Review: Spoiled (Spoiled #1)

Spoiled by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

Format: Trade Paperback
Pages: 362
Published: June 1, 2011
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult

My Rating: 3.5/5

Summary (from chapters.ca):

Sixteen-year-old Molly Dix has just discovered that her biological father is Brick Berlin, world-famous movie star and red-carpet regular. Intrigued (and a little terrified) by her Hollywood lineage, Molly moves to Los Angeles and plunges headfirst into the deep of Beverly Hills celebrity life. Just as Molly thinks her life couldn't get any stranger, she meets Brooke Berlin, her gorgeous, spoiled half sister, who welcomes Molly to la-la land with a smothering dose "sisterly love"... but in this town, nothing is ever what it seems.

Review:

**NOTE: A copy of this book was provided by the publisher.  However, no compensations were made and this review reflects my honest thoughts and feelings.**

In the world of movie stars and millionaires, you really do need to have a thick shell around yourself.  But what happens when your walls are penetrated and begin to crumble?  Do you build them back up or grab a shovel?

We have all read this story before or even seen the movie about it but there is something about routing for the 'underdog' that makes a story so enjoyable.  Spoiled, to me, was the book version of 'Mean Girls' and we all know that cheering for Lindsay Lohan was the best part of that movie... or better yet, her quirky friends.  That was the feeling that I got from this book with Molly, Max and Teddy.

I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to go from a po-dunk town in the middle of nowhere to Hollywood - land of the rich and famous... and mean.  While it would present itself as an awesome adventure, I keep thinking about how fake each of the 'LA' characters were and how everyone worked so hard to hide their insecurities.  I felt bad for Molly but at the same time was so happy that she stuck to her ideals and didn't bend to the pressure of those around her.

The characters in Spoiled were great.  I enjoyed Brooke's softer side and could see through that hard edge to what was really bothering her about Molly's appearance in her life.  Brick was an annoying father and horrible role model but as an A-list Hollywood actor, it was probably very true to form.  In all, each of the characters in this book were well developed and well placed within the story.

Now, I am not going to lie, the ending of this book was visable from a mile away... aka. the first chapter.  However, that didn't stop me from enjoying the easy flow of the story and living the 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous' for a couple of days.

Overall, an enjoyable tale about an underdog trying to keep her head above water.  I look forward to the sequel, Messy (available in stores now).