
International pop star, Queen Bee has just finished the last show of her summer tour and is headed home to the US to start her junior year at public school. Starting a new school and trying to make new friends as Gemma, the unknown girl behind the Queen Bee persona, leaves Gemma feeling a little insecure and very un-queen like.
Watching Gemma maneuver her way (while keeping her alter ego secret) through making friends with the popular girls, her crush on new neighbor Lucas who happens to be dating one of them and rumors that Tyler Chase fellow pop star, has made his intentions known via Twitter that he's dying to meet his crush Queen Bee, kept me furiously changing the page in anticipation of how it was going to end. There's a subtle " love square" in the mix, with one of the contenders not even mentioned in the blurb (my fav) that will keep you guessing on who's better for Gemma and who can handle her as Queen Bee. Sure to be explored more in future installments.
Gemma is such a likable character with two polar opposite sides to her. Because she's trying to experience the more normal side of herself, we get to read about her confident pop star lifestyle while seeing her adapt to dealing with regular high school drama. I loved that as confident as she was being a pop star, deep down she was still a teenage girl dealing with real insecurities. And the side of me that loves high end fashion was happy with it's references between shoes and handbags Gemma and her friends would wear.
Looking forward to starting book two in this gem of a series!
International pop star, Queen Bee has just finished the last show of her summer tour and is headed home to the US to start her junior year at public school. Starting a new school and trying to make new friends as Gemma, the unknown girl behind the Queen Bee persona, leaves Gemma feeling a little insecure and very un-queen like.
Watching Gemma maneuver her way (while keeping her alter ego secret) through making friends with the popular girls, her crush on new neighbor Lucas who happens to be dating one of them and rumors that Tyler Chase fellow pop star, has made his intentions known via Twitter that he's dying to meet his crush Queen Bee, kept me furiously changing the page in anticipation of how it was going to end. There's a subtle " love square" in the mix, with one of the contenders not even mentioned in the blurb (my fav) that will keep you guessing on who's better for Gemma and who can handle her as Queen Bee. Sure to be explored more in future installments.
Gemma is such a likable character with two polar opposite sides to her. Because she's trying to experience the more normal side of herself, we get to read about her confident pop star lifestyle while seeing her adapt to dealing with regular high school drama. I loved that as confident as she was being a pop star, deep down she was still a teenage girl dealing with real insecurities. And the side of me that loves high end fashion was happy with it's references between shoes and handbags Gemma and her friends would wear.
Looking forward to starting book two in this gem of a series!
August 18, 2014
THIS BOOK IS AWFUL.
I first read it when I was about thirteen, and thought it was moderately okay. then i went back and re-read it, and found it slightly worse than some of the fan fiction i've read.
In all honesty, this book deserves zero stars. It was repulsive and harsh, devoid of any character development of interesting plot lines or good dialogue. The writing skills were average, sometimes slightly less so.
However, the reason why I gave it a one was simply this: I didn't end it. I didn't drop this book. I finished it, so therefore then it must have SOMETHING going for it, although i don't know what.
I don't know, maybe this is just me? But the plot line was so awfully generic and the characters were all stereotypical. I would recommend this to eleven year olds who like Disney, maybe.
Basically, don't ever read this book. It's boring, it's stupid, it's awfully written and has no interesting characters. The dialogue is poor and from the first chapter I could already tell how this story was going to end.
This book was also inappropriate for the market that it was aimed at, the pre-teen, tweens sort of age-group. When I first read the scene, I was shocked. Mainly because I was very innocent and disgusted by the thought of sex back then, but even now, it makes me wince. I've read better sex scenes, or more accurately, i've skipped better sex scenes.
However, if you're a fan of deliciously awful stories, then go ahead.
August 13, 2016
Okay, this is not a review trashing Hidden Gem, but can I just say one thing before I get start? Didn't we already cover the whole hidden pop star in four seasons of Hannah Montana? I guess India Lee gets a point for finding a better alternative disguise for Gemma than Hannah Montana's blonde wig, but still.
In the simplest terms, Hidden Gem is a cute story. It doesn't really cover any new ground, but it's enjoyable in its own right. Gemma as herself and in her Queen Bee alter ego were both very distinctive. It sounds like Gemma was a Lady Gage type with actual singing tonight, an intriguing idea. Her struggles hiding her secret and adjusting to normal life are realistic and understandable. These issues are well-explored and fleshed out (much more than in Hannah Montana, at least). Hidden Gem lost a star for two main reasons: Madison and Lucas. I liked all of Gemma's friends except for Madison. She was a reincarnated Regina George, and I've been there and watched that. Some might get mad at me for this, but I didn't like Lucas. For a love interest, I preferred Damien. He was sweet, cute, and completely in love with Gemma. I also like the hint there could be a Tyler Chase/Gemma romance in the next book. I'll have to read to find out. How bout you do the same thing?
In the simplest terms, Hidden Gem is a cute story. It doesn't really cover any new ground, but it's enjoyable in its own right. Gemma as herself and in her Queen Bee alter ego were both very distinctive. It sounds like Gemma was a Lady Gage type with actual singing tonight, an intriguing idea. Her struggles hiding her secret and adjusting to normal life are realistic and understandable. These issues are well-explored and fleshed out (much more than in Hannah Montana, at least). Hidden Gem lost a star for two main reasons: Madison and Lucas. I liked all of Gemma's friends except for Madison. She was a reincarnated Regina George, and I've been there and watched that. Some might get mad at me for this, but I didn't like Lucas. For a love interest, I preferred Damien. He was sweet, cute, and completely in love with Gemma. I also like the hint there could be a Tyler Chase/Gemma romance in the next book. I'll have to read to find out. How bout you do the same thing?
April 18, 2014
Hidden Gem is the story of Gemma, a teenage girl who, after spending the last year living the life of International teen pop star Queen Bee, has returned home to the good ol' US of A to attend a public high school as herself.
Gemma thought being a pop star was tough, but that was before she developed a crush Lucas. The problem? Lucas is the boyfriend of Gemma's new best friend Madison.
Can Gemma find a balance between her life as Queen Bee and Gemma? Will she have to sacrifice one for the other?
Overall I really liked this story. There were a few editing mishaps and at one point some "head hopping" that totally pulled me out of the story.
However, the good out-weighed the bad. There was real conflict, what you expect to happen from the beginning doesn't necessarily happen, and I liked that.
I think my favorite parts were the "news clippings" that preceded some of the chapters. Little "articles" from the Internet or magazines about Queen Bee. They reminded me of the society pages clips before the chapters in "The Luxe" series (by Anna Godbersen and "Gossip Girl" (though I never read the books, just watched the series.)
If you're in for a fun, light read, give this one a shot. I'm already reading book two.
Gemma thought being a pop star was tough, but that was before she developed a crush Lucas. The problem? Lucas is the boyfriend of Gemma's new best friend Madison.
Can Gemma find a balance between her life as Queen Bee and Gemma? Will she have to sacrifice one for the other?
Overall I really liked this story. There were a few editing mishaps and at one point some "head hopping" that totally pulled me out of the story.
However, the good out-weighed the bad. There was real conflict, what you expect to happen from the beginning doesn't necessarily happen, and I liked that.
I think my favorite parts were the "news clippings" that preceded some of the chapters. Little "articles" from the Internet or magazines about Queen Bee. They reminded me of the society pages clips before the chapters in "The Luxe" series (by Anna Godbersen and "Gossip Girl" (though I never read the books, just watched the series.)
If you're in for a fun, light read, give this one a shot. I'm already reading book two.
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