Catwalk

On the Runway #2

by Melody Carlson

Big Apple. Bigger Problems. The success of the Forrester sisters' On the Runway TV show lands them a hot ticket to Fashion Week in New York City. Paige is determined to garner the attention of New York's top designers, but her newfound fame threatens to go to her head. Erin wants to help promote the work of some eco-minded designers, but struggles to be taken seriously. Can Paige keep her prima donna behavior in check? Will Erin's involvement hurt the people she's really trying to help? Success in the big city comes with even bigger challenges, and as the pressure grows, so does the drama.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Christian Fiction, Christian, Fashion, Contemporary, Adult

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 18, 2010

About the author

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books, several of them Christmas novellas from Revell, including her much-loved and bestselling book, The Christmas Bus.

She also writes many teen books, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl series, the TrueColors series, and the Carter House Girls series.

Melody was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her books, including the Notes from a Spinning Planet series and Finding Alice, which is in production as a Lifetime Television movie. She and her husband serve on the Young Life adult committee in central Oregon.

Reviews

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 3 out of 5]

About this book:

“Big Apple. Bigger Problems.
The success of the Forrester sisters’ On the Runway TV show lands them a hot ticket to Fashion Week in New York City. Paige is determined to garner the attention of New York’s top designers, but her newfound fame threatens to go to her head. Erin wants to help promote the work of some eco-minded designers, but struggles to be taken seriously. Can Paige keep her prima donna behavior in check? Will Erin’s involvement hurt the people she’s really trying to help? Success in the big city comes with even bigger challenges, and as the pressure grows, so does the drama.”


Series: Book #2 in the “On the Runway” series. Review of Book #1, Here!


Spiritual Content- Prayers; Church going & sermons; Talks about God & His plans; ‘H’s are not capital when referring to God; Mentions of God & Jesus; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of churches, church going, fellowship groups, sermons, & a pastor; Mentions of Christians & faiths; Mentions of witnessing; A couple mentions of blessings & being blessed; A mention of a Bible; A mention of a prayer list; A mention of a spiritual feeling;
*Note: A couple mentions of the phrase “died and gone to heaven”; A mention of positive energy.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘duh’, two ‘dumb’s, and two forms of ‘stupid’; A couple mentions of curses (said, not written): Sarcasm & Eye rolling; Mentions of car accidents, deaths, & injuries (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of awful working conditions in other countries & the possibility of the workers’ deaths; Mentions of terrorists, criminals, & bombs; Mentions of vandalism, gangs, thugs, & juvenile detention; Mentions of assaults, being tackled, being handcuffed, & bruises; Mentions of mean girls & their hurtful words; Mentions of jealousy; Mentions of alcohol, drinking, those with drinking problems, parties with lots of alcohol, & clubs; A few mentions of (verbal) fights; A few mentions of lies & lying; A few mentions of gossip & rumors; A couple mentions of a mother who died from an overdose; A couple mentions of prison; A mention of a prima donna saying she wants to go some where to die;
*Note: Many mentions of designers & brand names; Mentions of celebrities, movies, & TV shows.


Sexual Content- a cheek kiss, a not-detailed kiss, and a barely-above-not-detailed kiss; a ‘sexy’ and three forms of ‘hot’; *Spoiler* Mentions of Erin’s best friend who is pregnant out of wedlock & their original promise not to have sex before marriage *End of Spoiler*; Mentions of dates, dating, couples, boyfriends, & breakups; Mentions of broken hearts; Mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of unmarried couples spending nights with each other; A few mentions of a cheek kiss; A few mentions of falling in love; A couple mentions of cheating; A couple mentions of crushes; A couple mentions of blushes; A mention of a jab about a girl sleeping with the right guy for a TV job (she didn’t);
*Note: Mentions of a girl who had to go through a strip search at an airport; Mentions of curvy & stick-thin girls; A couple mentions of anorexia; A mention of a girl having a crazy idea that she’s fat; A mention of a dress showing a lot of a girl’s leg; A mention of some girls wanting to be shown in just their underwear on TV; A mention of tampon ads; A mention of getting a kick in the butt from God.

-Erin Forrester, age 18
1st person P.O.V. of Erin
206 pages

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Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars
{Add ½ star for those interested in teen drama.}
{Add ½ star for those interested in fashion and designer names.}
It’s been a few years since I read this series for the second time, but it was neat to read it with a different view. I do remember enjoying this second book as a favorite in the series because of getting to see most of the Carter House Girls in this one, and to me, that really is like catching up with old friends. It’s like a cameo or guest star, it’s so fun!
There’s also quite a bit of faith content from Erin and I do like seeing her thoughts in a first-person POV. One of the more cleaner books of Melody Carlson’s many YA series, but still has some comments that some readers might not like.


Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...


*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

[Jill Williamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fashion week is coming and the Forrester sisters are busier than ever with their TV show, On the Runway. While Paige seeks interviews with top designers, Erin wants to support designers who care about the environment.

I really enjoy these books. They're a fun contrast between a high drama girl and her down-to-earth little sister. I like how Erin tries to set a good example for her gig sister, yet every once in a while Paige puts Erin in her place. This book had a slower plot, but an entertaining look into the fashion design industry, and there were even some guest appearances from some Carter House Girls characters. I'm looking forward to book three!

[Gina Hott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catwalk was a change of pace for me. Completely different from anything else I’ve read. It’s a YA novel, but first person and not romance or mystery. Just a novel about a Christian teen trying to make it in a world of fashion that she’s in by default. She’s not into fashion just trying to be a supportive and helpful sister. It’s kind of similar to chick lit but not as silly and with more substance.

[Josie · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 Stars
What I liked:
/ Erin and Paige. They were fun characters and good foils for each other.
/ Stuff that was actually interesting, at least compared to everything else on my shelf.
What I didn't like:
/ Poor prose -- a lot of telling instead of showing, "and then I explained [thing that already happened]" was used too often, and a bunch of ellipses.
/ No focus on a central plot. At first, we're talking about green fashion, then publicity in New York, then the Carter House girls, then Mollie. Everything seemed random.
/ Bad foreshadowing: plot twists that did happen came out of the blue like Mollie being pregnant, and plot twists I expected to happen didn't, like Erin wondering if Paige used the security incident to cause drama.
/Mollie + Millie and Paige + Paige?

[Heidi A · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had some good points but a little disappointing after the first book. Lots and lots of fashion, more so than the first book. I missed having more of the character interactions instead of just a rundown of all the bits they did for their tv show on fashion.

[Danni · Rating 3 out of 5]

fun

[Khesli Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading and catching up with The Carter House girls! Great series

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute teen book. I read it just for some light fun reading to get away from all the craziness in this world. Good clean entertainment. I recommend this for any teen

[Carrie Billig]

0

[Carol Stanley-Snow · Rating 4 out of 5]

This read was in a bag-o-books a friend gave me. Never heard of the writer and learned it's a youth book.

A good story....

[Allie Marchessault · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was slow in the beginning for my liking but was pretty good towards the middle and end. Highly recommend for 11-14 girls

[Marie Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really good! In the book Erin expresses interest in green fashion, to me I think Erin knowing what green fashion is and knowing that it helps and effects the world a lot makes a big deal. I think Paige should of cared more about green fashion and show more interest towards it. I don't think it's a bad thing that Paige lives for fashion because it at least makes her happy even though the clothes she wear are made in bad conditions. When Paige got back together with Benjamin I thought to myself "I hope Paige knows what she's doing" but at the same time I wasn't really surprise that she got back together with Benjamin. I would tell Paige to be really careful and don't do anything stupid with Benjamin that she'll regret for the rest of her life. I think Erin has such a problem judging Benjamin because she can't decide the kind of person his really is. If I was Paige sister and I needed to see her go out with Benjamin again I probably would do the same thing that Erin did. I wasn't really surprise that Paige for into so much trouble with the security guards at the airport. To me, if I was in the kind of situation that Paige was in the airport I would think that it would be handled just the way it was handled in the book maybe a little more smoother. I think Paige should of just live the perfume behind because it just wasn't worth all the trouble. I think that Erin has a hard time vacillate between criticizing her sister and running to her rescue because sometimes Paige is so wild (I really don't know how to describe the kind of person paige is) that its hard for Erin to keep Paige in check. I think Paige suffering fro princess syndrome could be a problem depends on the people she's around and how they react to her. On a scale of one to ten, I would rate myself 4 as a princess because I don't always get what I want but at least I get what I want sometimes. Being a princess means to me that you have everything you want in life except the person who you truly love. When Paige helps Erin to improve her fashion image I thought it was nice sisterly thing to do. If I were Erin and I was getting help improving my fashion image from Paige I think I probably would act the same way as Erin but a little more excited. I think I relate most to Erin during the slumber party because I think I just wouldn't feel like I belong there. When I heard of Benjamin's car wreck I felt concern and criticism because first of all I was also worried that paige was the one who was in the car with Benjamin and second of all it just prove to me that I was right about Benjamin, an irresponsible young adult. I think Paige should't continue her relationship with Benjamin because I think she should let him have time to try to fix a better life for himself and to get his act together. The themes of the book is change: It is impossible to be certain about things; Knowledge can help us prepare for the future; People are afraid of change but things always change; Things are usually not as bad as you think they will be.

[Wordy Nerd · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good second book to a series! I think Green fashion is fantastic. I think anything that will help keep the earth healthy is better. I think Paige's opinion of green fashion is a bit shallow. The reason for my opinion is because when it comes to fashion all I can say is so what, it doesn't matter if someone clothes look better, it matters that they are protecting and making the earth a better place. I do not think the fact that Paige lives for fashion is a really good thing. I think it is good that she is so passionate about it but it is also not so good because it only makes her not so good true-colors come out. I think my reaction when Paige and Benjamin appears to be getting back together was what a fool Paige is. I would have advise Paige to not go for such a dirty-bag like Benjamin and to be a smart, and strong woman. I think Erin has such a problem judging Benjamin because Benjamin personality consistently changes. I think if I was in Erin's shoes I would just forget about Benjamin. I was actually not completely surprise when Paige got into so much trouble with the security guards at the airport because of the fact that she is such a drama queen. I would have probably handled it like Paige but a bit more responsibly. I think if Paige had just let the guards throw out the perfume then none of the drama would have happened. I think the reason Erin keeps alternating between criticizing her sister and running to her rescue is because she loves her sister and does not want Paige to be in trouble. I think Erin could try doing that for herself. I think Paige suffering from princess syndrome is a big problem because it only shows how superficial she is. On a scale of one to ten, I would rate myself as a five. The reason is that I would probably enjoy being treated like a princess but sometimes it would get on my nerves. I think being a princess means money and being a brat. My reaction when Paige helps Erin to improve her fashion image is that maybe there is still hope for this shallow, self-centered girl I have been reading about. I probably would have reacted surprise if I were Erin. I think I related more to Eliza when the girls had their "slumber party" because I too love being the center of attention but probably not nearly as much as the author made Eliza out to be. When I read about Benjamin's car wreck I really didn't have much of a reaction because the truth is that Benjamin was just a character I couldn't care less about what happened to him. My reason for feeling that way is because I really really detest his personality and his character. I think Paige should just get a smarter brain because who would stick with someone like Benjamin when he drinks and made a super bad first impression. Overall, the book was okay. I think I could have used a bit less of Erin with her praying to God.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

First things first, I want to say that the description is false. Erin does want to feature the work of eco-minded designers. But they make it sound like it's throughout the entire book. It doesn't even last 3 chapters. And then everyone loves it when she does get in on the show.

This book was all drama. There was fame and fashion and designers and a car accident and a pregnancy and an engagement. Really, I can't keep up! I want go into any details, since I've probably spoiled of you enough all though if you're reading this, you've either already read the book or have no interest in reading it and are just being polite.

The characters were okay in this book. I liked how Melody Carlson crossed her books together. She had cameos of characters from her Carter House Girls series. I haven't read them but after reading about DJ, Taylor, Eliza and Rhiannon I'm excited to read it! Erin was better in this book, although I still don't think she's making the right decisions with Blake. Paige was a little witch in this book. Such a prima donna. She screamed all the time about everything from hair and makeup to... well... hair and makeup. She doesn't care about anything else. It's all about the looks.

The book was set in the Big Apple. They met up with tons of designers and I've wondered about how that works if you have a real live person as a character. Do you have to pay them? But that's completely off topic. They didn't really do anything but fashion shows, which is kind of annoying. Then again, I chose to read this series, therefore I am sticking with it. Even if it kills me...

I'm giving this book four stars, because I enjoyed it a bit better than the first one but it still wasn't five star ohmigosh that was amazing good. I'm a tomboy so reading a book about fashion and having the main character being converted to a somewhat fashionista is totally annoying. I'd rather read about action any day. And that's all I have to say about that.

[Liralen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this as a first reads book, but I think I would have gotten more out of it if I'd read the first book in the series (Premiere). There was no amateur-hour 'let's summarise everything that happened in the last book', but there were numerous comments that I can only presume refer to events that took place in said last book. I never quite figured out some of the basic things, such as how old these characters are or what exactly the point of their TV show is. I assume that these things are in the first book, but...a book should stand on its own.

Anyway. The idea's cute, and I imagine that it goes over well in the Christian-fiction market (the whole staying-strong-despite temptation thing...). Frankly, I found the religious messages to be a bit hit-you-over-the-head-with-a-cross(-whether-or-not-the-cross-has-anything-to-do-with-the-situation), but I'm definitely not their target audience. I'd be interested to know, though, whether Erin comes into her own at all in future books. I have a hard time believing that it's God's plan that she spend her life making sure that her sister isn't making too much of a fool of herself.

Overall, it felt a bit as though a lot of characters were thrown in simply to provide an opportunity for other characters to sermonize (Eliza) or to provide fodder for future books (Mollie). There's a lot going on in this book, but too many of those things are abandoned for more dramatic storylines. It's a pity that this didn't undergo more strenuous editing.

I received a free copy of this book via a Goodreads giveaway.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading and enjoying Premiere last week, I was anxious to read the next installment in Melody Carlson's new On the Runway series. Catwalk did not disappoint. In fact I think I enjoyed it more than Premiere. Erin and Paige are now on the roll with their new show, but that doesn't mean that Erin is completely comfortable being in front of the camera yet. Catwalk leads the girls to fashion week in New York and lots of fun and surprises await them there.

I enjoyed reading the various shows and people the girls met along with the new situations they managed to get into and out of. What I thought was really cute about this one, was the presence of the Carter House girls. I have actually only read one Carter House girl novel (but have the rest on my tbr pile) but recognized the main players when Erin and Paige meet them in New York. It was neat to see them again, and if you haven't read the Carter House girl series, no worries, the girls really just make a cameo appearance.

Catwalk has new lessons for both Paige and Erin and I really liked how Melody Carlson brought those lessons about. Both girls had to come to the realizations - this isn't beat you over the head Christianity, this is hey - that makes a lot of sense and having some other players reinforce the lessons really was a great way to handle them.

After finishing Catwalk, I am already anxious for the next installment, Rendezvous which comes out in September. Great characters, a fast-moving plot and lots of fun in the fashion world equals a great read in my book.

My Rating: 4.5/5.0

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an enjoyable and quick, easy read. A nice, fun story but a bit soap-operish for my tastes. Could be because it deals with fashion, which is one of my least favorite things to read about. Plus, with mom being a news broadcast director, and both girls coming in to their own in the entertainment industry, their family lifestyle wasn't one I could easily relate to.
I liked the fact that the characters' lives weren't all perfect. I would have liked to seen more character development, but there was still enough to keep interest in them. I struggled with understanding them as well as I could have if I'd known more about what made each one tick. I could relate to Erin a lot more than Paige, but that may have had to do with the whole fashion/modeling thing. She seemed more down to earth, more grounded with it all.
Has some real-life issues in the storyline so it's not simply a fluff read.

NOTE: This is a CHRISTIAN book.
** If you don't want to risk "blatant Christian preaching" then I suggest you stay away from Christian books. **
I'm sorry, but it really grinds my gears when people review Christian books, and then complain about the 'preaching' or Christian elements in them! Ridiculous.



*Won this book through the GoodReads First Reads Program. Thank you Z Street Team for making it possible for me to read this book. My review will follow as soon as possible!

[Christy Trever · Rating 5 out of 5]

Catwalk by Melody Carlson is the second book in the On the Runway series. Paige and Erin Forrester are on their way to film New York Fashion week for their reality television show On the Runway, but first they both need to walk in a show for a "green" designer, then Erin needs to deal with her best friend Mollie's seeming abandoning her for boyfriend Tony, plus the girls' mother's relationship with Jon is becoming serious. I love this series about two sisters trying to stay true to themselves in the strange world of Hollywood. Paige is the star of the show and trying to keep up her relationship with big star Benjamin. Erin is more comfortable behind the camera and is giving old flame Blake another chance. Paige and Erin have a very believable sisterly relationship with plenty of push-pull and chemistry. They face the real problems of teenagers: parents dating, troubled relationships, and two-faced friends, but with a great twist of glamor. It's the rare young adult Christian series that is completely enjoyable and believable. I can't wait to read what happens next to the Forrester sisters.

[Gail Barger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second in a series of books, aimed at young adults/girls. I wouldn't have bought it but got it for free on amazon. And only read it this time because it was something easy I could try using the text to speech thing on my kindle while I was driving Elizabeth to Alabama! I think I decided I can do audio books easier than the text to speech thing...it was a stilted/automated voice that had no inflection to it! There was really no pause in between sentences/paragraphs so for me it would take some getting used to but I'm sure it's a beneficial function to people that need it.

This story takes the 2 sisters further into their reality fashion show by covering fashion week in NYC. About half way through it brought in some characters that I think were in another series of books by Melody Carlson; I only read one or 2 of those as well! So I missed whatever had happened with all of the other girls but the story was still easy enough to follow. But this is something aimed at a different age group and I doubt I'll read any more of them.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed this book even more than the first one. I didn't think I would after reading the teaser at the end of the first book, but it ended up being an entertaining read after all. I liked how the author tied in an entirely separate series into this one, too. The Carter House girls make an appearance in this book, which makes me want to go back and finish that series. Anyway, I am looking forward to digging into book three in this series, Rendezvous. So far this series is a YA winner, in my opinion, and I'm not even into fashion. I suppose I identify more with Erin, the sister. That's what is so good about this book. It's easy to identify with at least one character. They are all very different, and they seemed like they could be real people, which is why I am enjoying getting to know them. The characters are easy to relate to.

[Kristen Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a bit more than I expected to, since I didn't read the first in the series. My main issue was that I couldn't figure out exactly how old they were either, my guess is early 20s since they could legally drink? Sometimes they seemed younger.

Anyhow, very enjoyable book especially if you enjoy reading about fashion, I really liked all the descriptions of clothing.

Another item that may have been better set up in the 1st book is the religious aspects, but to me just seemed sort of thrown in, awkwardly at times.

Still - if you enjoy light fiction I don't think it will dissapoint, although if possible I recommend picking up the 1st in the series.

Please note - I recieved this book for free through Goodreads First Reads program.

[Michele Minor · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the second book in her On The Runway series we see both Paige and Erin Forrester go to New York City for fashion week. Before they leave for New York they interview local designers, including a green designer. She also includes some of the girls from her Carter House series in this book where fans from that series can check in to see what those characters are doing. This book still has the Christian message in it, which keeps the series from being superficial which shows up in young adult books for women. In this book Paige matures into a young woman while Erin deals with surprising news from her best friend that goes with her to the student group at her church.

[Beth Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the portrayal of the fashion and designers. It will be dated soon, but I felt like the writer really paid attention to what's going on in fashion now. It's Christian young adult fiction, but the religion stuff wasn't super heavy handed. Actually, I thought if the author wanted to include religion, it could've been applied more thoughtfully. It was kind of "oh, you have some problems? I'll pray for you; you should pray too. The personal issues of the people around the main characters were treated in a somewhat dismissive manner. Much more time and sympathy were applied to a problem of the narrator's sister's own making.

[Kyrsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book did better than I was expecting it to. I feel like it would have been better if I had read the first one, but I'm a college kid short on money, aren't we all. Anyway I thought the book was a fast read and really not that bad at all. I think that maybe there was just too much drama, but it is a book about fashion, TV, and young people so I suppose that is to be expected.

**I won this book in a First-Reads Giveaway. My review is a reflection of my honest opinion and is not influenced by the fact that I got the book for free.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Won this in a drawing, this is the first teen christian book I read. It had nice messages about not being selfish, praying, and facing obstacles. Erin, the camera girl was the main character who I really liked, it's just that reading it there wasn't really a clear story on what was going on, no specific instance or conflict that you were waiting to get resolved...then at the very end a few traumatic things happen, it gets dealt with properly and then it's the end.


It's an okay book, and has a good perspective on how to deal with issues, it's just not an exciting story, it just isn't.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this series. It is cute. Had a similar experience in LAX, not tackled but put in a small room for an hour because I was pulled aside for having an insulin pump for my diabetes. They tested my hands and it alerted them that I was positive for explosive materials. Talk about freaking out. My husband and. Kids were pushed to the side and I was escorted to a room. So I definitely could relate to poor Paige. (after an hour I was allowed to put all my things back and able to leave) I am excited to see there book 3 goes. How the girls will do in Paris. These are light easy fun reads!

[Alana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't... disappointed with this book per say, I mean, I loved it, but I thought the summary for it was WAY off. On the back of the book it said that it was about Paige and Erin's struggles with Erin wanting to feature more eco-friendly designers, but it wasn't. There were like 2 chapters devoted to that. If anything, it was about New York fashion week and how Erin discovers that fashion isn't that bad.

[Alsie]

Im not reading these books in order at all. This is my second On the Runaway book (I read the third book, Rendezvous first)

I didn't find this as interesting as Rendezvous, but it was still a pretty good book to read. But since I'd read Rendezvous already, I kinda already knew what would happen in some of the scenes. It didn't ruin the book completely though.
So yeah, I guess that's all I gotta say.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second in the cute, uncomplicated On the Runway series. The Forrester sisters surprise TV hit Thames them to New York for fashion week where there score many interviews, fashion shows, and clothes. The girls run into problems w/friends and boyfriends, they must adjust to changes with their mom, and Erin balances questions of where God wants her.

A quick easy read...and yet I am interested in finding out what happens with the sisters and their TV fame.

[$hanel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Catwalk is the sequence to Premiere. In the second book Paige and Erin are facing more DRAMA. This time the girls are off to New York for fashion week and Paige is the primma donna once again. Erin is going as the camera girl like always. But, in Catwalk can the two girls grow MORE closer or not? or will fashion week in New York be a big wreck?