Pop Princess

January 5, 2004
This tale may appeal to Britney Spears followers or pop princess wannabes, but fans of Cohn's Gingerbread
or The Steps
will likely come away disappointed. "Just shy of sixteenth birthday," Wonder Blake finds herself living every teenager's dream scenario: while singing along to her Walkman during her shift at the Dairy Queen, she is discovered by a big-time agent. The only problem is, this was the dream of Wonder's sister, Lucky, who, in a cruel twist, was killed by a drunk driver two years earlier. There's much fertile territory to mine here: Wonder's grief over the loss of her sister; the guilt of living her sister's dream; the struggle to keep the family together after such a tragedy; skyrocketing to the top of the charts as the warm-up act for Lucky's best friend. But Cohn uncharacteristically skates over the surface of these issues, creating the effect of watching a music video that never really lets the audience see inside the singer's character. At one point, Wonder's brother breaks through and confronts Wonder about how superficial and self-absorbed she has become, but that potential fizzles out, as does the character of her love interest, Liam, who also seems to challenge Wonder at her core and is later revealed as more shallow than she. A few surprise revelations at the conclusion come about quickly and unnecessarily. The most alluring scenes here are visions of the pop princess world—all packaging and no content—but the same, unfortunately, could be said of this novel. Ages 13-up.

March 1, 2004
Gr 8 Up-Light, frothy, and delicious, this novel documents 15-year-old Wonder Blake's rise to fame and fortune. When the story begins, she's a not-very-popular high school student slaving away at Dairy Queen. She is "discovered" by an old friend of the family-the same man who managed her older sister Lucky's music career until Lucky was killed in a tragic accident. Wonder releases a single and catapults to fame, but predictably discovers that the life of a pop princess is not a bed of roses. She must still deal with family problems, romantic dilemmas, and the shallow world of the music industry, where she is viewed as a product to package and sell. She is tempted by parties, drugs, and drinking but quickly learns that they don't mix with her new career. Her love life is more difficult to navigate. Wonder falls for a college student and loses her virginity to him, but the boy next door proves attractive as well. Nothing about the novel's conclusion will surprise readers, but the twists and turns on the way are so much fun that no one will care. It's pure fantasy fulfillment, a pleasurable read with enough substance to make readers care about the main character and cheer her on. With a gorgeous cover and major teen girl appeal, this is sure to be a winner.-Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library

Copyright 2004 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2004
Gr. 8-12. Fans of edgy, sarcastic Cyd of Cohn's " Gingerbread "(2000) may hesitate before picking up a book inspired by the likes of Britney Spears, but they won't be disappointed by this diary of a "reluctant pop princess." Wonder Blake, a 16-year-old who goes from dispensing soft-serve ice cream to recording a flossy hit in the "Macarena" vein, maintains an ironic distance on her meteoric rise that is vintage Cohn (phases of Wonder's career are coded by her hair color, which goes from brown to platinum). Readers may find the lessons of Wonder's pop apotheosis and subsequent return to private life a bit predictable (fortune and fame no matter the cost, bad; college and reconnecting with family and the boy next door, good), but the way her experiences help her cope with the loss of her sister, killed by a drunk driver, prevents the story from seeming too cliched. Despite an overburdened ending, this is a snappy read that will be devoured with relish by YAs who love to hate the prefab perkiness of mainstream entertainment.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)