Senate, Melissa. Theodora Twist

Kliatt, May, 2006 by Myrna Marler

SENATE, Melissa. Theodora Twist. Random House, Delacorte. 221p. c2006. 0-385-73301-1. $15.95. JS*

A rash of similar plots has appeared in recent months: that is, a celebrity is forced to live like a normal teenager, or conversely, a normal teenager is suddenly elevated to stardom. Theodora Twist, a 16-year-old movie star, stupidly blows her "virginal" image by making out in public with the twin brothers with whom she is actually sleeping. Her agent lines up a reality show with a normal family in her old hometown, living in her old house. The family consists of a 16-year-old girl, her mother, new stepfather, and baby half-sister. The two girls know each other; both lost their fathers about the same time and the event was traumatic for both.

The narrative is told from two points of view: Theodora's (formerly Dora Twistle) and Emily Fine's (the normal girl). Theodora turns out to be surprisingly nice to those she lives with and the reader is clued in on how starlets like this really live; i.e., they can't eat normal food, they deal with paparazzi, and they work hard but don't necessarily go to school. The plot centers on Theodora's rocky relationship with the twins and her agent and her need to face the loss of her father; it also concerns Emily's need to find a boyfriend who wants to talk as much as he wants to kiss, and reconnecting with a mother distracted by a new baby and a husband who won't help.

The writing and story are engaging, and so are the themes of dealing with the loss of a father, coping with sudden stardom, the difference between a real girl and a movie star, and the price of fame. Myrna Marler, Assoc. Prof. of English, BYU, Provo, UT

J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers.

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

*--The asterisk highlights exceptional books.