BELLA GOES HOLLYWOOD: Star Sisterz, Book 8
by Lana Perez
Mirrorstone/Wizards of the Coast
ISBN-10: 0786940301
ISBN-13: 9780786940301
Ages 8-12
144 pages

Bella DeLuca's life is meandering along in its ordinary way --- some afterschool work at her father's bakery, a little daydreaming about the Academy Awards, a dash of fantasy about her drama teacher's son, the oh-so-hot Seth Chavez --- when Trina Fair comes to town.

Bella is thrilled, until she accidentally crashes into the famous director in the mall and sends her briefcase and papers sailing everywhere. Well, there goes Bella's dreams of an Oscar! Except that the celebrity news magazines are buzzing with the latest gossip: teen star Hyacinth Pomeroy has just dropped out of the director's new movie, a sequel to The Wizard of Oz. And Fair thinks that the dark-haired whirlwind who just knocked out her papers could be a replacement.

One successful screen test later, Bella is packing her bags for LA. Filming starts in a week and they'll wrap up the movie over spring break. Accompanying her is brother David, chaperone Ms. Chavez and --- Bella can hardly believe her luck --- Seth. Oh yeah, and a whole box of her dad's famous chocolate chip cookies. What a perfect start to an adventure!

Bella arrives in Hollywood and meets the rest of the cast: heartthrob Blake Bentley; Amy, the star of the show; and even the dropout, Hyacinth. She couldn't be happier. But then strange, malevolent things start happening: her lines are blacked out on her script, the openings on her costume (sleeves, skirt, neckline) are sewn shut, and she gets locked in a walnut cabinet. When the tiara sparkling with real jewels goes missing, Bella knows she has to find out who's behind all this mischief. Can she discover the miscreant and save the day? Or is her movie career about to go bust?

This is a fun, fast-paced read that takes a very popular theme in recent YA novels --- an inside look at the world of celebrity --- and gives it its own twist. Bella's innocent worldview is refreshing. Particularly cute is when she thinks that one of the perks of being in Hollywood without her parents is that she'll get to stay up all night and watch TV. But she doesn't; BELLA GOES HOLLYWOOD emphasizes the hard work and discipline actors need to adhere to while on set, even if it's only for a week.

The mystery here is intriguing as well. In such a short book, there aren't enough characters to make the villain truly a surprise, and I figured out what was going on long before Bella did. But it was still innovative and added a layer of depth to what could have been just another starstruck teen story. As always, the strength in a Star Sisterz book remains the character relationships. Here, I was particularly impressed with author Lana Perez's deft handling of the growing feelings between Bella and Seth.

The paranormal element that runs through the Star Sisterz books was so minor and tacked on here that it doesn't even qualify as a subplot. While the conceit is cute --- each girl receives a message that tells her to do some outlandish thing that later makes perfect sense in context --- I think it often takes away from the story. Here, for example, Bella is challenged to keep her head in Hollywood and remain true to herself when surrounded by strange happenings and somewhat shallow people. She finds the strength to do that within herself, not from some mysterious message.

Fans of the series will enjoy this new addition, which combines the sweetness of the girls from Middleton with the glamour of Hollywood. What's not to love?

   --- Reviewed by Paula Jolin

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