The Hollywoord Scoop by Jordan Parker

Yesterday was my birthday, so I ran out of time to blog. But to make up from it, I'm reviewing a book from LibraryThing! (It's been a long time hasn't it?)

After a long period of inactivity on LibraryThing (it's not fun when you have to keep watching the number of books you add), I'm finally re-entering the world of member giveaways and early reviews! And one of the books that I recently received was this entertaining book - The Hollywood Scoop by Jordan Parker.

The Hollywood Scoop centers around 16 year old Josephine ("Joey") as she tries to become a real reporter. She gets a series of chances when she witnesses what could be the next big hit (the script I mean) gets stolen before her very eyes. The "mystery" is actually solved just after the half-way mark, which makes this book more about growing up than a mystery.

And it's a really sweet tale too. Joey is likable and honest. Her mother wants her to be a lady, but she wants to be a reporter - and this conflict provides quite a lot of avenue for growth. Plus, Joey is constantly worrying about her older brother, who's fighting in the war. All in all, it's not just a romance, it's not just a "wanna-be reporter" story, it's a very good mix of many different elements.

Oh yes, the setting. This book is set in WWII (the earlier days), but it doesn't seem to impact the story much. I mean, the book feels fairly historical, but the going-ons of the war don't bother the main characters (except for the fact that her brother is a soldier). I would have, however, appreciated more mention of the war. There is an instance where she realises that it's not just about the fighting (when she's told about the camps for the Japanese-Americans), which shows that it could be developed further.

Romance in this book, was at least realistic. I liked that she didn't fall for the guy straight away (That is probably my only criteria for whether I like the romance story), and they have an interesting relationship. But I think Elliot (the love interest), is rather heartless and manipulative, especially when the truth comes out. He does, however, become a better person/hides his flaws by the end of the novel.

Lastly, this book portrays smoking in a positive (or at least neutral) light. If you don't want someone younger to get the idea that smoking is cool (Elliot, the love interest, is always smoking), then you might not want to let them read this book. But if you've already developed a fairly firm stand on smoking, then it can't hurt you to read this sweet story.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the author through LibraryThing in exchange for a free and honest review.