Tracy Ellison Grant is in charge again in Tyree's latest Flyy Girl novel (after For the Love of Money
and Flyy Girl
), this time as mentor to her go-getter younger cousin, Vanessa Tracy Smith, who narrates this glitzy urban story about the payoff of hard work. Tracy Grant rose to fame earlier with her autobiography Flyy Girl
, which she parlayed into a booming career as a screenwriter, actress and producer. Now, an adoring and ambitious 16-year-old Vanessa moves from North Philly to L.A., and the novel tracks her three-year meteoric rise as Tracy's personal assistant and protégée to Hollywood powerbroker. Vanessa quickly learns the Hollywood game and takes the initiative to create a Flyy Girl franchise, including a sassy clothing line, while also pushing her older cousin to turn her autobiography into a movie. Tracy, Vanessa and friends hit the road to launch the Flyy Girl brand and conduct nationwide Flyy girl movie casting calls, a coming-of-age trip that teaches Vanessa important lessons in life and business. Snappy dialogue and the inspirational plot make this a readable story, but the plot drifts along without a climax—except for the evening a 20-year-old Vanessa loses her virginity. Devotees of the Flyy Girl trilogy will enjoy this addendum. (July)
