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Canterwood Crest #18
Famous
FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Hoping to become the intermediate team's top-ranked rider, Lauren confronts unexpected competition from a talented foreign exchange student who rapidly makes friends with her dazzling smile and eagerness to demonstrate fancy skills.
240 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2013
40 people are currently reading
777 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Burkhart
135 books628 followersJessica Burkhart is the author of the best-selling Canterwood Crest series which has sold over 1.6 million copies in multiple languages. She has also written the Unicorn Magic series, the YA novel Wild Hearts, and edited a YA anthology--Life Inside My Mind.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
January 8, 2024
honestly, this is a book for younger people so i don't want to discredit it too bad. it's a good book. for younger people. it's just kinda badly written and there's no character development and the plot is bad. the drama is always way smaller than the consequences it has. like, the problem would be not that big a deal, not that offensive or hurtful (i'm talking about lauren's story, not sasha's. sasha had big problems, but she dealt with them horribly which was the annoying part) but then the way lauren (the main character) would react would be WAY too exaggerated which was so annoying. i get that the author wanted to make the series dramatic and action-packed, but then you just make a bigger problem!! i actually liked the less dramatic books in this series where it was just about lauren's life at canterwood and how she hung out with her friends and had a good time.
i really don't like how jessica burkhart ends her series. this was the last book but it definitely felt like more could be written. she kinda just leaves a bunch of stuff hanging and the ending feels really random and abrupt.
throughout the entire series, the age thing really ticked me off. like at the start of sasha and lauren's stories, both were (i think?) twelve which just seems way too young to be a horseback riding superstar and have so much drama :/ i really feel like it would have been easier to make them high schoolers and then at the end of the series, imply that they go to college rather than high school. jessica burkhart might've made them middle schoolers to reach out to younger people i think? but it annoys me.
i love how in each canterwood series, the person i hated the most were the main characters. yay!
also, the 2 star rating is low, but this book wasn't really bad. it was just,,, not properly executed and really dragged on. and the big, dramatic "problem" was annoying and the ending was abrupt. and also the series is pretty repetitive.
i really don't like how jessica burkhart ends her series. this was the last book but it definitely felt like more could be written. she kinda just leaves a bunch of stuff hanging and the ending feels really random and abrupt.
throughout the entire series, the age thing really ticked me off. like at the start of sasha and lauren's stories, both were (i think?) twelve which just seems way too young to be a horseback riding superstar and have so much drama :/ i really feel like it would have been easier to make them high schoolers and then at the end of the series, imply that they go to college rather than high school. jessica burkhart might've made them middle schoolers to reach out to younger people i think? but it annoys me.
i love how in each canterwood series, the person i hated the most were the main characters. yay!
also, the 2 star rating is low, but this book wasn't really bad. it was just,,, not properly executed and really dragged on. and the big, dramatic "problem" was annoying and the ending was abrupt. and also the series is pretty repetitive.
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August 13, 2013I know, I know, I'm much too old to be reading these books, but before you send me to the library jail, let me explain.
I started reading these books back in 2009 when the first CC book, Take the Reins (RIP Sasha), was released to my school book fair. For a while, the first book sat on my shelf unread, but soon (due to the urgings of my friend who was a die-hard CC lover) I read the book. My little eleven-year old self was in awe of the lives of the Canterwood girls. I imagined myself living their glossy, shallow lives full of riding, friends, and boys. *sigh* When the Sasha series ended and the Lauren books came out, I was just as a die-hard as my CC obsessed friend. But once I read the first book, I was a little disappointed. Gone were the days of Sasha's realistic (well, as realistic as going to an exclusive boarding school trouble free can be) voice and feelings and now Lauren's life was here to stay. For some reason, I feel like Lauren's voice sounds more...immature than Sasha's. Like, Jessica Burkhart is trying WAY too hard to make Lauren sound mature, which in turn makes her sound kind of whiny and well, immature. Something's just off. Maybe to put it in CC-approved terms, Lauren's books are full gloss (full of cheesy words, weak plots to cover up the lack of good writing) whereas, Sasha's books were semi-gloss because they didn't need any extra oomph to get them going. Sasha's life was not as glossy and made-up as Lauren's and because of that we could RELATE to her. We felt bad when Sasha was alone and ditched by her friends. Lauren seems to just make friends without trying. Who can relate to that unless you're some celebrity and even then not everybody likes you!
*Lets out breath* Okay, onto the actual book!
Famous is the last book before the super-special, Home for Christmas, and should be (note, SHOULD BE) the wrap up book to the ending of the entire series. Let's have a recap of what's going on shall we? Taylor and Brielle are now both going to Canterwood and something seems to be up between them. Lauren expects her best friends to immediately want to hang out and pick up right where they left off, but she soon discovers a massive secret between them. Her once best friends have been hiding from her this whole time. Who is she supposed to trust anymore if she can't trust her friends? Meanwhile, a new foreign exchange student from Sweden comes to Canterwood and is hiding another secret to protect herself. Lauren better figure out who she can trust...and fast!
Overall, this book adds even more loose ends to an already pulled apart sweater of a story. Why are we adding in characters in the last book? In my opinion, I think if we had cut out Popular and Comeback and instead wrote those plots into the story and made fewer, bigger books, I would have been more happy. The story seems to have too many plots: people finding out about her accident, Riley, the play, Drew, her first show, and now the whole Taylor and Brielle drama. Those plots are all great, but they each individually could make a whole book. They need more attention than Jessica gave them.
Because I started reading these books, I intend to finish them. I just wish Jessica Burkhart would have added more substance to the series instead of adding in random plots whenever she got stuck.
I started reading these books back in 2009 when the first CC book, Take the Reins (RIP Sasha), was released to my school book fair. For a while, the first book sat on my shelf unread, but soon (due to the urgings of my friend who was a die-hard CC lover) I read the book. My little eleven-year old self was in awe of the lives of the Canterwood girls. I imagined myself living their glossy, shallow lives full of riding, friends, and boys. *sigh* When the Sasha series ended and the Lauren books came out, I was just as a die-hard as my CC obsessed friend. But once I read the first book, I was a little disappointed. Gone were the days of Sasha's realistic (well, as realistic as going to an exclusive boarding school trouble free can be) voice and feelings and now Lauren's life was here to stay. For some reason, I feel like Lauren's voice sounds more...immature than Sasha's. Like, Jessica Burkhart is trying WAY too hard to make Lauren sound mature, which in turn makes her sound kind of whiny and well, immature. Something's just off. Maybe to put it in CC-approved terms, Lauren's books are full gloss (full of cheesy words, weak plots to cover up the lack of good writing) whereas, Sasha's books were semi-gloss because they didn't need any extra oomph to get them going. Sasha's life was not as glossy and made-up as Lauren's and because of that we could RELATE to her. We felt bad when Sasha was alone and ditched by her friends. Lauren seems to just make friends without trying. Who can relate to that unless you're some celebrity and even then not everybody likes you!
*Lets out breath* Okay, onto the actual book!
Famous is the last book before the super-special, Home for Christmas, and should be (note, SHOULD BE) the wrap up book to the ending of the entire series. Let's have a recap of what's going on shall we? Taylor and Brielle are now both going to Canterwood and something seems to be up between them. Lauren expects her best friends to immediately want to hang out and pick up right where they left off, but she soon discovers a massive secret between them. Her once best friends have been hiding from her this whole time. Who is she supposed to trust anymore if she can't trust her friends? Meanwhile, a new foreign exchange student from Sweden comes to Canterwood and is hiding another secret to protect herself. Lauren better figure out who she can trust...and fast!
Overall, this book adds even more loose ends to an already pulled apart sweater of a story. Why are we adding in characters in the last book? In my opinion, I think if we had cut out Popular and Comeback and instead wrote those plots into the story and made fewer, bigger books, I would have been more happy. The story seems to have too many plots: people finding out about her accident, Riley, the play, Drew, her first show, and now the whole Taylor and Brielle drama. Those plots are all great, but they each individually could make a whole book. They need more attention than Jessica gave them.
Because I started reading these books, I intend to finish them. I just wish Jessica Burkhart would have added more substance to the series instead of adding in random plots whenever she got stuck.
June 29, 2013
Jessica Burkhart has always surprised me with the Canterwood Crest Academy novels. Changing from Sasha to Lauren's point of view was a very big jump in plots and characters, but I felt that I was there for the whole ride, right from the start.
These novels might be pre-teen based and aged, but I didn't want to leave the series in the middle of them all, so now that we're at the last novel, and then we have the Christmas special, I want to finish them all, and then say goodbye.
These novels were my favourite tween novels. There's a little romance, a lot of drama, and wonderful characters, that are close to my age. I feel that I could relate to them, and that's probably why I also love the series.
I feel that One or Famous, whatever you call it, (I don't even know) was a perfect last novel to the series. There was new characters, and having the two female leads join together in the end was great. I'm sad to see them go.
Lauren, I think, has definitely built up as a character herself. Remember her little beginner, insecure self? Look at where she is now, with many new friends, and memories to remember.
The Canterwood Crest Academy series has that One thing...
September 15, 2023
that was a movie
September 7, 2024
“You, in this moment, define yourself. You’re not the new girl. You’re not the Union girl. Or the dressage champion girl. You’re the Canterwood girl. You’re Lauren Towers, intermediate rider.”
What an amazing end to the series. I loved following LT on her journey as she settles into CCA and navigates boys, horses, and school.
What an amazing end to the series. I loved following LT on her journey as she settles into CCA and navigates boys, horses, and school.
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June 11, 2022drew has major anger issues
January 21, 2017
It's an AMAZING book and I recommend it to anyone who likes Horses, Riding and wants to read an exciting book full of drama...
Lauren is a rider on the intermediate team at Canterwood Crest.
Khloe is Laurens Best Friend and roommate.
Clare just found out that Brielle is her new roommate. They are on their wahy to becoming good friends, but is her roommate keeping a secret?
Brielle is Laurens friend from Union. She has been keeping a secret from Lauren that she got accepted to CCA. Could it be true that she is keeping another secret from Lauren? If yes, are they still going to be friends?
Lexa is Laurens Best Friend after Khloe and always is there for help.
Ana is Laurens Best Friend from Union. Or is she? After Lauren speaks to Brielle, she gets mad at Ana. But she was just trying to keep her safe, while Brielle kept her secret...
Carina is the new foreign exchange student who dazzles everyone with her talent. Lauren becomes her friend right at the beginning, but KK is still unsure about her. KK and LT look her up on the internet. OMG... LT had better be ready to fight-Carina's in position to steal the spotlight. Or is she?!
Taylor is LTs ex-boyfriend from Union. They had the best possible break up and are still good friends. Tay said that LT was the only girl for him... but is that really true?!
Drew is LTs boyfriend. Laur really likes him, but Drew and Tay don't really get along...
Cole is one of Laurbells good friends. She rides and has fashion class with him.
Zack is KKs almost boyfriend and they fit so well together.
Garret is Zacks best friend and Laurbells friend.
Lauren is a rider on the intermediate team at Canterwood Crest.
Khloe is Laurens Best Friend and roommate.
Clare just found out that Brielle is her new roommate. They are on their wahy to becoming good friends, but is her roommate keeping a secret?
Brielle is Laurens friend from Union. She has been keeping a secret from Lauren that she got accepted to CCA. Could it be true that she is keeping another secret from Lauren? If yes, are they still going to be friends?
Lexa is Laurens Best Friend after Khloe and always is there for help.
Ana is Laurens Best Friend from Union. Or is she? After Lauren speaks to Brielle, she gets mad at Ana. But she was just trying to keep her safe, while Brielle kept her secret...
Carina is the new foreign exchange student who dazzles everyone with her talent. Lauren becomes her friend right at the beginning, but KK is still unsure about her. KK and LT look her up on the internet. OMG... LT had better be ready to fight-Carina's in position to steal the spotlight. Or is she?!
Taylor is LTs ex-boyfriend from Union. They had the best possible break up and are still good friends. Tay said that LT was the only girl for him... but is that really true?!
Drew is LTs boyfriend. Laur really likes him, but Drew and Tay don't really get along...
Cole is one of Laurbells good friends. She rides and has fashion class with him.
Zack is KKs almost boyfriend and they fit so well together.
Garret is Zacks best friend and Laurbells friend.
February 7, 2016
Am I the only one who hated this book? (And yes, I already read the books in order) Sure, it's interesting and stuff, but only good things happen to Lauren. Boy magnet? Check. Super smart? Check. Pretty? Check. Good singing voice? Check. Really nice? Check.
What I'm saying that she's too perfect. Lauren seems like a big fake. She doesn't even seem to have any weaknesses!
Plus she's in grade seven. And when she was in grade 6, she dated a guy named Taylor who seems waaaaaaaaay too mature to be in the 6th or 7th grade.
Pfft. Jessica Burkhart has no idea how tween/ preteen girls and boys act. This book was terrible, fake and cringe-worthy. I don't recommend
What I'm saying that she's too perfect. Lauren seems like a big fake. She doesn't even seem to have any weaknesses!
Plus she's in grade seven. And when she was in grade 6, she dated a guy named Taylor who seems waaaaaaaaay too mature to be in the 6th or 7th grade.
Pfft. Jessica Burkhart has no idea how tween/ preteen girls and boys act. This book was terrible, fake and cringe-worthy. I don't recommend
July 3, 2020
Again, another book with not much plot. It was the aftermath of what happened at the end of Jealousy. I though Lauren acted out of character regarding the whole Taylor & Brielle situation. She's been very level-headed and reasonable, but then she was screaming and crying over everything. I thought it was a bit much. And then in the end she forgave them and let their relationships go back to normal way too quickly.
The description on the back of the book made it sound like the book was going to focus on getting ready for a competition. It mentioned how Carina arrives as a new student and then made it seem like there was going to be a huge rivalry between Carina and Lauren- instead, they became friends right away, and though Lauren recognized Carina's amazing riding background and her talent, there was no competition between them. It was very lame.
Then the rest of the book was largely the friends setting up what will happen in Home For Christmas.
The description on the back of the book made it sound like the book was going to focus on getting ready for a competition. It mentioned how Carina arrives as a new student and then made it seem like there was going to be a huge rivalry between Carina and Lauren- instead, they became friends right away, and though Lauren recognized Carina's amazing riding background and her talent, there was no competition between them. It was very lame.
Then the rest of the book was largely the friends setting up what will happen in Home For Christmas.
August 19, 2017
This was a great book, I was really in the characters shoes. I felt like I was in the book and in Lauren's place. I loved how the book started right where the last book ended and it was not confusing. I loved how there was quite a bit of girl gossip but it was not annoying. I would recommend Famous by Jessica Burkhart to people who like reading about animals and enjoy a good amount of drama, and gossip.
July 23, 2019
A lesson on social media
Jessica showed us all how social media can be very harmful to friend ships! A personal communication brings friends together in an honest way! Thank you Jessica! Important for the young and old!
Jessica showed us all how social media can be very harmful to friend ships! A personal communication brings friends together in an honest way! Thank you Jessica! Important for the young and old!
August 21, 2023
this gets a star because it had sasha but oh my god the o to 60 drama with brielle and taylor was so annoying
September 23, 2023
Okay, I think I just needed to know the characters a bit more. Reading the last book in the series somehow makes me sad, but then I think about the overused slang and I'm like Nope
Book 401
Book 401
November 11, 2017
I liked it there was a few spots I couldn't agree of somewhat of a satisfying end to the series.
February 13, 2016
While this one was one of the best in this series, I am also terribly sad. Now the series is truly over. Luckily, I still got Sasha's books, but I am sad that Lauren's saga is over.
She didn't even have a long part in this series. Sasha has 12 books, and then Lauren only gets 6? Why? I am sure Lauren could have had a longer book part, she still has so many things to do. YENT, getting into a team higher, I wanted to see more romance between her and Drew, but yet, that is all apparently not relevant, because the series ends with this book. I don't think we will ever get any more books, it was pretty conclusive, even with all there is still left, the ending felt finished (though that is more how it was written).
Of course I won't tell you what happened at the end, you will just have to find out. It was kind of a disappointing end, it felt a bit rushed with all kinds of stuff magically happen that I found a bit to suspiciously easy.
This book is still chock-full of drama with Brielle and Taylor having a secret, which Lauren finds out, which breaks her heart. And while I found it a bit too dramatical, and a bit weirdly added (those who read it might understand what I am talking about), it also matched the book and the style of how the Lauren books were written.
The romance between her and Drew, oh my, I just loved those soooooo much. It was just perfect and adorable, however it did strengthen my believe that these characters are NOT 12/13 year old. It only strengthens my believes that these characters are 15 or 16. The maturity of the relationship, the romance levels and several other things, it is just not what a 12/13 year old would have/do.
I loved the parts with the horses, I just could imagine myself in that stable, watching the horses, talking to them, and then watching our group ride the horses in lessons and trail rides. The author really did well to make it all really believable. I can only give applause to that! Good job.
We also have a new girl, and she was just amazing. At first I was a bit worried about what her arrival would do to the group, but in the end it turned out that I didn't need to worry.
All in all though, this was a good book and I really enjoyed it. Even if it broke my heart that there just won't be any more books about Lauren, or about Sasha.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
She didn't even have a long part in this series. Sasha has 12 books, and then Lauren only gets 6? Why? I am sure Lauren could have had a longer book part, she still has so many things to do. YENT, getting into a team higher, I wanted to see more romance between her and Drew, but yet, that is all apparently not relevant, because the series ends with this book. I don't think we will ever get any more books, it was pretty conclusive, even with all there is still left, the ending felt finished (though that is more how it was written).
Of course I won't tell you what happened at the end, you will just have to find out. It was kind of a disappointing end, it felt a bit rushed with all kinds of stuff magically happen that I found a bit to suspiciously easy.
This book is still chock-full of drama with Brielle and Taylor having a secret, which Lauren finds out, which breaks her heart. And while I found it a bit too dramatical, and a bit weirdly added (those who read it might understand what I am talking about), it also matched the book and the style of how the Lauren books were written.
The romance between her and Drew, oh my, I just loved those soooooo much. It was just perfect and adorable, however it did strengthen my believe that these characters are NOT 12/13 year old. It only strengthens my believes that these characters are 15 or 16. The maturity of the relationship, the romance levels and several other things, it is just not what a 12/13 year old would have/do.
I loved the parts with the horses, I just could imagine myself in that stable, watching the horses, talking to them, and then watching our group ride the horses in lessons and trail rides. The author really did well to make it all really believable. I can only give applause to that! Good job.
We also have a new girl, and she was just amazing. At first I was a bit worried about what her arrival would do to the group, but in the end it turned out that I didn't need to worry.
All in all though, this was a good book and I really enjoyed it. Even if it broke my heart that there just won't be any more books about Lauren, or about Sasha.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
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March 9, 2016The new exchange student means serious competition for Lauren and her friends because at Canterwood Crest, only one rider can be at the top. Rankings on Canterwood s intermediate team are falling into place in Lauren s favor. Then blond, beautiful foreign exchange student Carina arrives. The new girl puts on a million-watt smile, but it doesn t dazzle LT. Carina is out to show Canterwood students just how riders from her home country of Sweden take the arena. And with a local show on the horizon, Carina s especially ready to impress which means Lauren and her friends better be especially ready to represent, because Carina s in place to steal the spotlight.
May 1, 2016
I love Canterwood Crest! It's one of my favourite series! I was looking for the last book for so long and when I finally found it I was so happy.
But I soon discovered that the back is very misleading. It says a new girl shows up and wow's everyone except Lauren and now she has to be ready for competition. Instead it talks a lot about her relationships with Brielle and Taylor and her and the new girl are good friends. Isn't it supposed to be about horses? Hence the name Canterwood Crest? I couldn't give a high rating because the blurb and story were totally different.
But I soon discovered that the back is very misleading. It says a new girl shows up and wow's everyone except Lauren and now she has to be ready for competition. Instead it talks a lot about her relationships with Brielle and Taylor and her and the new girl are good friends. Isn't it supposed to be about horses? Hence the name Canterwood Crest? I couldn't give a high rating because the blurb and story were totally different.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2013
What a good book! I only gave it four stars because the friend thing almost turned out too perfect. But I love how Jessica Burkhart brought Sasha Silver back in! Sasha was always my favorite character. It's still weird to have Sasha in third person rather than first. Even though Sasha will always be my favorite, I'm liking Lauren more and more.
March 7, 2016
So sad to see this series come to an end.
The only issue I had with this book was the blurb- it makes it sound as though the final book was about Carina, the exchange student, and taking the spotlight and making Lauren jealous.
In the book, however, Carina only showed up for about 2-3 pages, and never caused a single issue. She was a minor background character. Who the hell wrote the blurb?
The only issue I had with this book was the blurb- it makes it sound as though the final book was about Carina, the exchange student, and taking the spotlight and making Lauren jealous.
In the book, however, Carina only showed up for about 2-3 pages, and never caused a single issue. She was a minor background character. Who the hell wrote the blurb?
June 9, 2013
Ok so this book is coming out today wheatear it is called famous or one i don't know
December 1, 2013
I LOVED this book!
June 18, 2013
Best book of CCA Lauren so far. So many twists and turns! Can't wait for next book.
Currently reading
July 6, 2013March 25, 2015
See the first book in the series for a full review.
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October 24, 2014I really liked this book and it is my favorite series
September 12, 2015
That was nice. Not much drama, and the drama that was there was...overdramatic. But it was a fun read and dram wouldn't be dram if it wasn't dramatic.
May 26, 2016
This is another book from my favorite serie on the whole entire universe. In Famous, Lauren Is fitting in, practicing with whisper and realizing that actually, a lot of people know her.
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January 20, 2017This series was a childhood favorite of mine! Looking back, it's pretty terrible. But I loved it as a kid and it made me appreciate books more, so that's what matters!
August 12, 2013
So good can't wait for the next one
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews