Caitlyn Duffy

I had read Duffy's THE ROCK STAR'S DAUGHTER and had mixed feelings about it, thinking it was shallow in both plot and character development, and felt very rough around the edges. Yet, when I saw that she had written a book featuring Taylor's friend Alison, I wanted to read it. Because that was definitely a hanging loose thread in the book, and I wanted to see more of the girl who was Taylor's best friend.

And I'm really glad I got this book from Netgalley because I'm not sure I ever would have gotten around to reading it, otherwise. I found it impossible to review this book without comparing it to Taylor's story and the flaws that were in ROCK STAR were not in evidence here. Between her first book and this book, Duffy has definitely grown and improved as a writer.

(I'm going to ignore the incredibly awful cover, which really would not have made me pick up the book at all except that I recognized the author name.)

Alison, post friendship-break-up with Taylor, decides to try out for a singing competition reality show, a la The Voice/American Idol. And when she gets a spot, she is determined to win. Though she soon finds the competition is anything but friendly and the reality portrayed on the show is not always real. She struggles with maintaining her sense of self as the show's producers and judges mold her into their own vision.

One huge reason why this book felt more complete than the first was sheer page length. THE ROCK STAR'S DAUGHTER came in at a meager 318 pages. CENTER STAGE! was 487. That's 169 more pages for plot development, character development, backstory, exposition, and narrative that the first book lacked. Alison, unlike Taylor, felt like a fully formed person and I understood her motivations. I also saw a level of personal growth in her that I never did see in Taylor, and I rooted for her the entire book. Additionally, the supporting characters were also solid, with their own personalities and agendas. This book felt more real and fleshed out.

It was also good to see Chase and Taylor again, and I do hope that Duffy does eventually finish the rest of Taylor's story because she does deserve happiness.

This is a book about self-empowerment. I loved that Alison realized that in order to achieve her dream, she had to change what the dream was. And I loved that when she realized the situation and the rules to win, she bent the rules to win on her own terms -- even if that meant losing to win.

Review copy courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley… (mehr)

I really enjoyed the author's Center Stage so queued this up to read on the plane back to DC today. It was cute but seemed more like the opening few chapters to a novel instead of a self-contained novella. I wasn't expecting much since I knew it was supposed to be a story about a very minor character who was only mentioned in Center Stage, but I felt myself growing very invested in Cassie. Unfortunately, the novella ended just when it seemed like her story was starting to take off.

Hopefully Duffy will give her a full story in the future.… (mehr)

The Rock Star's Daughter is an interesting look at 15-year-old Taylor Beauforte who is coping with the unexpected death of her mother and sudden introduction into her father's world. Her father, famous rock star, Chase Atwood, is a man she barely knows. He wants Taylor to join him, her stepmother and half-sister on tour. Its very interesting to see how this girl that lived a working class life all of her life, is now thrown into the exclusive world of celebrity wealth.

I'm not the demographic for this book, but I would recommend it to teens and even younger. There's a hint of romance, no graphic sexual situations and some good lessons learned throughout the story.… (mehr)