Book Review of The Daughters by Joanna Philbin

The Daughters by Joanna Philbin

The blurb:
Unconventional-looking Lizzie Summers always expects fawning photographers and adoring fans to surround her gorgeous supermodel mother. But when fourteen-year-old Lizzie is approached by a fashion photographer who believes that she's "the new face of beauty," Lizzie surprises herself and her family by becoming the newest Summers woman to capture the media spotlight.

Author Joanna Philbin thoughtfully explores what it's really like to come of age in the thick of the celebrity world.  As Lizzie and her two best friends and fellow daugthers of celebrities, Carina and Hudson, juggle normal high school events with glamorous family functions, they experience the pitfalls of fame and the importance of friendship.

Review:
To be honest, I hadn't expected to enjoy The Daughters as much as I had. But the characters were so fun and sympathetic that I kept wanting to find out what would happen next -- I read the book in one sitting.

Lizzie Summers's at that uncertain stage that you can't help but feel for her.  She feels ugly and awkward and her mother's beauty and celebrity makes it all the more painful.  But her sense of humor and her close friendships with Carina and Hudson make her come alive as a character.  Their mix of sophistication and vulnerability, their quick wit and their united front draw you in.

Their world of NY privilege and fame remind me of Gossip Girl -- in the best possible way. Although The Daughters are much younger and more innocent, they're just as fun.

ISBN-10: 031604900X - Hardcover
Publisher: Poppy; 1 edition (May 1, 2010), 288 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.




About the Author:
Joanna Philbun is the daughter of Live with Regis and Kelly host Regis Philbin.  Joanna lives in Los Angeles, California, where is is currently working on her next Daughters novel, coming in November 2010.