Shotting Stars by Allison Rushby

Title: Shooting StarsAuthor: Allison Rushby
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Publisher: Walker & Company (28th February 2012)
Blurb:

Behind the flashing lights, the camera reveals all . . . even love.

Meet Josephine Foster, or Zo Jo as she’s known in the biz. The best pint-sized paparazzo out there, Jo loves shooting stars, and she certainly doesn’t mind doing whatever it takes to get that one perfect picture.

But then Jo is sent on a major undercover assignment to shoot Ned Hartnett – teen superstar/heartthrob and the only celebrity who’s ever been kind to her – at an exclusive retreat facility in Boston. Among the cheesy group therapy sessions and embarrassing “team building” exercises, Jo finds there’s more to the reclusive Ned than meets the eye – and maybe more to herself too.

Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

What first drew me to this book was the cover – I think it looks absolutely gorgeous! Then I read the blurb, and I was sold. It took me a while to get around to buying this book, but I am very glad that I did. It is a brilliant piece of light fluff.

Shooting Stars is not a complicated read; you can pretty much guess where it will end, though Rushby does have a few interesting twists in the narrative. The fact that the plot is uncomplicated is part of the charm of this book, and actually reflects something of Jo’s personality – she’s actually a pretty straight forward girl. This is most definitely a book to read if you want some light, easy, fun.

Jo is sixteen when we meet her, and is very good at her job of being a paparazzo. She’s short for her age and can pass for several years younger than she is, which comes in handy for her at times. She’s half-Japanese and half-Australian but she grew up in LA, and Jo definitely uses that to her advantage.

As the narrator Jo takes us straight into her world, and I have to say that I thought it was an interesting one. I also found Jo to be a really likeable character and easy to relate to. I also loved the fact that Jo has ambitions outside of being a paparazzo, and that she’s close to her cousin and dad. Her connections as a paparazzo were interesting too. Jo comes across as very human in this book. Ned Hartnett is an interesting character, and not at all what I expected in some ways. Shooting Stars gives an interesting insight into the world of celebrity and the life of a paparazzo. I think Rushby does the characters justice, and makes them incredibly human.

If you’re looking for a light, easy, fun read then you should definitely pick up this book.