Starlet's Web

The Starlet #1

by Carla J. Hanna

Love. Lies. Acting. A novel about celebrity influence & teens in Hollywood. What makes a star shine? Humility empowers the spirit. Sometimes.

Discover the Starlet Series for new adult & college readers and uncover the life of a talented actress caught in Hollywood's web of lies.

I'm actress Liana Marie Michael. I won an Oscar at 17 but whatever. Celebrity is what it is: marketing a product. I'm part of a tight-knit group. I keep to myself and don't complain about my life. I've been happy until lately.

Evan dumping me leveled me. Matthew shocked me. I knew he couldn't hurt me with my bodyguard so near, but his eyes...so I have trust issues. Dating super-hot Byron didn't help clear the confusion either. I'm torn between going to church on Sunday and making a living from pop culture.

But experience builds perspective. My days of shutting up needed to end. First, I told Manuel. Then I told my mom. It turned out awesome until I learned the truth.

Now I'm screwed. Totally. Let's face it: Hollywood's web entangles everyone.

Winner of the January 21, 2013 IBD Award!
Gold Medal Winner, 2013 AUTHORSdb Book Cover Contest!

"YA fans will absolutely want to check out this series, where they'll find a new heroine to root for in the flawed but sympathetic Liana." - BlueInk Review

---Genres: YA contemporary romance, teen love and romance, young adult, coming of age fiction, new adult fiction, edgy inspirational romance, multicultural romance. Contains sex and mild swearing.

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, New Adult, Chick Lit, Ebooks

310 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2012

About the author

Starlet's Web took GOLD and Starlet's Light brought in SILVER in the 2014 Readers' Favorite International Book Awards!

Carla J. Hanna is the author of award-winning young adult romance and coming of age fiction novels for readers who enjoyed Nicholas Sparks' A Walk to Remember, Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love, Gayle Forman's If I Stay, or John Green's The Fault in Our Stars.

Mrs. Hanna lived in Santa Monica, CA where her children played with the children of celebrities. She mingled with plenty of nannies and a few good celebrity moms. She received her Master’s in English/Communications from Colorado State University and lives near Denver, CO with her husband and two children.

LOVE. LIES. ACTING. THE STARLET SERIES.

Starlet's Man - Lights. Cameras. Lies. High school student athlete, Manny Biro, is caught between the boy he should be and the man he wants to become.

Starlet's Web – Love. Lies. Acting. Hollywood entangles talented teen actress in a web of lies.

Starlet's Run – Love. Intentions. Acting. In a world where an actress is a product and everyone is a critic, can young love survive? Should it?

Starlet's Light – Love. Trust. Acting. Young Hollywood actress is 'so done' with acting. She gives up the fight until she sees the light.

Starlet's End – Love. Justice. Living. The Hollywood elite are pointing fingers at those responsible for anti-aging drugs. Can justice be served? TBR May 1, 2016

http://www.carlahanna.com/
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Reviews

[Lauri Rottmayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot. I am a fan of YA and was drawn into this story of a young actress in Hollywood.

17 year old Lianna Marie has been an actor since she was 14 and is ready to be finished being a product and just live a normal life as a wife and mother. She finally brings herself to tell her life long best friend, Manny, that she loves him and is thrilled to know he returns her feelings.

I wasn't expecting the medical twist to the story when Marie finds out that she has been taking a chemotherapy drug since she was 14 so that she wouldn't age. But the discovery answers a lot of questions for her.

I read this book straight through and would recommend it. I'm looking forward to the sequel!

[Jaclyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought this book was really disjointed and didn't make a lot of sense, and I'm assuming this book was the author's first foray into writing. This book definitely could've used a better editor, at the very least. As I read this ebook, since I was so bored with the story, it became a game to bookmark pages with errors, but then I was bookmarking so many pages that I finally gave up. The book would bring up characters and names that you hadn't heard of before with no explanation of who they were, as if you were just supposed to guess or automatically know who they were. It was like those annoying people that tell you stories about their families and friends and all of the people they are mentioning are complete strangers whose names you've never heard before, but they don't bother to explain who they are and act as if you should already know these people. After the book would mention a person's name and you would continue to see it, finally several chapters later it would randomly introduce this character and explain who they were, as if the book had never mentioned them before. I couldn't get into this book at all and I didn't think the characters were well-developed, or even likeable or believable. The book also wasn't really entertaining. I felt like it was basically, "This person said this. I replied like this. Then he said this. I then said this." It just didn't really tell a story, and was mostly dialogue, but not well-written dialogue, and it just had so many grammatical errors. I just didn't care for this book at all.

[Lifeisgood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got the Kindle free in exchange for a review and then bought the paperback of this great book. Being a teen actress would be intense. Here's my review of this great read:

Life is complex. People do bad things but aren't bad people. A Hollywood starlet lives in a fast-paced world and experiences more than I will in a life time. She loves her flawed parents and has only a few friends. But as a human, she is just like me or any teen who wants control over her life.

I like the characters in the book. Liana Marie is a strong girl on a journey, learning to accept life's good and bad and choose what is best for her. She's loving and understanding which helps her cope. I think of Hailee Steinfeld from True Grit or Lily Collins from Mirror Mirror, Phil Collin's daughter. Some readers will be too bitter to understand Lia, but most will understand her need to forgive in order to survive her world and move on. Evan is a Daniel Radcliff who loves to act and knows how to keep his privacy and be a star. Bryon is your typical high school prom king, charming and hot. He's a train wreck because he wasn't prepared for Hollywood. Manuel is a sweetheart and smart jock. He's your Tim Tebow. Lia's dad and step-mom are supportive but distant. Michelle is flawed. She's part of Hollywood and desperate to stay on top. She's a helicopter mother who loves Lia. I wonder what Lohan's or Spear's moms are like.

Lia's journey was emotional. I respect her choices and her loving nature. I found this book inspiring. I'm excited about reading the next book in the series.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

What did I like about this book? I loved the story, I loved the details and how Marie dealt with it, the author I thought wrote a great book and can't wait to read the next one. This was a book I couldn't put down.

What I didn't like: Even though I liked the way the book was written and the style, I felt some of the words that were used were out of character for that age group. More adult than young adult. But I also felt that it is better to use these words then the other words because any young adult reading it would do better using those words.

I did receive this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

[Kristine Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was not the fly in the spider's web. I was the web and the spider and the fly and the force keeping the web strong and in place." Such is the life of eighteen year old celebrity Liana Marie Michael. As Lia navigates Hollywood while trying to stay true to herself and her beliefs, she encounters more than her fair share of obstacles including exploitation, manipulation, and betrayal -- often from unexpected, but familiar places. Full review on my blog at http://kristinehallways.blogspot.com/...

[Susan Keefe · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as I started reading this book I realised it would appeal immensely to many girls in their teens and twenties.

Set in Hollywood it has all the glitz of a Jackie Collins novel but with a young adult storyline.

Marie Michael’s is a child star emerging into adulthood amidst the cutthroat cynical film industry, under the guidance of her very famous actor mother. A woman who has herself had to make hard choices and decisions in order to become successful, and make her career flourish in the spider’s web of Hollywood.

The story begins with Marie learning from her handsome heartthrob star boyfriend Evan that she has to accept the studio’s decision for them to endure a public break-up, for the sake of her career. Devastated, immediately we discover her vulnerability as she turns to her lifelong friend Manuel for comfort.

A child star and still a teenager, she has great support on set from her mother both emotionally and spiritually, fantastic prospects, and a great team behind her. However, Marie’s love lies elsewhere, away from Hollywood, forbidden and secret, safe in a world so different from her own.

Weaved into the pages of this exciting novel are glimpses of the show business world. We are treated to peeps on set, and an insight into what life is really like in Hollywood behind the glamorous facade, the strict training schedules, fitness and food routines and dedication it takes to be a star.

The story follows Marie as she discovers how to handle the emotional and physical demand of her acting career, the Hollywood scene, and the attentions of her handsome heartthrob co-stars who are used to adoration wherever they go. This is a false world, where emotions are for show, and the actors spend their whole life acting out their part, portraying the image, which is expected of them by their fans.

Starting as a sizzling romantic Hollywood novel, full of heartthrobs and glitz, this enthralling story evolves in a surprising way, when Marie makes a startling discovery, the repercussions of which are unforeseen. With the love and support of those around her, she evaluates her life, and through her strong sense of family and her faith in God, finds the ability to face the future, and go forward with her life.

This is a very appealing young adult novel with a great storyline, strong characters and a good plot; I look forward to reading the other books in this series.

[Carrie Slager · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Full disclosure: Carla J. Hanna's agent contacted me and gave me a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.]

This is not the sort of book I’d normally read, but I’m glad I did, even if it was a little rough around the edges. What I mean by that is Starlet’s Web had great characters, a decent plot and a good message, but fell flat when it came to dialogue and having a believable ending.

Marie is a child actress who got her start at age 14 and is now 17 going on 18. And although it looks like she has everything she could ever want, Marie is far from happy. She’s in love with her best friend and thoroughly disgusted with the Hollywood lifestyle that promotes drinking, drugs and sex, even to minors. In addition to her hectic filming and publicity schedule, she also attends high school, which just adds to the stress. Some people might criticize Carla Hanna for making Marie drop dead gorgeous and being fully aware of it, but that’s not the most important part of her characterization. I don’t want to give too much away, but let’s just say that Marie, quite understandably, is not ‘whole’ in the beginning because of what she has gone through in Hollywood.

For a book with ‘spiritual elements’, Starlet’s Web never really degenerated into Preachy Mode. Marie’s journey of self-actualization and recovery feels real and the conclusions she comes to make sense in the context of the story. The only thing I really had a problem with was that this self-actualization was realized in the form of long speeches to other characters. I don’t know about you, but most people aren’t Greek orators and don’t give page long speeches without using a single contraction or any slang at all. There were times the dialogue was painful, but considering the rest of the story is very good, I suppose I can forgive Carla Hanna for that.

Near the end there’s a huge plot twist that actually explains a lot of Marie’s problems throughout the novel. It’s terrifying and definitely adds a lot of drama, but you’ll enjoy it if you’re the sort of person that likes generally happy endings. I felt that things were wrapped up a little too well considering the relatively dark tone of the novel, but that’s more of a personal preference than anything. Overall, Starlet’s Web was a great book that had me cheering for Marie the whole way.

I give this book 4/5 stars.

[Allison Hawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for some excellent young adult romance writing, look no further. Carla J. Hanna's 'Starlet's Web' is a story of betrayal, loss and, ultimately, love.

The story centers around the life of a young actress, Liana, who has all the success in her acting career that one could hope for. With an Oscar already under her belt, she has what appears to be a bright, star-studded, future ahead of her.

Liana's whirlwind stardom leaves the young woman lost in a sea of parties, interviews and publicity that leave her feeling isolated and miserable. Add in the pressures of being expected to act like a 'star,' and Liana finds herself overwhelmed. Will she be able to escape the web of fame with the help of the love of a longtime friend?

The characters in this book are easy for reader's to sympathize with and each one feels very human. The book has an easy, descriptive style that makes one feel like they should be reading it on a beach with a glass of iced tea in hand.

This book also does a good job of pointing out the downsides to fame and fortune, along with the fact that even the best of intentions can have the worst results.

With twists and turns throughout the book, Carla Hanna has created a work reminiscent of popular T.V. serial dramas like the 'The O.C.' and 'Revenge.' If you're looking for an interesting dramatic read, get this book!

[Venus Smurf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won the entire trilogy in a giveaway. I haven't read the other two books yet, but if the first book is anything to go by, this is going to be a fun series.

This series has a lot going for it. The main character was unexpectedly innocent in spite of her immersion in Hollywood culture, but that just made her likeable. She was also fairly realistic, and given that she's an A-list actress and the novel starts with her mentioning the multimillion dollar home she'd just purchased for herself, I wasn't exactly expecting that. Most of the other supporting characters were equally engaging, and if there was a LOT of dialogue and the characters were probably more emotionally expressive than the majority of people actually are, that did allow the plot to move forward at a good pace.

This definitely isn't a run-of-the-mill romance, though. The behind the scenes insights into Hollywood and acting would have made the book interesting enough on their own, but I definitely didn't see many of the twists at the end coming (and I almost always see the twists coming). I'm looking forward to seeing how those play out in the next book.

[Olivia (Bookcomet) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really don't like writing one star reviews. I'm so sorry if this offends anyone! That isn't my intention.

I really don't know what to say. I was really, really not impressed.

I get that this book was trying to capture the exploitation of celebrities and their struggles, but really I didn't like it.

Exhibit A: The main character. She was THE problem. And there were so many problems with her.
I thought she was ungrateful and arrogant. She drove me up the wall. She really could not seem to be able to look after herself in the slightest. And she didn't exactly try and prevent half the awful situations she got herself into.

And quite frankly, I was disgusted with the romances. It felt like every page she was kissing a guy and whining about not feeling 'turned on'. Yes, you read that right. The only half decent romantic interest was broken up with on the first page.

Don't even get me started on Manuel. EURGH. Ick.
He did not come off as a great book boyfriend. Not only was he possessive, but also very, very rude. He didn't even support Lia Marie when she needed it. Yeah, I get that it's nice and all that he liked the 'real her' without makeup on and things, but she's an actress. Sometimes she's going to wear makeup. He shouldn't tell her that he hates it. He should support her acting career and not act like a total brat.

In fact their whole relationship was terrible. They'd be fighting and then all of a sudden they'd decide that they are meant to be together. Then after two minutes of being together then Manuel would throw a hissy fit. That happened a lot and was very, very frustrating.

Back to Liana Marie. She spoke nothing really like a teenager. I would know. I am one. She spoke like she was reciting 'assertive' arguments that adults tell kids to say. Such as:
"You're hurting my feelings, Manuel."
She seemed to swap in between that and a slightly better persona.

However, I did like some things. I liked the way that this book delved into the world of business contracts and child working laws. I thought that was really interesting.

I started to enjoy the book a lot more when I got to the 50% mark. I was especially glued to the screen at around the 70% mark for reasons I shall not go into so I don't spoil it. But to be honest I wasn't really too keen on the twist anyway. It felt too...convenient? That's not really the right word but I can't think of any others right now.

I liked the angle that the author took. I think she chose well. And she was sure to include lots of diversity in terms of races, etc.

I know this review is pretty negative but just because it wasn't for me doesn't mean that you wouldn't love it. I absolutely hate writing one star reviews, because I'm really worried that I will offend the author. There are good points to this book as well.

1.5/5 comets

[Tomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

TO SHORT!!!!!

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

STORY

OK the plot was pretty simple. We are introduced to Marie (later known also as Lia), who is a successful actress. She is fantastical in her profession, but she had enough of it and wants to get out. She does this with the help of her boyfriend and her extended family. She's almost free when past sins of her mother come forward.

There was really a lot of drama going on. You had Marie-Manuel drama (Marie's inability to become aroused, even though she's deeply in love with him), Marie-wants-to-quit-acting drama, Manuel's-exes. Later when we found out what Kate did, I couldn't even remember who she was. There were a lot of characters in a mere of 280 pages, that sometimes I had trouble to remember who someone was. But at the least I knew who Marie and Manuel were, so bravo me.
Nevertheless the additional drama wasn't boring or whatnot. It was interesting and only added to Marie's depth, as a character.

CHARACTERS

I must let this out: almost every character was described as handsome/charming/beautiful etc. This was the only thing I didn't like from the characters. Their ethnicity was diverse, but if everyone is exotic and beautiful, nobody is.

I really liked Marie. She was a strong female character, a little indecisive at some moments, but nevertheless she was an interesting person to read about.
Her mother, on the other hand, I did not like from page one. From the beginning I had a bad feeling about her, and I was glad I was right. It's understandable what has she done, but that doesn't mean that she should be forgiven, not, a, chance.
Manuel was interesting character. He was Marie's childhood friend and later their friendship developed to something else. I'm glad for them.

For the other minor characters I haven't got much to say. Alan was interesting as well as Franz (does every male stylist has to be gay? Talk about cliché.).

OVERALL THOUGHTS

The book was interesting and entertaining. I never read a celebrities biography, so I did not know what goes behind the scenes. I never knew that Oscars were so political (I mean it still be fictitious, but I doubt it), I never knew that there was so much pressure on actors. What I was surprised about, was the photo-shooting in the mall, that really surprised me. But I never follow what celebrities do, but I know that I'm happy when something is leaked. I can say that this book "humanized" the celebrities to me.
Even though I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review, I loved the book so much that I decided to buy it. I must show the support at the least.

Can't wait to read the sequel. 11/10 IGN

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book through a GR Giveaway. I really enjoyed this book. The celebrity life, the teenagers, trying to balance it all. Also, how secrets could break up a family. I especially liked the last 1/3 of the book. I will definitely be reading the next in the series.

[Alexandra Bayer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liana Marie Michael is used to Hollywood - but that doesn't mean she likes it. As a popular young actress, she knows all about the not-as-glamorous behind-the-scenes actions that take place. Lia tries to keep her life normal as every other seventeen-year-old girl's, though. She has boy trouble. She's in love with her best friend Manuel, but is currently dating actor Evan. And co-star Byron is pretty cute, too... This actress may have gut, but will she be able to share her love for Manuel? That may not be the biggest of Lia's issues. Her mother, also an actress, has been keeping secrets from Lia; life-changing secrets. Hollywood's obsession with youth has driven Lia's mother to do an unspeakable thing, one that may haunt Lia for the rest of her life. Will Lia make it through all of Hollywood's betrayals and still be able to stay pure and loving?

I enjoyed this book, but I also had so many issues with it. The sheer number is ridiculous. Number one: the writing style. I found this writing to be choppy and flighty, jumping from one topic to another without any warning. The first page just irritated me, because although Carla J. Hanna was trying to let Lia explain who and what she was, this sentence only succeeded in making her sound enormously conceited: "We were both talented actors living separately." 'Talented 'is the word that irritated me, because Lia is then described throughout the book as being modest and shy. This sentence structuring continues throughout the book, with sentences that just don't sound natural when read out loud.

The dialogue in this story was just plain unrealistic. The expressions of love were nauseating, instead of sweet. They weren't built up to, instead just blurted out; they were spoken way too many times; and half the time, the characters they were spoken to didn't deserve it, being complete jerks. I also found that almost every single character gave Lia advice in a monologue that made them sound like a guardian angel turning her in the right direction. All the advice was good, relevant, and completely unrealistic. In real life, people don't go around giving other people unasked for advice that magically solves all their problems. The dialogue also jumped from topic to topic with seemingly no link between. I found this confusing and annoying.

The chapters were unique; I think they were one thing about this book that was better than other books. There were only four main chapters, and each stood for a month (although chapter one, The Uary Months, stood for two: January and February). Each of these main chapters was sectioned off into smaller ones by a subheading that titled each new mini-chapter. I found this to be very organized, though sometimes, at the beginning of a mini-chapter, there was a large space, like at the end of a normal book chapter; this was strange because most of the time, the new mini-chapter started on the same page, directly below the end of the last one. These spaces were erratic and frankly, a waste of paper. I wish they'd been removed.

Although not even mentioned in the summary on the back of this book, sex is a very large topic in the story. Pressure to do it, pressure to talk about it, and fear of being broken up with for not doing it. The only thing mentioned on the back cover was 'love', which is completely unrelated to the Hollywood rushing of sex. It seemed as though the entire beginning two-thirds of this story was completely focused on this topic. I found it to be unnecessary and, although not entirely untrue, extremely exaggerated. I only understood why it was needed as a part of the story when Lia reveals her mother's secret.

When Lia's mother's secret is finally revealed, that is the moment when I actually started to enjoy this book. Unfortunately, it's not at a point near the beginning. I found the secret to be imaginative, thought-provoking, and slightly frightening. If something like this could happen in real life, I'd be interested in hearing more about it.

This was the second published book I've ever read where the writing was left-aligned, instead of justified. I found this to be distracting at times, when large spaces were put between the end of the line and the spine of the book. It was somewhat disconcerting, since I'm used to justified books. I think it wastes paper when the writing isn't justified, since the longer words can't be fit on the one line and instead are forced down to the next, leaving a space where the word could have fit if it hadn't been left-aligned. I don't see any benefits to writing this way.

The surprising thing about the main character is that she doesn't like her life. She doesn't like her career or the things she must do to maintain it. Lia actually wanted to quit acting, leave Hollywood, and become a simple nobody. I think this is a good message, because it gets across that no one is happy with what they have; the best thing to do is go with the flow and see where life takes you. Follow your dreams, but only to a certain, healthy extent.

Overall, not the best book I've ever read. I found it frustrating to read and way too sex-based, but still an interesting novel. It did give a glimpse into a real Hollywood life, although it wasn't as enjoyable since Lia didn't like it. I would rate this book three stars, simply because the storyline was good (if it hadn't been for the secret kept from Lia, the rating would've been lower). Once I managed to wade my way through the things I didn't like and got somewhat used to them, I was able to more fully enjoy the story. I would recommend this novel to anyone looking for romance, mysteries, and a twist on Hollywood glamour.

[Trisha · Rating 1 out of 5]

"I feel like I am Muse, a slave to the gods of Hollywood."

I can see and appreciate what the author was trying for her- showing the drama and damage of Hollywood on young actors - but I just did not enjoy it.
I found the conversations felt unrealistic, the MC was inconsistent and the writing didn't do anything to pull me into the story or make me interested at all.

I wish I'd liked this one more.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full review posted here on TotalTeenFiction.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Starlet's Web follows seventeen year old actress Marie, who's grown up in the industry with an actress for a mother and attending award shows left, right and centre. She has a pretty tough life and it gets tougher when she's dumped by her Hollywood boyfriend as part of a media stint.

What struck me when I started Starlet's Web was just how horrible Marie's life was. I was really shocked by some of the stuff she's been through and seen over the years, and the way she's treated by those around her. I really love books about the celebrity lifestyle and usually they're sort of glamourised to the point you feel jealous of the characters, but that definitely wasn't the case in that book. I love that the author has taken a more gritty angle and explored some really tough issues with Marie.

As a main character, I was completely on side with her. Instantly I felt sympathy for her for the way she's been used and abused and I was really rooting for her to stand up for herself! The relationships with her divorced parents were really interesting. I loathed her mother who seems to use her as a puppet and had real admiration for her dad and stepmother for seeing what Marie really wanted and helping her to decide what to do with her future.

I liked that we got to see the contrast between Marie's celebrity lifestyle and the normal, everyday teenage things. She still has to worry about school and I thought it was really sweet that we got to see her go to prom, something every girl worries about and wants to be perfect! Then there was the fact she had to cope with turning eighteen and what that meant for her career and life going forward. It was so much responsibility for her to have.

I loved the metaphor about the "web" of Marie's life and how she felt like the fly trapped in it. It was referenced throughout the book and I thought that was really clever. I also really liked reading about the locations. I thought the descriptions of Santa Monica were really beautiful and helped me escape into the story.

Where the book lost me a little was the romance side. We're very quickly introduced to a lot of male characters in Marie's life, and I mean a lot. There was ex-boyfriend Evan, love of her life Manuel, as well as Byron, Matthew, Grant, Alan... I just couldn't get my head around all these guys and why they needed to be there. On the one hand it showed how Marie was treated like a piece of meat because basically all these boys were creeping on her and trying to get with her. I respected the fact she didn't want to get involved with any casual relationships and stood up for her views on that. I think of all the guys Manuel is obviously the sweetest of the bunch and the one you're supposed to root for, but sometimes I felt even their relationship was a bit clingy and needy.

Just when I was losing hope a little, Starlet's Web hit me with the biggest and most amazing plot twist that blew my socks off. I just sat there reading with my mouth hanging open and practically shouting at the book! I really loved that exciting, devious twist and it made me want to carry on with the rest of the books in the series to find out what happens, because I realised as the characters were put in danger that I'd really become invested in their lives and what happens to them.

The first half of Starlet's Web was a little slow and frustrating at times for me but by the end I was completely gripped to the action. I think as the first book in a series it has a lot of potential, and I'm hoping I'll enjoy the second book even more. If you like books about celebrity lifestyle then I'd recommend this one as it comes from a bit of a different angle.

Find more books like this at TotalTeenFiction!

[Eugenia (Genie In A Book) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

A light read that wasn't totally devoid of meaning as I first expected, Starlet's Web is a novel about staying true to yourself in the wild world of Hollywood where the media is always watching and you never get to be yourself.

I think of it as a web, the fans are the flies, and the insiders are the spiders. Sometimes I think I'm the web. Right now I think we young actors are flies. It's impossible to escape the web.

17-year-old Liana Marie Michael has been working as an actress almost all her life. All the pressures of celebrity life and keeping up an image was becoming too much. Forced to pretend she loves someone on set and then being confused with her feelings away from the spotlight, she struggles to find peace with the guy she actually loves. Life is never simple, and when new obstacles arise with her health and relationships with those she cares about, she must work to get herself out of the celebrity web.

When I first started reading this book, I thought it was really shallow. Marie had heaps of guys swooning over her and she seemed to play all of them. However, once she followed her true feelings for her best friend Manuel who isn't famous, things started to fall into place a little better. I found that Manuel grounded her and kept her from becoming one of those celebrities that we see nowadays going off the rails. It was evident as the story progressed that Marie wasn't as stupid or shallow as I first thought. Sure, she made some bad decisions, but who doesn't? In the end she didn't let Hollywood ruin her and stayed relatively untainted and true to herself. She recognised that she did have responsibilities and followed through with them as best as she could while still not compromising on her true self and image that she wanted to portray for herself.

One thing that did annoy me were some of the cringe-worthy and cheesy moments. I felt like I was watching 'The Bachelorette' or something with all the melodrama that was going on. Some of the lines were cute though, but could be toned down a bit to cut some of the cheese. The grammar with all the 'ya know' being repeated was also irritating as well, but not a big deal. Some of the information was also being repeated with caused for some deja vu in a few cases which was unnecessary.

I only then realized how incessant that web was. This was a web that would only collapse on itself if I broke it.

I liked that ongoing references to the web with the spider and the flies. I found that this metaphor changed as the plot played out and demonstrated the changes that Marie went through in her own life: personally, physically and publicly. As for the big 'twist' in the middle of the novel, I found that it took an interesting direction and threw a spanner in the works for Marie and made her question her relationships and trust with the people she thought she knew so well. It will be interesting to see how she deals with the consequences of that in the next book.

*CONCLUSION*

In conclusion, if you're looking for a light read about the pressures of Hollywood and how one girl overcame them then this is for you. It is sweet and does have some meaning if you are willing to look beyond the first bouts of melodrama as it turns into something more.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/review/R23C45CR...

[Kristen Lester · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited to received this book from Carla Hanna to read and review.



Book Cover: I really felt like this book cover did not to this story justice. I would really have
liked to have seen a spiders web worked into the cover due to the analogy of a spider
in a spider's web used throughout the book. This cover was ok but I think it had a
lot more potential. NO STAR

Story: I don't even know where to start. I really loved this story. I feel like it is
defiantly a story that happens more times than not in Hollywood today. For me it was
an exact picture of what I imagine a life in Hollywood would be like for a teenage
actress. *STAR*

Author: I really liked how Carla Hanna wrote this book in that the chapters were more like a
blending of the pages rather than this is the number chapter you are on and here is
the title to it. I found it to make reading flow more swiftly. I liked that there
were titles to lead you into another thought or another scene and made it very clear
to switch from one scene to the next. *STAR*

Characters/Relationships: I really enjoyed seeing Marie's character unfold in this book. I feel
like her character was just really real in that she struggled with and
had the emotions and confusion of trying to separate herself from the
characters that she played. To me she felt any teenage girl would feel
like in situation that she was in.

As far as relationships go I loved the relationships that she shared with
the people in her life like her mom and her dad and her step mom, Celia
and Manuel with Franz and her circle of friends.
*STAR*

Cleanliness: There was language used throughout the book that I didn't find necessary.
Also there is some sexual content in this story and adult references.
NO STAR

Overall Review: I liked this book but I think there are some things that could have been changed or altered that would have made me love this book even more such as the cover and the bad language. As I was reading towards the end of the book I got really concerned how this book was going to end but I think the author did an amazing job of bring the book to an end and including all the details and not leaving anything hanging while at the same time making me want to read more about these characters that I have come to love through their life situations. There are more books in this series and I will defiantly be looking into those to see where this story goes.

[clara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review

Liana is dating Hollywood's hottest heartthrob while filming her seventh motion picture with sexy co-star Byron. Surrounded by a culture of casual sex and adult responsibilities, Lia feels lost and confused. With her film soon to wrap, her acting contracts up for renewal, her high school graduation looming and growing tension between her and smart student athlete, Manuel, life feels overwhelming. Will Lia find the courage to share her love for Manuel, a guy unimpressed with Hollywood? In the eternal quest for youth, what life-shattering secrets has Lia's mom been keeping from her? Can Manuel accept Lia's role?

This review will have spoilers. But I will warn you before you read them, promise. First part of it, without any spoiler.
At the beginning I was very, very excited to read this book. I needed a light book to read, and escape for a while. Starlet's Web really helped me with it. It's such a cool book with a great story. We don't wanna get out from Liana Marie's life, from what she is actually thinking about the "hollywood" life.
And then great things happened, bad things too. and there's it is. I can't say this book was perfect, but I wasn't surprised at all. I was waiting for something shocking, who will giving me enough power to read the second book right away. The end is too nice, calm, cute.
Another thing I couldn't deal with. LIA'S PERSONNALITY. oh god. I've been throught books with awful characters but lia.... I just couldn't. What is that? this personnality. I wanted to slap her everytime she was doing something. I almost prefered kate, and her story than lia.


WAIT SPOILERS HERE

What was that when she kissed byron after being in a relationship with manuel? I mean, I put the book down for few days because of it. What's going on in her mind? (hey, 'kay she gots problems right there) BUT. NO. And all her over-reaction, don't know, sounds simulated.

If you guys didn't know it yet, I'm in love with Manny.

I'm going to read the second book anyway and I hope there would be more action and less drama. x

[Gayle Pace · Rating 3 out of 5]

REVIEW

I read the second book, which was out of sequence and I should have read the first one first. That said. The book is written for the YA section of readers. Liana Marie, who has been part of the Hollywood all of her life since both her parents were actors. She has many nominations and awards to her credit, but she seemed so clueless and immature. I thought, she is in Hollywood, not a place to be so unknowing of the evil that lurks around the corner. She is sick a lot and I wished the author had brought more of her illness out before the end of the book.She has inner demons, morality and when or not to have sex. She's very young, just a teenager wanting a normal life with a boyfriend. She has to think of all the people who depend on her. The ones she pays a salary to, the other actors, her management and her fans. What if she just quit? To me, she should. Being young and faced with those kind of responsibilities can make you hard real quick.

She does have another life, teenage friends, whose parents are very wealthy and not in the Hollywood web. Most of her friends are just as young and clueless as she is. There is one though. I felt this was just a teenager who was going down a path that she is way to young to take. Her parents evidently didn't see it or want to see it. I wasn't captured in the storyline. Normal teenage, not really knowing what she wants, just what she thinks she wants. There just didn't appear to me to be much depth to the story. Now, this is coming from someone older than the YA group. I do believe maybe 13, 14 year olds would relate to the Liana Marie. I would suggest this book for the YA group and if you're into YA, try it. You may see things differently than I did. I might suggest you read Book One first before Book Two.

I would give this book 3 STARS.

I was given a complimentary copy of STARLET'S WEB from the author, Carla J. Hanna for this unbiased review.

[MustHaveMocha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here are some reviews from Amazon for YA coming-of-age fiction, Starlet's Web:

***** Stars for the starlet series. As an industry person, it was a fun walk down memory lane reading "behind the scenes Hollywood" and recognizing people, places and industry insider "fun facts." It not only carries a wonderful message for young women to read and relate to, but tells the story of the not so glamorous reality of behind the scenes "real Hollywood." - Hollywood film veteran

***** I'm a FAN and want the next novel! Liana Marie is a strong girl on a journey, learning to accept life's good and bad and choose what is best for her...I think of Hailee Steinfeld from True Grit or Lily Collins from Mirror Mirror, Phil Collin's daughter...Evan is a Daniel Radcliff who loves to act and knows how to keep his privacy and be a star. Bryon is your typical high school prom king, charming and hot....Manuel is a sweetheart and smart jock. He's your Tim Tebow. -Teen reader

***** Good read. I found this to be be a really interesting story about the celebrity lifestyle...I was surprised with how much I related to Liana Marie. I loved the twist at the end (and was shocked!). It really made me think and open my eyes to what we expect of teen celebrities and youth at large. - 20-something reader

***** Adored it! This was a book that I found to be all consuming. I could not put it down. I realize it was written for young adults but as a 30-something I loved it. I felt a lot of compassion for Marie and the twist completely caught me off guard! This book is a must read! I am anxiously awaiting the rest of the series.- 30-something reader

[MK~ Picky Girl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Marie Michael is a Hollywood starlet. She has been acting since she was a child and has seen it all. The Hollywood lifestyle isn't what its cracked up to be. She knows all about the "not so glamorous" behind the scenes and the partying that goes on. Marie wants out.

Marie tries to maintain a normal life; but she has boy trouble. Secretly in love with her best friend Manuel while casually dating other actors takes its toll on Marie. With all the boy issues and Hollywood drama, will Marie be able to live the life she wants in a career that is not her first choice?

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. I was expecting an insiders take on being a starlet in Hollywood. What I got was a plot that was all over the place. There were many moments where I was confused. There were characters that were introduced that had no real purpose and unnecessary dialogue that did not enhance the story. Marie's character also felt underdeveloped. One second Marie was dead set on saving herself for marriage, then the next moment she was in a ridiculous situation that could have easily been avoided. The twist at the 65% mark was absolutely ridiculous. I can't even really comment on it.

I also had a hard time following the plot simply because of the writing. It felt incredibly choppy with too much detail. There really was no need with using an entire page to explain what SAG meant. There was so much telling and not enough showing that I never connected with the characters. I think this story has some good elements but still needs a lot of work on character development and plot cohesion.

Arc provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Jonel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a well written novel that was presented in a very straightforward light. However, McKenna gets overly wordy at times. I had a hard time getting into the story proper. At times I found myself lost in the descriptions and character development, to the detriment of the storyline. The novel itself also had a bit of a slow, mellow pace. It made the storyline easy to follow, but equally easy to put down. That said, the ending had me on the edge of my seat. All of a sudden the story took off and I was left in shock. It was a definite twist in the story that I’d have never imagined.

I found myself wondering who each of the characters were. I felt that I didn’t really get to know anyone fully, including the main character. It was almost as if we jumped into the story on page one, which is the day that these characters began to exist. Of course, my heart broke for the main character and the many trials that she had to deal with, especially since most weren’t self induced.

Overall, this was a shockingly thought provoking novel that really makes you think about how others have it and how the best of intentions can go wrong. It is a very powerful novel that brings to light many issues that teens deal with on a daily basis, along with some more extreme issues.

Please note that I received this novel free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Annagh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say that the plot is one of the best that I have read in a long time, and top ten in newer teen books. At first it seemed like a normal teen romance-the, "I love you for ever and ever" type-but it went on so many twist and turns that it actually seems like a real life romance and not some twilight remake. I also have to give credit to the way the book ended. It gave time for the main character to have a realization that helped her problems and would lead her into new decisions, and making the reader want to know what happens in the future. Not quite setting up for a sequel, but allowing the reader to want one.
However one thing that would have made the book so much better and the characters more real is the dialogue. It was written almost in a play type of way, where there were just the words and none of the feeling. For example it never started with "she cried out in pain", just the words of her pain. I also feel that many of the characters had the same type of things to say, mostly telling their love to the main character which made many of them fade together. If the dialogue was more refined it would be a definite four stars and contender for five.
All and all i enjoyed reading it and feel as though it is the perfect book for reading on the beach.

[Greg Lose · Rating 5 out of 5]

End of the world/Zombie novels are my usual fare but on a whim I decided to branch out and try something completely different and was pleasantly surprised. This was a fun "behind the scenes" look at Hollywood with and important message for today's young women. My 9 year old is too young for this but will definitely be encouraging her to read it in her later teen years. Looking forward to the follow up novels.

The book does deal with some real world themes faced by many young adults today but the main character sticks to her guns and beliefs throughout her experiences.

[Hendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very good and it can easily be a series on ABC family...It has drama, well liked characters, and even a plot twist with inspirational hope. I would recommend this for young adults and adults to read, it really makes you think about Hollywood and what people do for money and fame... It also makes you think about all of us who watch and how we are insensitive to actors especially young actors for our own pleasures. Not realizing or caring these are real people with real life issues and desires... I look forward to reading more!

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book free in exchange for a review.

I think this book would be great for a teenager to read. It has all the appeals, Hollywood, sex, drama, boyfriends and emotions.

It was a well written story showing the ugly side of Hollywood (not graphically though) and how a young girl, if not careful, could get lost in a lot of bad.

It held my interest and though it lagged at times, I enjoyed the read.

[Tanya Booklovinghippo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone believes that being a celebrity is THE LIFE- you have the money, you can date the gorgeous guys, you get to be in movies... what could be better? No one truly understands the hardship it is to be a movie star, especially today when weight and looks are so important (In the movie industry, in real life does anyone REALLY care?!) This book is a light read that gives you some insight into the life of a teen star.

Check out the rest of my review: http://wp.me/p3MKPG-aN

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh.

Okay. First, it’s poorly written. Second, the author’s theology is so completely screwed up. Third, what kind of parent gives their child chemo pills to keep them young looking, legally emancipates them so they can film a rape scene in a movie, and then turns around and locks their child in to years of movie contracts that will nearly bankrupt both parent and child if they are broken?

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I so loved this story! this is a young adult novel but I really enjoyed it. The characters are very believable and the lessons are there but not harpy or drawn out. Very smooth read not disjointed. I so love the main character Lia Marie the starlet, my heart feels so strongly for her strength and spirit, wonderful story of challenges faced growing up, choices and questions. Thank you

[Ariella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing read. I love the characters. I feel bad for Marie/Lia she is a actress and bad things happen to her. I love the attraction of Manny and Marie. It is so romantic and sweet. Marie has kiss so costars and almost get's rape. I can't wait to read book 2.

I got this free for a review from the author.