Book Review: "Catwalk" by Melody Carlson

August 10, 2010

Big Apple. Bigger Problems. The success of the Forrester sisters' On the Runway TV show lands them a hot ticket to Fashion Week in New York City. Paige is determined to garner the attention of New York's top designers, but her newfound fame threatens to go to her head. Erin wants to help promote the work of some eco-minded designers, but struggles to be taken seriously. Can Paige keep her prima donna behavior in check? Will Erin's involvement hurt the people she's really trying to help? Success in the big city comes with even bigger challenges, and as the pressure grows, so does the drama.

I really am starting to think that this is Melody Carlson's best YA series to date. As with the first book, Premiere, I really think that these books are great to pass along to any reader who enjoy the girly type of YA. The characters are realistic but put in fun situations that everyone dreams of. Who wouldn't want to be able to host your own TV show and get to travel to New York and LA interviewing celebrities and discovering the latest fashions?

I really like how the book is from Erin's point of view. Paige comes off as slightly superficial at times while Erin is very down to earth. I think that if I were to meet them in person, I would end up liking Erin very much. Paige sometimes seems to get caught up in all the glitz and glamor while Erin is content with just being herself and doesn't care about what other people think. One example of this is how she is excited to learn about the "green" fashion line because it is one of her passions in her life to be more environmental conscious. Meanwhile, Paige immediately dismisses it because she thinks it's below her. The airport security clearance scene was extremely interesting.

I love all the fashion talk that is in this book. There may be some Christian readers who might complain about too much talk about commercial stuff and that teen girls shouldn't be focused on clothes, labels and having all the in things. Well I'm just going to say that even though you can say that, in reality what girls like and want are completely different. Girls who are into fashion will eat up this book as it's a fun look into the fashion industry without having to go into the seedy side of the business. It's a rough industry but it's also interesting to see that the creative side of the business.

I was also pleasantly surprised to see characters from the Carter House Girls series make an appearance in this book. It's great to see what they've been up to since the ending of their series. It's also a great way to reward fans of Carlson's books to see familiar faces in the story. The ending of the book is a little shocking but it drives home an important point about underage drinking and the influence celebrities have on fans.

As I said I loved this book. It's a whirlwind ride into the fast pace world of fashion and I enjoyed every minute of the trip. I can't wait until the next book in the series. HIGHLY recommended.

Catwalk by Melody Carlson is published by Zondervan (2010)

This review copy was provided for a blog tour with FIRST Wild Card Blog Tours

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