Size 0

The Opportunity

by D.M. Paige

Thea Roberts has loved making clothes ever since her grandmother taught her to sew. Now her designs have captured the attention of billionaire Harmon Holt. Before she knows it, Thea's landed an internship with a hot LA designer and she's about to find out what lurks beneath all the glamour. Can she rise above and seize her opportunity?

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

120 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This high-interest book, with its fairly easy vocabulary and short chapters, should appeal to many reluctant readers in middle and high school. If I were reading strictly for myself, I'd want everything to be more fully fleshed -- it's amazing how simply rushing a dramatic plot point anorexia in the modeling field can put it in danger of becoming melodrama -- but for the intended audience, I think it's pretty well executed. The Bill Cosby quote at the beginning is rather unfortunately timed, however...

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW! I really like this hi-lo book. It is perfect for both middle school and high school. Thea is a great protagonist for young girls to read -- strong, independent, and self-confident. The book reminded me of the novel and movie The Devil Wears Prada.

[Liralen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another hi-lo book, which I checked out from the library and had finished by the time I got home yesterday. I appreciate the attempt here, but I find the message to be pretty mixed—'fashion! It's not all it's cracked up to be! ...but also, here's a sweet living situation, and opportunities thrown at you willy-nilly, and a cardboard cutout of a boyfriend!' (And here's a side character with an eating disorder, but don't worry, she turns her life around with a weekend spent in rehab!)

I'm sure it's extremely difficult to manage a fully fleshed out, simple-vocab story in ~120 pages, but it's sort of hard to credit a book where the climax involves a teenager walking down the runway in her own design rather than a big-name model in the designer's showstopper look and the result being anything other than 'never darken my doorstep again, and you can forget about ever working for anyone I know at any point in the future', let alone 'here's a paid job for you whenever you want it!!!'. As with many YA books, I think this would work better without the romance—as it is, we learn virtually nothing about Matt (except that he thinks it's a good idea to storm the runway to kiss a rogue model at a major fashion show, which...oh dear), and that one kiss is apparently enough to make these two teenagers plan their lives around each other (oh dear oh dear). I'd have much preferred to see more time spent on the thing that's supposed to be Thea's dream—designing.

[Mya A. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poor man's Devil Wears Prada. The commentary on fatphobia in the fashion industry was really bad and isn't really explored or resolved in this book because it's simply too short. There weren't even enough pages to describe the characters in this book. The love interest Matt is just there. I have no idea what he looks like or who he is. All I know is that he's studying for the SATs, His mom planned his entire life for him, and he might study film when he moves to New York with a girl he just met to spend the rest of their lives together. Definitely the fastest love story I've ever read. I still don't know what possessed me to read this.

[Erica Locke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the storyline and the ending. I thought it was a good story. Short, sweet, and to the point.

[Ms. Nigeria Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually liked this book. It was short.. I definitely would like a lot more. But it was cute.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I reviewed this book for School Library Journal. When/if the review is published, I will post it, along with my thoughts, here.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really good book I loved it I wish there was a second one