Catch a Falling Star

Catch a Falling Star

4.4 14
by Kim Culbertson
     
 

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A deliciously charming novel about finding yourself ... and falling in love along the way.

Nothing ever happens in Little, CA. Which is just the way Carter Moon likes it. But when Hollywood arrives to film a movie starring former child star turned PR mess Adam Jakes, everything changes. Carter's town becomes a giant glittery set and, much to her annoyance,

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Overview


A deliciously charming novel about finding yourself ... and falling in love along the way.

Nothing ever happens in Little, CA. Which is just the way Carter Moon likes it. But when Hollywood arrives to film a movie starring former child star turned PR mess Adam Jakes, everything changes. Carter's town becomes a giant glittery set and, much to her annoyance, everyone is starry-eyed for Adam. Carter seems to be the only girl not falling all over herself to get a glimpse of him. Which apparently makes her perfect for the secret offer of a lifetime: playing the role of Adam's girlfriend while he's in town, to improve his public image, in exchange for a hefty paycheck. Her family really needs the money and so Carters agrees. But it turns out Adam isn't at all who she thought he was. As they grow closer, their relationship walks a blurry line between what's real and what's fake, and Carter must open her eyes to the scariest of unexplored worlds - her future. Can Carter figure out what she wants out of life AND get the guy? Or are there no Hollywood endings in real life?

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Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Praise for Catch a Falling Star :

"Culbertson writes with sensitivity and sympathy, crafting an entertaining but perceptive character study." – Kirkus

"Culbertson is a capable writer, and she gives Carter a good heart that shines through in the way Carter handles her friendships and that also catches Adam's eye." – Publishers Weekly

 

Publishers Weekly
03/10/2014
Carter Moon loves stars—the kind in the night sky, not the ones that crash and burn to the delight of the media and the celebrity-obsessed masses. But this summer, while Carter is working at her family’s diner, the manager of one of Hollywood’s most notorious young actors, Adam Jakes, enlists her to pretend she is Adam’s small-town sweetheart to help restore his fallen image. Carter would never normally agree to such a thing, but her brother is in trouble because of unpaid gambling debts, and the faux-girlfriend gig pays well. Culbertson (Instructions for a Broken Heart) is a capable writer, and she gives Carter a good heart that shines through in the way Carter handles her friendships and that also catches Adam’s eye. Fans of recent “Hollywood Blvd. meets Main St.” novels like Cherry Money Baby and This Is What Happy Looks Like will enjoy following Carter and Adam through the familiar cycle of the rom-com relationship, from dislike to like, complication to realization, and finally to love. Ages 12–up. Agent: Melissa Sarver, Folio Literary Management. (May)
Children's Literature - Heidi Hauser Green
Little, California is a low-key place, and teenage resident Carter Moon likes it that way. When an entourage from Hollywood comes to the small town to film its next heartwarming holiday tale (in the middle of summer), not everyone is happy. Carter, daughter of an activist mother and café owner dad, adopts a tolerant perspective. After all, the film crew’s presence is a boost to the local economy, and it is temporary. It should not have much effect at all, she thinks. Then actor Adam Jakes’s PR man approaches Carter with an offer. The star is in need of an image rehab, and having a wholesome, small-town girlfriend should help. If she will pretend to be his girlfriend in a series of carefully scripted scenes throughout the summer, she will be paid a hefty sum—money her family could use to help Carter’s gambling-addicted brother pay off his debts and enter treatment. It turns out to be an offer she cannot refuse. Perhaps predictably, what starts out as a stilting arrangement grows into friendship and more. Although the premise seems as “Hollywood” as the subject matter, Culbertson’s tale feels authentic and plausible. Carter Moon is a thoughtful protagonist, and readers will be rooting for her to succeed, not just with Adam Jakes; but also in figuring out what she wants from life, and getting back on the dance floor. This is much more than a “girl meets boy” story. Reviewer: Heidi Hauser Green; Ages 14 up.
School Library Journal
04/01/2014
Gr 9 Up—When a Hollywood movie production invades the sleepy town of Little, California, Carter Moon is one of the rare local girls who is not entranced by the movie's troubled teenage star, Adam Jakes. Distracted by her concern for her brother, who suffers from a gambling habit, Carter is content to avoid the mayhem and limit her interaction with the world of glitz and glamour to making sandwiches and drinks for the production company from the comfort of her parents' small café. The protagonist also enjoys teaching a dance class at the local retirement home and stargazing with her two best friends. Her plans to maintain this simple lifestyle are disrupted by a pressing financial need to guarantee her brother's safety and recovery. Presented with a secret, lucrative deal to pose as Adam Jakes's wholesome, small-town girlfriend, Carter suddenly has a solution to her family's money issues. Unbeknownst to anyone other than her parents and Adam's manager, the teen follows the scripted three-week relationship but winds up learning that she may have more in common with Adam than she thought. While the development of a genuine relationship may be expected, readers will enjoy every minute of Carter and Adam's revelatory moments and conflicts. The narrator's struggles with decisions about leaving home and the next steps after high school will resonate with many teens. The resolution is realistically open-ended but also satisfies those thirsting for a fairy tale ending.—Lynn Rashid, Marriotts Ridge High School, Marriottsville, MD
Kirkus Reviews
2014-01-15
When a movie company comes to shoot in a picturesque California town, the movie star's manager pays a local girl to pose as the star's girlfriend in this heartfelt romance. Seventeen-year-old Carter happily works in her family's small cafe in Little, Calif. Although she's a talented dancer, she has no ambition to leave her beautiful town, and she certainly doesn't care about movie stars. Carter's brother, John, has become a compulsive gambler, plunging the family into debt, so despite her disdain for Hollywood, Carter can't resist the large sum of money troubled teen star Adam Jakes' manager offers her. Naturally, as they spend time together on their mock dates, Carter begins to fall for Adam, who turns out to be a nice guy despite his drop-dead-handsome looks and Hollywood background. As an actor familiar with the trials of artists, he gives her some insight into the reasons she stopped dancing. Meanwhile, Carter's star-struck good friends, who don't know about the ruse, struggle to understand her emotions and actions as they gaze on stars in the night sky, with one friend writing a stargazing blog that integrates Carter's experiences with both types of stars. Culbertson writes with sensitivity and sympathy, crafting an entertaining but perceptive character study. Written with a sure hand and keen insight. (Romance. 12-16)

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Product Details

ISBN-13:
9780545820998
Publisher:
Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:
04/28/2015
Pages:
304
Sales rank:
88,469
Product dimensions:
5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:
12 - 17 Years

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