This Year's Model

Mac Croft #1

by Carol Alt

Supermodel Carol Alt takes us on a wild ride through the glamorous, cutthroat world of fashion and fame—in a biting, witty, and absolutely authentic novel that rocks the world of high-end modeling! Tall, beautiful, practical Melody Ann Croft of Morristown, New Jersey, is busting her behind as a waitress and wishing there was an easier way to earn money for college. When a customer claiming to be a fashion photographer insists she could become a model, Melody is skeptical—and totally shocked when dropping his name actually opens agency doors. Signed up before her head has even stopped spinning, she's got a new name—Mac—and is off to her first shoot. Could this be that "easier way" at last? But in modeling, nothing's easy. Mac faces demanding diva photographers with their body-torturing, day-long sessions, and jealous rivals whose flawless beauty hides sharp claws. There are rumors and lies, lecherous model-collecting playboys, rock stars and drugs, and the most perilous pitfall of them all . . . straight male models ! Temptation is everywhere, and even a level-headed Jersey girl may have trouble keeping her footing on the long, hard climb up.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Young Adult, Literary Fiction, Chick Lit, Fashion, Romance

255 pages, Paperback

First published August 26, 2008

About the author

Constantly in search of new frontiers, Carol Alt is the ultimate chameleon. Since her days as the world’s most renowned Supermodel, Carol Alt has gone on to be author, actress and entrepreneur. Having had enormous success in all her endeavors such as being a USA Today Best-Selling Author for her books on Raw food; a multi- award winning actress; the face of her own line of cosmetics; having a number one hit in Europe in the music industry; providing voiceovers for such hits as “King of the Hill”; and as the host of various TV and radio morning shows and newscasts, including Fox’s “Good Day Live”.

Called “The Most Beautiful Woman in the World” by Playboy Magazine and “The Next Million Dollar Face” by Life Magazine, Carol has not disappointed. Gracing the covers of over 700 magazines, several posters, two workout videos and numerous calendars, she is a one-woman conglomerate! She has lost track of the number of advertising campaigns, commercials, interviews, hosting jobs and endorsement contracts that have created this enormously successful and lasting career.

Forever touted as “The model that started the Supermodel trend” by John Casablancas, the owner of Elite Models, Carol tosses off that title as the result of necessity being the mother of invention. The necessity of a fourth Elite division of models who worked every day - who were career professionals - made Carol the first ever “Super Elite Model in the Super Elite Division.” The press therefore dubbed her the first “Supermodel.”

Hitting the highest echelons of the fashion industry did nothing but fuel Carol’s thirst for new projects and new venues, so, making good use of her fame, she self- produced her highly successful series of posters and calendars when Elite rejected the idea. These posters and calendars became the benchmark for any and every rising young supermodel. Carol thereby created a new business for all supermodels to come and in the process, became the object of fantasy for every young boy in America who had her poster plastered on his bedroom wall.

No other model can boast an uninterrupted 27 year career. Having twice graced the cover of the coveted Sports Illustrated Magazine’s Swimsuit Edition, Carol has gone on to star in over 50 movies, series, miniseries and episodic television in America and abroad.

Her highly acclaimed series “Amazon”, written by Peter Benchley, debuted as Variety’s “Number One New Dramatic Syndicated Series”, much to the delight of CBS and Alliance Atlantis, and paved the way for today’s hit “Lost”.

Carol has also had great success for her role in “Howard Sterns Private Parts”.
She is the recipient of Three European Telegattos (Emmy awards), one European “Oscar” Moda, The Mont Blanc Award, The Best Award, The Golden Ticket Box-Office Award ( for the most box office sales for a film in one year), The Certificate del Arte from The European Film Commission and The Umbra Award.

Prince Albert still holds a slight grudge that Carol did not come to the Monaco Film Festival to pick up her award for the portrayal of the life story of Rosanna Benzi, a woman with genetic polio living in an iron lung, in the film “Vice for Life.”

Not content to “just act”, she re-wrote the medical aspects, co-produced, and directed the children in a series of 12 films about a female doctor with a practice in an African clinic called “Under the African Sun.”

Her independent films include “Hitters”, which won the Westchester Film Festival, “The Look” which was the talk of The Tribeca Film Festival and “Signs of the Cross” which won The Catskills Film Festival.
Her sci-fi hit, “Snakehead Terror”, based on a true story, is still scaring people on the Sci-Fi Channel where it became not only a hit, but now a cult film.

Her recent films include: “Fatal Trust” for Lifetime, “Totally Awesome” for VH1,”Homo Erectus”, an Adam Rifkin comedy

Reviews

[Marjanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ok, the one thing this book has going for it is that it's a quick read. That's about it. I wasn't expecting Shakespeare, but this story was just insipid! It was predictable. It did not resolve anything. There wasn't enough character development to really understand why the main character was motivated to stay in a career that she didn't really seem interested in or why she was friends with any of her 'friends'. There was just too much undeveloped. It really feels that the author (who is a former model) was banking on readers not really caring about the story or characters and just being fascinated by the modeling industry (by the by, she doesn't reveal anything you probably don't already know). I also hate that this book was supposedly geared towards teenagers. Maybe that's why it's just not worth reading, not really even as just brain fluff.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

How I Came To Read This Book: Bargain buy to throw in an Amazon order.

The Plot: Melody Anne Croft is just a lowly Jersey girl waitress when a photographer scouts her for a career in the exciting world of modeling. In the blink of the eye, Melody transforms into 'Mac', modeling 'it' girl. When not trying out for the latest photo campaign, spread, or runway show, Melody is busy trying to warm up to the cold, catty girls in the industry, and even moreso to the hunk of her boy model dreams, Duncan. Along the way Mac (throw quasi-anecdotes based on Alt's own experiences) dips her toe into all the typical issues plaguing the modeling industry including drug use, weight loss, partying, and being away from her parents.

The Good & The Bad: In comparison to the last book I read, this one was significantly better - it was fun, flaky, and easy to read, exactly what I'd expect in the "slice of life" genre. However, what I also expect is a bit of insight - cynical or shocking - into the industry, and I felt like totally missed the boat / glossed over the industry. This book is NOT written by a woman disillusioned by modeling and fame, it's written by someone that still lives in the fantasy world that modeling *is* a great, confidence-building world dominated by powerful women. I found that reading Alt's Q&A at the back especially shed light on this -but throughout the book I was disappointed at how lightly she handled such serious issues as the extreme weight less techniques young girls are being asked to go through. Although she gave a few details here and there that showed the scarier side of a model's *lifestyle*, she rarely sunk her teeth into the real issues at hand - nor were many of the plot threads brought up in the book actually resolved by the end. I still don't know what Mac's future is - as the book opens with a scene that takes you as far into her future as you'll ever see, and that was a bit of a letdown for me. I wanted to see what she was going to do in terms of her long-term plans (that are a major plot point in the book) and that never happened.

The Bottom Line: A fun, frivolous read that could have used some more meat on its bones.

Anything Memorable?: Nope.

50-Book Challenge?: Book #7 in 2009.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

The prose was well written in the click-lit genre. In fact, that is what kept me reading.

However, the plot and character development left me cold. The character became more shallow as the book went on - more concerned with the superficial (weight, brand of handbag), and unwilling to put herself out to help a friend. Then it ended.

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

A cheesy book that although I couldn't wait for it to be over, had a VERY disappointing ending.

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Earlier this year I made an offhanded Facebook post about having missed my calling as an Instagram model. It was meant to be a bit funny because I've never embodied fashion, nor am I pretty by any conventional standards. I didn't belabor further, but it wasn't a complete joke. Rather, it was a wistful acknowledgment that even though I'm not some sort of beauty standard bearer or anything, there's something appealing about being confident enough in myself to allow a camera to capture my image. That somehow my lumpy, balding flesh could be made to capture a viewer's interest, rather than their gazes sliding from one side of me to the next without a stutter, as if I wasn't even there. As someone who's felt shame about my body for, frankly, most of my life, I've largely preferred being unnoticed.

But I noticed something interesting: Taylor Swift's appearance, always so immaculately presented to the media, is, to a large degree, the product of makeup, hair-do, and fashion. Not that she's ugly without (far from), but if she's in a crowd your eyes won't necessarily snap right to her the way they would if she was made up. OK, not a stunning realization. Anyone who's seen a paparazzi photo of a celebrity out jogging understands the difference between someone's natural appearance and how they look when made up. But for the first time I really internalized the fact that looking good—at least per societal aesthetics—is largely about effort and opportunity more than who we are when we stand in front of a mirror.

I guess some people spin that realization into an indictment: Celebrities are fake, makeup is a lie, etc, etc. But my takeaway is a bit different. I view it as more encouragement. I don't have to default to my normal appearance. I don't have to immediately pull out a shabby band t-shirt when I peer into my metaphorical closet. I'm not locked into a particular look just because it's always been my look. I'll never look like Taylor Swift, but that doesn't mean I can't look for ways to elevate. Last month I saw some fun t-shirts that were patterned and bought them instead of t-shirts with anime characters. I don't know that they're "stylish" per se, but they fit my vibe. I requested sweaters for Christmas instead of, like, hoodies. Neither thing means I'm only wearing those things, but they're something a little different than my usual attire and I've enjoyed shuffling them into my rotation.

But since that realization, I've been intrigued by the modeling and fashion world, something I've mostly ignored over the course of my life. Which is why, when picking my first book to read in over a year, I decided to look up one about modeling.

I knew Carol Alt's name before her book popped up as a recommendation when I did the ol' "books about fashion and modeling" Google search. Although I really only knew her name because I've been making my way through general Google searches for iconic models. I didn't—and still don't—know much of anything about her aside from that.

Or maybe I do. While This Year's Model is presented as a work of fiction, it feels like fiction that pulls pretty strongly from Alt's own experiences. Maybe not in specifics (although if you take a quick glance at her Wikipedia page, you'll see a few specific details that overlap), but in spirit at least.

Mac Croft is innocently working her weekend serving job at whatever passes for a nice restaurant in her small hometown. She's 18 years old, just graduated from high school, and trying to scrape some money (and a major scholarship) for college in the fall. But it's while waiting on a creepy stranger's table that she's offered a modeling gig. Of course she laughs it off, but he writes down a phone number and tells her to call tomorrow. And of course she doesn't call, except a few weeks later she does. Thus Mac tilts head first into the world of modeling, a girl-eat-girl grind as she tries to juggle her academic goals with the brusque reality of trying to get gigs. Not helping are her concerned parents, who apparently think modeling is some sort of satanic ritual. The person who does help is Jade, a girl she meets on her first go see. They strike quick and easy friendship, but is it possible to have friends in the modeling world?

This Year's Model feels like it was written by someone who isn't a professional writer. That can be taken as a slight, but it's not wrong, so I guess it's really only a slight if Alt thought she was writing, like, Pride and Prejudice or something.

While you can take some weird sentence fragmenting and wrong word choices as evidence, I'd argue they are more a sign that This Year's Model got poor editing, not that her mechanical skills are bad. In fact, by and large, Alt has a no-frills, solidly told prose style. Easy to read and understand what she's getting at.

Rather, the roughness of This Year's Model comes in the form of how information is conveyed to the reader, narrative arcs, and other logical flow issues that practiced writers smooth out. Or, more simply, knowing WHAT the reader needs to know and WHEN they need to know it. A lot of it boils down to Alt telling the reader stuff but not showing the reader. A good example is the romantic tensions between Mac and a male model from her agency. We know she's attracted to him because the text states as such at various places. However, we're not given a reason to care. It crops up from time to time in the text, but is otherwise out of sight, out of mind. When that emotional part of the story climaxes (which is honestly a side plot to the novel more than a driving factor on its own), it doesn't land right. As a reader I wasn't invested in her love life.

Even Mac and what she does falls victim to this information issue to some degree. On the one hand, Mac is written to be something of a self-insert character. Not a lot of details about her are given, even at the outset. We know basic age (ready for college), that she lives at home with parents, that she has siblings, but otherwise we're just kind of filling in the gaps, right? And maybe that's not an awful way of writing a character. This is, after all, a fantasy novel. Not in terms of swords and sorcery, but feeding that "I wish" part of anyone who has wanted to try out modeling. Allow those people to step into the protagonist's shoes and rollercoaster them through about six months worth of chaos. But the problem with a self-insert protagonist is when that character acts in a way that frustrates the reader. The hazy nature of the protagonist makes it hard to understand where that came from. "Why are they acting out of character?" we ask, forgetting that so little has been conveyed to us about them that we don't really know who they are or how they'd typically act.

But that haziness also feels like something that affects our ability to perceive modeling itself. In the early stages of the novel, Mac is, of course, a complete novice. You’d expect a strong learning curve. However, that’s not really communicated. The first thing Mac’s agency sends her to is a go-see. The novel kind of defines a “go-see,” although I never got a firm grasp on it; undefined or poorly defined jargon is pretty common in This Year’s Model. Anyway, I think a go-see is a photoshoot where models show up and may or may not be used. So you “go see” if they want to use you in the shoot. Maybe? Anyway, Mac shows up to the go-see, exchanges a few words with The People There and is rushed to makeup. Most of the chapter is then spent talking with one of the other models. Towards the end of the chapter Mac does, in fact, Do The Modeling. But she just kind of… does it? Like, when I look back on that chapter, there’s a wide gap between the sorts of things I’d expect a protagonist to note about a big first in their life and the things that actually get communicated. To the extent that, as a reader, I don’t think I learned anything about the actual process.

I think a big problem that kind of ties those two issues together is that Mac is written in the first person, but without much of an insightful glimpse into who she actually is. So it comes across more like a 3rd person novel that just so happens to use “I” and “me” instead of “she” and “her.” Which isn’t to say This Year’s Model is devoid of Mac’s thoughts and feelings, but it’s also not a fairly constant stream of inner monologuing that first person writing is typically trying to mimic.

The degree to which you notice these things will largely depend on why you picked up This Year’s Model in the first place. If you’re just looking for a breezy read set in the world of modeling and fashion? You’ll probably be fairly pleased. It’s not the most detailed of novels, but Alt does speak with authority, so it’s fairly believable. On the other hand, if you’re more interested in This Year’s Model to be not just authoritative, but detailed and instructive? Well, it’s not going to be that.

Obviously from my rating I’m more in the “breezy” camp, although would have loved to see more on the “detailed” end of things. I think it mostly boils down to Alt’s inexperience as a writer. I realize this (and its sequel, Model Incorporated) is over a decade old now, and if her bibliography is any indication she hasn’t written since. Which is a shame, and I’d love to see her try again–either with a good editor to steer her or with a co-writer to help guide things–because I think there’s room in the fictional (and non-fictional) world for non-cynical glimpses into modeling.

[Suzie Quint · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had very little story arc. Characters came and went, never to appear again. The first half to 2/3s of the book showed Alt's knowledge of the fashion industry, but that's not the point of fiction. This is not something I'd recommend.

[Kaitlyn Hamalainen · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I liked about this book is it was quick to read, and you can see how Carol’s real life modeling experience positively influences the book and feels somewhat accurate to the little knowledge I have on the modeling industry. What I disliked is it’s not that enticing, I felt like the book needed to have a part 2 to it to really bring it together and make it a great read, as on its own it’s just lacking in excitement. While reading, it felt like I was always waiting for that “peak’ moment but it never came :/.

I think this could be a really great read for a young teenage girl who is intrigued by the modeling industry but other than that demographic I can’t see much of a reason to read this book.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mac is bound and determined to become the worlds newest model. Things take off quickly and she has to decide between school and posing. While the story line is entertaining and sadly real for models I wanted her to go to school and make better choices. This book has a few triggers for some... Self harm, drugs, random sex, booze and just general stupid choices.

[Shan Rich · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another weird ass model novel I have on my bookshelf lol.

[Carey · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this fun new novel the reader gets to experience the outrageous world of professional modelling through the eyes of newly discovered model Melody Ann Croft.


Melody is just a normal kid from New Jersey, working as a waitress during her last summer before going away to college. Then one night a professional photographer happens to have dinner at the restaurant where she works. He thinks she has potential and gives her some contacts which turn out to be top modelling agencies in Manhattan.


After some indecision she decides that she has nothing to lose and calls some of the numbers on the card. The photographer's name is enough to get her interviews at several top agencies. The first one she visits immediately snaps her up, they think that she has "it", that elusive quality that means success. She is immediately thrust into the competitive and frantic world of professional modelling.


It's an eye opening experience. There are ugly sides to the new world that she finds herself in. She has to lose weight, of course, and it is difficult to maintain the waif like appearance that is demanded by most clients. The other models are fiercely competitive and some are downright mean. Then there is the ever present drug use. Melody is a strong girl with a solid middle class upbringing, so she is grounded and able to resist the temptations around her, but she still learns some difficult lessons.


Supermodel Carol Alt has written a fast-paced, fun novel that gives the regular person a peek into the inner workings of an industry that most of us will never experience. I know that I'll never look at a glossy fashion advertisement the same way again!

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Angela S. for TeensReadToo.com

Melody Ann Croft is your average hometown girl - very practical, with her whole life planned out ahead of her.

That all changes one day when a customer at the restaurant where she is working tells her she could be a model and gives her his card, along with the numbers of all the top agencies in New York. Melody is a little curious, despite thinking this man is crazy, so she calls one agency and just with the mention of this man (who happens to be a famous photographer), she gets an appointment immediately.

That begins her career as MAC, the model, for Delicious Models. Her booker, Francesca, has her going on go-sees at lightning speed and she books her first job in no time.

Melody plans to save her money for college so she won't need a scholarship, but making so much money so quickly with modeling is addictive, and Melody starts thinking that maybe she can defer college and model for a few years instead. With the obvious perks of modeling also come the many pitfalls: lecherous men, drugs, and other things Melody is not used to.

After a fling with a male model named Duncan and being stabbed in the back by her so-called best friend, Jade, Melody starts to wonder who she can trust, if anyone. But after booking her first cover, only a few months into her career, Melody is hooked on modeling and traveling to exotic locations.

The only question is, how much of herself does she have to give up in order to succeed in the modeling business?

[Holly Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Janice Dickinson claims to be the first Supermodel. Carol Alt however is the true title holder. She rose to fame swiftly in the 80's creating a new legion of models, Supermodels -or Supes as they call themselves.

Carol Alt has appeared on over 700 magazine covers. The woman is a legend! When she set out to write a fictional novel about the world of modeling, she certainly had done her homework. Her portrayal of the industry seems to be spot on. I read Carol Alt's biography and found a lot of parallels between her life and the book. I would venture to say that this book is a semi-autobiographical fiction.

When Melody Ann Croft is discovered at a steakhouse, she is lured into the world of modeling, thinking it is only a summer job to make a few bucks for college. She has dreams of becoming a doctor and has no intention of giving that up. As she is morphed into Mac, a girl on the verge of becoming a Supe, she has to reevaluate her plans.

Her closest friends in the industry show their true colors and the picture painted isn't what Mac chose to see. She struggles with her family not agreeing with her decision as well. Will Mac make it big, or be stomped on in front of NYC's elite at Bryant Park?

This was an excellent read, I loved every minute of it and cannot wait for the next installment.

Author to watch!

[Ariel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is really an eye-opener to the modeling industry of today, where you can't just have a pretty face, you also need a good brain. Betrayal lurks around every corner, and you can't depend on anyone. I like how Melody doesn't get really discouraged, and no matter how much her friend Jade puts her down, she's always there for her. It's a lovely book. Some parts, though, just didn't stick with me, and sometimes I just wanted to kill the main character. But this book is still a pretty good book. Not really that bad.

[Rachel Moody · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book because I love watching America's Next Top Model, and wanted to read about an actual model's experience. Her story is very interesting, but believe me, by the end of I have no doubt that I can cross modeling off of my potential career list! Holy cow! Tough industry. Either way, still really enjoyed reading it.

[Jessica Marquis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this entirely on the beach in Cozumel. Great vacation book. I think what really stood out to me about this story was how Melody actually has morals and character. It was very refreshing, in a genre dominated by the catty self-centeredness of the girls in Clique and Gossip Girl books. It's nothing incredible, but I found it an interesting and entertaining read.

[JaceAngel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't really like the ending, it seemed to me that she became someone superficial, MAC is described as being pretty and all but I think somewhere along the way she lost pieces of herself. Jade, isn't her friend no matter what goes on between them, Jade never really is her friend and MAD does NOT acknowledge this.

[Niladry Sabir · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave the book two stars, because..."it was okay". Really, no other phrase could describe it better.

There was a lack of plot, and there wasn't much build up, and right when the book ended was when I thought the plot was beginning to form.

My reaction: That's it?

She writes okay, and this book is something I'd read for passing time, but I probably would not be particularly enjoying it.

[Lexie Stoneking · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning of the book was great and captivating. I loved following the life of an up and coming model. The book feel through for me in the end. I felt it ended quickly and was left unresolved. Some of the content made me feel slightly uneasy, but I suppose that goes along with the model aspect of the book. It is a decent mindless read.

[R · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this not long after my most stressful semester of university, I picked it up looking for something kind of shallow and easy to breeze through and that's what I got. Don't read this if you're looking for complex character arcs or a plot that actually follows a three act structure, you'll only be disappointed.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though I rated this a 3, it was a cute book and quick read. There were too many unrelatable/unlikely situations, but the characters were interesting and gave an interesting insight into what its really like to be a model.

[Ashlyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was kinda interesting.. It was pretty boring and lost me through the middle.. I hated the ending. The book was kinda pointless cause nothing really happened in the end.. Kin of confusing. Didn't like it.

[Katie R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Juvenile writing, but the plot was interesting enough.

Read it in one breath because I wanted to know what would happen, not because I was enthralled by the plot, etc.

I did not like the ending. It just ended. Ugh hate that.

[Meaghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

fun and informative at the same time. didnt touch as much on the issues that a lot of other books about modeling do (drug use, sex, eating disorders, etc) but was still a real picture of life for a young model. i enjoyed it.

[Patti · Rating 2 out of 5]

I haven't read anything in a while and this is what I pick up? My local library is very small, so if I want to just grab something, my options are limited. So this was a lame book, enough said.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book for free at NY fashion week, go figure. It was a quick read and kept my attention...slightly childish

[PinkyB · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a blah story.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, quick read. Interesting look at the modeling world from a former model. Uncomplicated plot makes for a good vacation read.

[Mariah · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has few surprises. It is a string of events that could be predicted in a model's life as she climbs to "super" status. I think I'm too old to qualify for the target audience.

[Kerri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book because it brough the reader into the world of modeling, however I found the main characters were very hard to relate to.

[Krista]

Ugh. Absolutely awful.