What do you think?
Rate this book
Treadwell Academy #4
The Tycoon's Daughter
Emma’s known on the campus of the prestigious Treadwell Academy for having it all; her father’s the owner of Hunter Lodge, a massive fashion corporation, and Emma’s gained international fame as the cover model of its popular, sexy catalog. She’s gorgeous and she knows it, has a cute boyfriend at the nearby St. John’s Preparatory Academy for boys, and rules the school with her best friend, Paige.
But everything changes the summer before junior year when Emma gains ten pounds and her father’s creative team decides she’s too heavy to put on the catalog cover. Mortified over being fired, she develops an obsession with losing weight that quickly escalates into an eating disorder. Emma vows to gain revenge for her dismissal from Hunter Lodge by taking over the runway modeling world by storm, and when Emma puts her mind to something… look out.
Surprising even herself, Emma accomplishes everything she sets out to do; she finds a powerful agent, lands desirable modeling jobs, and starts building a name for herself. However, all of Emma’s success comes at the price of her physical and emotional health, and she knows she’s in serious trouble when she realizes that it’s impossible to be perfect when everyone’s definition of the word is different.
But everything changes the summer before junior year when Emma gains ten pounds and her father’s creative team decides she’s too heavy to put on the catalog cover. Mortified over being fired, she develops an obsession with losing weight that quickly escalates into an eating disorder. Emma vows to gain revenge for her dismissal from Hunter Lodge by taking over the runway modeling world by storm, and when Emma puts her mind to something… look out.
Surprising even herself, Emma accomplishes everything she sets out to do; she finds a powerful agent, lands desirable modeling jobs, and starts building a name for herself. However, all of Emma’s success comes at the price of her physical and emotional health, and she knows she’s in serious trouble when she realizes that it’s impossible to be perfect when everyone’s definition of the word is different.
386 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 10, 2014
30 people are currently reading
260 people want to read
About the author
Caitlyn Duffy
8 books164 followersCaitlyn Duffy is a Brooklyn-dwelling, chihuahua-lovin' freelance writer, who is currently developing a series of YA novels for Lovestruck Literary around the celebutante students of a fictitious boarding school.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
March 8, 2014
Love this series and loved this book.
I think Duffy is really masterful I intertwining the characters and their families throughout each book. I imagine her with a huge wall in her house with cards and string carefully connecting everyone. I hope the next in the series is about the Ukrainian mobster's daughter.
I think Duffy is really masterful I intertwining the characters and their families throughout each book. I imagine her with a huge wall in her house with cards and string carefully connecting everyone. I hope the next in the series is about the Ukrainian mobster's daughter.
September 12, 2015
Read as an Amazon freebie. Seems like the sort of thing that is part wealth-porn (for lack of a classier term—honestly, her boarding school dorm is a condo) and in part...2010s teen 'issue' fiction? Maybe?
For the most part I'd put this somewhere between 'meh' and 'fine'—didn't do too much for me, but neither did I find it particularly objectionable. Emma is completely, exhaustingly spoiled, but the author's generally aware of it even when Emma isn't. At any rate, Emma gains a bit of weight, freaks out, goes on a rather moronic crash diet (drink only juice and rearrange your class schedule so that you never walk anywhere, thereby avoiding being seen but also avoiding exercise), and promptly loses a bunch of weight. And, predictably, everyone freaks out. Emma faints, and they freak out some more. Ambulances and psychologists are called. (Side note: if a psychologist were called every time a girl fainted at my school, they would have had to be on standby for the graduating-class picture, which was taken during (in place of) lunch on sunny days in black robes.)
Emma's a teenager, and it shows. And yet despite the cold panic I felt about the possibility of being pressured to do something illegal and dangerous, she says, it made me feel awfully cool that everyone around me was doing it (location 4152*). When she eventually gets treatment, she's disappointed that the treatment place doesn't sound glamorous or exciting (location 4929). She skips her niece's funeral in favour of a job but resents her family for (or so she thinks) thinking she doesn't have the right to grieve. She quasi-falls for a guy who wants to quit music, eschew fame, and shear sheep in Iceland (the kind of dream that he'll probably only be happy with because of the money he's made from music, but okay). She claims that Loads of people are very pissed off at me for taking time off to get help (location 5433), despite the fact that there is zero evidence to support that.
That's not all a bad thing, mind—I mean, she is a teenager. She might as well act like it. She makes bad decisions and sometimes has to pay for them. If anything, I'm more bothered by the easy ending (); there's a lot left hanging (what about Leah?).
Giant aside, not related to anything: One of the characters claims that In Japanese culture it's considered extremely rude to not cover up any noises you make in the bathroom (location 2586). Is that true? My understanding was that the 'noise' buttons found in some Japanese bathrooms had to do with embarrassment on the part of the, ah, toiletee, not so much a matter of etiquette. But I don't know a ton about Japanese culture.
Best typo: his parents were hospital toward me (location 870)
*'Location 4152'? What does that even mean, Kindle?
For the most part I'd put this somewhere between 'meh' and 'fine'—didn't do too much for me, but neither did I find it particularly objectionable. Emma is completely, exhaustingly spoiled, but the author's generally aware of it even when Emma isn't. At any rate, Emma gains a bit of weight, freaks out, goes on a rather moronic crash diet (drink only juice and rearrange your class schedule so that you never walk anywhere, thereby avoiding being seen but also avoiding exercise), and promptly loses a bunch of weight. And, predictably, everyone freaks out. Emma faints, and they freak out some more. Ambulances and psychologists are called. (Side note: if a psychologist were called every time a girl fainted at my school, they would have had to be on standby for the graduating-class picture, which was taken during (in place of) lunch on sunny days in black robes.)
Emma's a teenager, and it shows. And yet despite the cold panic I felt about the possibility of being pressured to do something illegal and dangerous, she says, it made me feel awfully cool that everyone around me was doing it (location 4152*). When she eventually gets treatment, she's disappointed that the treatment place doesn't sound glamorous or exciting (location 4929). She skips her niece's funeral in favour of a job but resents her family for (or so she thinks) thinking she doesn't have the right to grieve. She quasi-falls for a guy who wants to quit music, eschew fame, and shear sheep in Iceland (the kind of dream that he'll probably only be happy with because of the money he's made from music, but okay). She claims that Loads of people are very pissed off at me for taking time off to get help (location 5433), despite the fact that there is zero evidence to support that.
That's not all a bad thing, mind—I mean, she is a teenager. She might as well act like it. She makes bad decisions and sometimes has to pay for them. If anything, I'm more bothered by the easy ending (); there's a lot left hanging (what about Leah?).
Giant aside, not related to anything: One of the characters claims that In Japanese culture it's considered extremely rude to not cover up any noises you make in the bathroom (location 2586). Is that true? My understanding was that the 'noise' buttons found in some Japanese bathrooms had to do with embarrassment on the part of the, ah, toiletee, not so much a matter of etiquette. But I don't know a ton about Japanese culture.
Best typo: his parents were hospital toward me (location 870)
*'Location 4152'? What does that even mean, Kindle?
May 19, 2014
Before the first word of this story, there are voluminous resources as to how and when and where to get help for eating disorders. There’s encouragement. There’s potentially life-saving information.
This is one thing that I love about Caitlyn Duffy’s novels: her protagonists have big-time problems, but she always provides resources as to how to deal with them (one character ran away; Ms Duffy provided numerous hotlines to help runaways).
Another thing I adore about the Treadwell Novels is the interlinking characters and plots. Think of the Olympic rings. You get the picture. A character barely mentioned in book #1 may be the protagonist in book 2. You never know who will relate to whom. Better yet, she doesn’t make a big deal out of it.
Treadwell Academy is the link. It’s the glue that binds all these stories together.
In “The Tycoon’s Daughter,” a clothing impresario’s daughter, Emma, ends up on the Christmas catalog one year. The next year, the clothes don’t fit, and she hears catty comments. She goes on a massive starving binge. The skinnier she got, the more successful her modeling career became. To a point.
I’ve known two women with anorexia, and it’s frightening. My problem was always with grain-based liquid substances, but they kept seeing themselves as too fat. Why??
So many models look like pipe cleaner figures–boobless bamboo stalks. Real women have curves. Real women eat. Real women are comfortable being themselves. It’s such a pity Emma–despite all her success–can’t…yet.
August 14, 2024
A re-read from my wattpad days and this is still such an excellent dive into both EDs and the fashion industry with some really solid family themes to boot. One of those stories that actually truly hits the YA audience in that sweet 14-18 year old range.
June 23, 2015
Emma is a student at Treadwell Academy but she is also a model for one of her family businesses, Hunter Lodge. When a summer weight gain bumps her from the catalog cover, Emma goes on an extreme diet to lose the extra pounds. But she soon finds herself trapped in anorexia. Of course she does not see it. As her modeling career skyrockets, her weigh and health plummet. What will it take to get her to ask for help?
The Treadwell Academy books are great. I really feel like I know these girls. And they are not perfect by any means. Emma is so self-centered at times that I wanted to kick her. It is clear that her eating disorder runs much deeper than just wanting to model. She needs to be accepted and she does not know how to communicate that. This book deals talks about drug use and sex, so it is probably better for older teens. It is definitely a lesson about money not being able to buy everything.
The Treadwell Academy books are great. I really feel like I know these girls. And they are not perfect by any means. Emma is so self-centered at times that I wanted to kick her. It is clear that her eating disorder runs much deeper than just wanting to model. She needs to be accepted and she does not know how to communicate that. This book deals talks about drug use and sex, so it is probably better for older teens. It is definitely a lesson about money not being able to buy everything.
March 25, 2016
Thanks to this book "The Believer's Daughter" jumped from being "the least favoutite" Duffy book to "almost least favourite".
I understood that the Author didn't want to glamourize anorexia but in my opinion she made it to simple to shallow to be believable.
Sadly, there was nothing likable about Emma as well. I wanted to feel sympathetic but I couldn't.
It was nice to go back to The Treadwell Academy once again. I hope that Duffy will write something more.
I liked the way Emma's story turned out. I like the part of the story about her sick niece - it was really good and really sad.
I'm disappointed that we don't know what happened to this Colin dude. I mean, will he be better? Will they stay in touch?
I know that this is not actually relevant to the story, but still it got me interested.
I understood that the Author didn't want to glamourize anorexia but in my opinion she made it to simple to shallow to be believable.
Sadly, there was nothing likable about Emma as well. I wanted to feel sympathetic but I couldn't.
It was nice to go back to The Treadwell Academy once again. I hope that Duffy will write something more.
I liked the way Emma's story turned out. I like the part of the story about her sick niece - it was really good and really sad.
I'm disappointed that we don't know what happened to this Colin dude. I mean, will he be better? Will they stay in touch?
I know that this is not actually relevant to the story, but still it got me interested.
June 20, 2014
Every book in this series seems to get a little darker and more tragic than the last. This was a very sad book. I felt so badly for Emma, as well as for the other young models. They were all so caught up in the lifestyle and the pressure to stay thin. So young to have those kinds of pressures and responsibilities. Some might say it was their own fault for choosing that profession, but I think going into modelling they felt it would be so much more glamorous than it turned out to be in reality, but by then they were so far embedded into the lifestyle it was nearly impossible to break free from it.
I love how realistic this series is, at the same time as feeling empathy for the protagonists. Great series, with wonderful, although hard hitting themes/morals, especially for Y/A readers.
I love how realistic this series is, at the same time as feeling empathy for the protagonists. Great series, with wonderful, although hard hitting themes/morals, especially for Y/A readers.
March 13, 2014
This review first appeared on my blog http://loriscreativity.blogspot.com/2...
I thought I loved the first three books in this series, but I LOVED this book. What I love the most about this book is that you can really tell that the Caitlyn Duffy did her research and you can tell that it's something she really does care about.
'The Tycoon's Daughter' was a great addition to the Treadwell series and I can't wait till the next book in the series is released!
I thought I loved the first three books in this series, but I LOVED this book. What I love the most about this book is that you can really tell that the Caitlyn Duffy did her research and you can tell that it's something she really does care about.
'The Tycoon's Daughter' was a great addition to the Treadwell series and I can't wait till the next book in the series is released!
February 7, 2014
This was much more tragic to me than the other stories. Eating disorders kill me. I have dealt with too many teenagers who are struggling with them, so it is very hard to read about it. To read about the slow demise of Emma as she tries to have control over her life in such an impossible way was very difficult. How far her rock bottom went was also quite tragic. This was another great addition to the series. More important subject matter dealt with in a very serious way.
May 15, 2014
Ms Duffy writes these stories very well. These are not my people. these are not people I like. these are in fact people I avoid like they were plague carriers in my real life. Yet, she makes me care for them, and more than a little. That alone is impressive, that she is able to do so time after time is even more so. Nothing ground breaking here, but just well done.
January 9, 2016
I actually think this was my favorite in the series. It was interesting to dive into the world of modeling and the battles we all feel in our appearance. I really enjoyed the character of Emma and how raw and real she was. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend others to read through this series!
August 18, 2015
The first three books in this series were fun and entertaining, even though they are for YA. I was immersed in Treadwell Academy. but this last one was not as entertaining, sadly. I still like Caitlyn Duffy, though.
April 15, 2014
It was okay. I was not a huge fan of the main character.
April 23, 2014
I really liked it because before the character of Emma seemed really self-centred, had it all and was perfect in every way. This book changes that.
May 31, 2014
Not my favorite of the Treadwell Academy series.
August 22, 2014
I really did enjoy this book. It was my favorite out of the 4 books in the series and save the best for last was definitely true. I loved the end. A must read.
August 13, 2014
This was a great final installment to end a wonderful series! You just want Emma to be finally happy in her own skin.
August 14, 2014
i liked it, but not as much as the other ones.
September 1, 2014
i was 100% not ready for the book to end when it did.
February 27, 2015
Wow. So dark. But really great! The eating disorder stuff is kind of eye opening especially if you have no experience with them. Definitely recommend.
August 19, 2015
Another story about a rich girl with a problem. Of course she rapidly becomes a super model with an eating disorder. The information is helpful the child's lifestyle not so realistic.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews