Making the Cut

July 1, 2014

Gr 6-8-Sixteen-year-old Chloe Montgomery is a self-described fashion addict. Not only does she devour fashion magazines and TV shows, but she is also an aspiring fashion designer. When her favorite fashion reality show, Design Diva (think Project Runway), offers teen designers an opportunity to audition for the teen version of Design Diva, she decides to apply. With the support of her parents, best friend Alex, and a few inspirations, she makes the final cut and lands a spot on the show. Much to her chagrin, her nemesis, Nina, also gets a spot. Filming in New York is more difficult than Chloe anticipated, and the competition is fierce and intimidating. Chloe has difficulty conquering her self doubt and her suspicions about Nina's true intentions. As the competition draws to its conclusion, Chloe finds that in order to be successful she must stay true to herself. The protagonist is a relatable character whose struggles with self doubt will resonate with readers. The fun and frothy plot reads quickly, and the fashion sketches add to the enjoyment of the book. This will find a fan base with fashion and reality TV show addicts alike.-Kefira Phillipe, Nichols Middle School, Evanston, IL

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2014
A teen fashionista enters a reality TV designing contest.Obsessed by fashion all her life and determined to become a designer, 16-year-old Chloe reacts with both exhilaration and fear when her favorite TV show, Design Diva, announces a series that will focus on teens, offering as prize an internship with a major designer. Encouraged by her family, her best friend and the owner of the local fabric store, Chloe works hard to create three original designs . As she succeeds in getting a spot on the show and then works through its challenges, she wavers between confidence and timidity. Complicating matters is the fact that her hometown rival, Nina, has also made it on the show, and Nina has been stealing Chloe's designs since they were young girls. Does Chloe have a chance to win? Gurevich aims at middle schoolers, focusing on descriptions of Chloe's designs, how she imagines them and how she fares in each stage of the competition. The arc of the show provides natural highs and lows, and the challenges that the young designers face feel typical of reality television, adding to the story's realism. Greatly aiding the book's appeal are the abundant fashion illustrations contributed by Hagel, allowing readers to envision nearly all the designs.Thrills and excitement for fashion fans. (Fiction. 9-13)

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