This humorous, over-the-top satire from first-time author Holliday is just as absurd as the television show it parodies. After being knocked unconscious by a celebrity chef wielding a cast-iron pan, 32-year-old media escort Jules Vernon decides a career change is in order. Jules has a tendency to discard jobs and lifestyles like old outfits, but she may have found the perfect fit in Pop Star Live!
, a cheap American Idol
imitation. Jules is pleasantly surprised to find herself dealing competently with a boss who thinks he has testicular fungus, a contestant who has a gang history, a producer with a livid fear of his cell phone and much more, even finding time to fall in love with Sam, the show's set constructor. Although Jules's insecurity and cynicism often make her seem brittle and unapproachable, it's hard not to feel a sense of kinship as she marvels at the confidence of inept contestants or shares her insights on the reality TV phenomenon ("It's not reality TV
that matters. It's that our only reality that matters
is TV"). The manic plot needs reining in, and Holliday's secondary characters could be more fleshed out. Still, this zany debut holds promise. Agent, Michelle Grajkowski. (Aug.)
Forecast:
The nice price and the play on
American Idol should
give this legs; it's the launch book in Dorchester's new Making It imprint for chick lit.
