Unscripted Joss Byrd

June 15, 2016
A critically acclaimed child actor struggles with her insecurities, a fame-hungry momager, and a demanding director. Twelve-year-old Joss Byrd is Hollywood's latest sensation, a "scrappy," "wise beyond her years" young white thespian in the Dakota Fanning and Tatum O'Neal mode. On the set of ambitious director Terrance Rivenbach's gritty autobiographical coming-of-age drama, The Locals, Joss has trouble balancing her personal and professional lives. Secretly dyslexic, Joss needs her on-set tutor to skip regular lessons and help her memorize continuously revised lines. Complicating things, Joss harbors a crush on her 14-year-old screen brother, is frightened by the method co-star who plays their abusive stepfather, and is unhappy with disturbing scenes added to the script. Meanwhile, single mother Viva, who's lost most of Joss' previous earnings, openly flirts with the married director. Through her thoughtful, unconfident main character, the author, a private tutor for school-aged actors, realistically pulls back the curtain on the difficulties professional child actors face. Unfamiliar readers may be particularly curious about O'Neal, Joss' oft-mentioned acting muse, and her unforgettable performance in Paper Moon. Although the young protagonist makes the story seem exclusively for middle graders at first glance, sympathetic Joss' journey delves into themes like living with learning disabilities, dealing with celebrity culture, sexual precocity, and understanding the difference between actors' public and private selves, broadening its audience. Engaging behind-the-scenes look at a lonely young Hollywood star's tragedies and triumphs. (Fiction. 12-16)

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June 1, 2016

Gr 6-8-A novel that addresses a mix of light and serious issues, with a well-drawn setting and realistic characters. Sixth grader and child star Joss Byrd is on the set for an upcoming movie being filmed in Montauk, Long Island. The film is based on the lives of the director Terrance, his sister Norah, and their abusive stepdad. The presence of Joss's mother, Vivi, on location sets up conflicts involving family issues, responses to abuse, and professional responsibilities. Vivi often comes up with ill-fated business ideas and relies on Joss's income instead of finding a steady job. Vivi pressures her petite daughter to take roles now, worrying that puberty will end her career. The tween wants to avoid sexual assault scenes with Tom Garrett, who plays Norah's abusive stepfather, and always stays in character. Script changes are presented daily, and Joss struggles with her dyslexia as she relearns her lines. Despite Terrance's promises, the protagonist must film a scene in which her character tells her brother that she was sexually abused by their stepfather, but the real Norah doesn't want the scene in the movie. Additionally, Joss can't connect with local kids, who assume that she is stuck-up and entitled. This is a quick and compelling read with fully fleshed-out characters. It focuses on the issues of responsible parenting, the struggles of not feeling like an average kid, the sexualization of young women, and the exploitation of a tragic past. The book ends realistically, with some unresolved threads. VERDICT A general purchase for libraries looking to round out their fiction for tweens.-Liz Anderson, DC Public Library

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