Love Lights

All That Glitters #4

by Kristi Andrews

Teen soap star Shana Bradbury must deal with the failing health of her actress grandmother, a sudden visit from her overbearing mother, and trouble on the set of "All That Glitters," all at a time when her boyfriend must leave on an important trip.

Genres: Young Adult

176 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

Reviews

[Peacha · Rating 1 out of 5]

I once called this series the equivalent of a creampuff - spineless , mindles entertainment. And even though I haven't got my hands on the first three books ( I've read the last four ) and unless it really went downhill , I stand by this statement. In fact I'll go one further - unbelieable. Kristi Andrews is obviously a pseudonymn, for continuity mistakes are frequent even down to the characters ages. As for the characters themselves, except for some unique touches - Shana Bradbury comes from an actress mother and a Saudi Arabi prince - Achmed - who sends her an Egyptian cat named Nefertiti while her bff Katie Nolan is a nice suburban girl who plays the soaps reigning vixen, they are virtually the same character.
Worst is the theme itself - We're supposed to believe two teenager girls can balance the hollywood lifestyle ( they can go clubbing every night ) , wake up to work as teenage stars on the soap - All that Glitters ( having memorized all their lines ) and attend schooling on set without any problems this sped up lifestyle can create. No drugs , no exhaustion, no mention of sex! Despite putting these girls in situations that would normally raise some issues - their boyfriends have their own apartments! But it only becomes a backdrop for romantic dinners. Then there is the confusing habit the authors have of flip-flopping the characters attitudes to create a balance - when it's Shana's turn at p.o.v.( like now for Flashback ) her problem makes her angry and unreasonable to Katie's levelheaded advice - next when it's Katie's turn she will be angry and unreasonable to Shana's levelheaded advice. Neither character is stable.
In this book Shana is unsure if she wants to accept her ex-alcoholic mother back in her life , having already turned her grandmother ( also an actress ) into a mother figure. Interesting theme but dry stuff.