November 22, 2019
Gr 8 Up-Just like the protagonist of Jane Austen's Emma, this young Emma is a misguided matchmaker, but she lives in present-day Manhattan instead of 1800s England. She and her brother Harlan are TV and movie stars who share an apartment and are both preparing for the roles of a lifetime. But Emma needs a new assistant to help her as she devotes all her time to bulking up for a new action role-and who better than pretty, young, naive Brittany? Emma and Brittany spend hours scheduling social media updates as Emma schools Brittany in all things trending, while also helping Brittany with romance and even walk-on spots in a soap opera. Meanwhile, Emma's own love life is rocky as she flirts with the son of a good friend but not-so-secretly falls for handsome Liam, a professional soccer player. It takes a #MeToo moment for Emma to be shocked out of her matchmaking attempts and overwhelming self-absorption to focus on the bigger picture, and to recognize and confront the many toxic people who surround her. Readers who follow celebrity Twitter feuds will enjoy this third book in the "Mansfield" series. While this installment can be read independently, most teens will be able to follow the enormous cast of characters better if they've read the two previous books, Seeking Mansfield and Shoot the Moon. VERDICT A lightweight rom-com turns more serious following a #MeToo moment; a fun read for tweens and younger teens who are avid social media users.-Susan Riley, Mamaroneck Public Library, NY
Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
December 1, 2019
Emma Crawford has it all: fame, fortune, good looks, and charisma. Fortunately for those around her, she is just as generous as she is wealthy. After helping her friend Weston get his own talk show, Emma realizes she rather enjoys helping others and begins looking for someone new to bestow her guidance upon. Enter Winter White, stage name of Brittany Smith. The cousin of Weston's makeup artist, she is doe-eyed and blinded by the glitz and glamor of Hollywood. It just so happens that Emma needs a new assistant, preferably one without ties in the industry who could sell her out. An unlikely friendship begins to grow between them, and Emma realizes that Brittany could have a much bigger career than the one she's hoping for as St. Martin's, Ohio's resident meteorologist. However, Liam Price, a beautiful professional soccer player, introduces complications as he informs Emma that maybe what she thinks is best for Brittany isn't actually what is best for her. Hollywood has its dark side, one that Emma has glimpsed but was luckily sheltered from by her domineering father. As time goes on, Emma starts to realize that she needs to find courage in herself. This dramatic coming-of-age story features solid writing, complex characters, and good pacing. Emma and Brittany are white; Liam is Brazilian and Jewish. A modern Hollywood do-gooder offers a fun spin on Austen's classic. (Fiction. 14-18)
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