Secrets of My Hollywood Life by Jen Calonita

Calonita, Jen. Secrets of My Hollywood Life.

Little, Brown and Company, 2006.

ISBN 978-0-316-15442-0

Reader’s Annotation

After 12 years of working as a TV child star, Kaitlin Burke needs and break, and a chance to experience “normal” life, but her plan affects more people than she anticipated, including Evan, a boy she dates who has no idea of who she really is.

Plot Summary

Sometimes being a celebrity is just plain exhausting.  For 16-year-old Kaitlin Burke, the stress (and the competitiveness of her costar Sky Mackenzie), have her wondering what it would be like to just be an ordinary teenager for a few months.  She devises a plan to enroll in the same high school as her friend Liz, and for a few weeks enjoys the simple joy of being liked just for who she really is (or rather, who she appears to be).  Only the principal of Clark Hall High School and, of course, Liz knows Kaitlin’s true identity.  Because she has been working since she was four years old, Kaitlin savors the simple things that she’s never experienced before.  Taking the name Rachel Rogers, and student visiting from England for two months, Kaitlin indulges in things like math class that she loves, and serving on the dance committee.  Kaitlin even begins a relationship a great guy named Evan, who ironically has a slight crush on the famous Kaitlin Burke.  When, at a school dance, Sky cattily “unmasks” Kaitlin, her friends and Evan feel betrayed.  Will Kaitlin be able to save her new-found friendships?

Critical Evaluation

Who doesn’t secretly wish that they could be a celebrity—to live a glamorous life and be the center of attention.  Secrets of My Hollywood Life puts a new spin on that daydream, giving readers a fresh perspective on what that kind of life might actually be like. The fact that Kaitlin has been working since she was four clues you in that she is searching for her identity just like every teen does.  And most teens don’t have a pushy agent, stage mom, and a competitive costar to contend with.  Kaitlin’s relationship comes across as a honest breath of fresh air for Kaitlin, even though you know that it can’t last.  While the premise of the story is as old as the Prince and the Pauper, Secrets of My Hollywood Life is a very entertaining, fun read, and is the first of a six-book series.

Information about the Author

Jen Calonita knows what she writes about.  Uniquely qualified to write celebrity, Calonita worked as a Senior Entertainment Editor at Teen People, and has also written for TV Guide, Glamour and Marie Claire, has interviewed countless young stars.  Calonita live in Merrick, NY with her husband and two sons.  For more information, go to: Jen Calonita.

Genre

Reality Fiction

Chick Lit

Curriculum Tie-ins

None

Booktalk Ideas

1. Did reading Secrets of My Hollywood Life change how you view celebrities?  Why or why not?
2. Discuss Kaitlin’s relationship with Liz.  Compare what that friendship meant to each of them.

Reading level/Interest age

Young Adult (ages 13 +)

Challenge Issues/Challenge Response Ideas

None

Why I included this work

Yalsa's Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults

Winner of the Louisiana Young Readers Award

Great Quote from the Book:

“What if? Your picture was taped inside teenage boys’ lockers across America, your closets were bursting with never-worn designer clothing, and the tabloids constantly asked whether you were losing your “good girl” status?”