More Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet

I loved this sequel to True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet. Morgan is the girl everyone wants to be. She's honest and has a life everyone would dream about. This book is entertaining, and you'll love every minute of it. There's adorable Eli, amazing Emily, and of course that evil coniving Debbie Ackerman.

Yes, it does follow the trend of books starring celebrities, but it does so wonderfully, even for those of us who haven't read the prequel (True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet). In MORE CONFESSIONS OF A HOLLYWOOD STARLET, Morgan Carter's average life in Fort Wayne, Indiana, has once more become the life in the spotlight she went to Fort Wayne to escape. Now, Morgan's life is getting to be a bit too much to handle: her boyfriend's mother doesn't want Morgan, a recovering addict, dating her son; Morgan's mother wants her back in LA and the spotlight; and sorting out the parts of her life that would be complicated enough if she were just an ordinary teenage girl, like school and friendships. This novel is emotional and honest--Morgan is surprisingly real. Engaging prose and likeable characters make this book more than just fun (which is what much of the premise is), but actually serious and really good. I'll certainly be looking for the first book, and hoping for another! Reviewed by: Jocelyn Pearce

Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet introduced readers to Morgan, a famous actress who was famous before she was old enough to drive. After overdosing at the Viper Room then going to rehab, she was sent to live with her mother's best friend in Indiana. She had to hide her true identity and get a "makeunder" on her famous face, adopting the name Claudia Miller and being forced to attend - gasp! - public school. If you liked the first book, you'll like the sequel, More Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet. Morgan's story picks up right where it left off. Everyone knows who she is now, but just where does she belong? Morgan struggles with her identity, her sobriety, and her secrets. This series isn't sugar-coated, to say the least. Morgan is bold. She has more of a presence than many of her contemporaries (meaning other teen novel protagonists who tell their stories in diary format) and she is stronger than she knows. I recommend picking up both books in one fell swoop. Believe me, as soon as you finish the first book, you'll pick up the second. I hope there are more books in this series, because I think Morgan can only get stronger, wiser, maybe even get that redemption she's searching for, and make herself proud.

Claudia Miller returns to life in Fort Wayne, Indiana, though now she has been outed as famous starlet Morgan Carter. Readers met Morgan in TRUE CONFESSIONS OF A HOLLYWOOD STARLET as she went into hiding in Fort Wayne after almost overdosing to death and a stint in rehab. She was supposed to lay low, be a normal teen and not miss any of her Narcotics Anonymous meetings. That did happen for a while, until one of her classmates figured out who she really was and sold her to the tabloids. Now, Morgan is trying just to attend class and find private time with her new boyfriend Eli. But he gets a little freaked out when a makeout session in his car leads to paparazzi on the roof of his vehicle. His mother, who loved Claudia, wants Morgan out of the lives of Eli and his twin sister Emily as fast as possible. As a therapist for drug users, she doesn't trust Morgan. Meanwhile, Morgan's mother wants her back in LA for Thanksgiving, scheduling Morgan for voice lessons and personal training simply because Morgan mentioned that she may want to audition for the lead in her high school production of Oklahoma. Her mother thinks it will help her eventual comeback to Hollywood. She was nominated for an Academy Award, so how hard can a high school audition be? Things get worse when Hollywood heartthrob Harlan Darly begins telling the press that he never got over Morgan. The reality is that he raped Morgan when she was drunk and very young, and she has not seen him since. She has only told a few people about what happened and isn't sure what to do when the press asks about her relationship with him. Her agent and new stepfather, Sam, doesn't know and is eager to represent Harlan, so Morgan goes along --- up to a point. When she is forced to see Harlan at an A-list party in Hollywood, she knows she has to stand up for other women who have gone through similar ordeals. Morgan is funny and sincere as she sorts out who she is. While readers may envy her Hollywood connections and designer Marc Jacobs clothes, they will cheer her spirit as she fights to stay sober and sane in two crazy locations. --- Reviewed by Amy Alessio