Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com
You can always tell when an author writes about a subject they know inside and out. Jordan Roter has managed to bring her experiences in the world of film development and production to life inside the pages of GIRL IN DEVELOPMENT, and I bet if we asked her, she'd agree that parts of her main character, eighteen-year-old Samantha Rose, are comparable to real life, as well.
Sam is the type of girl who likes simple things--reading a good book, spending time with family and friends, being embarrassed by her parents in public. Okay, she doesn't really like that last one, but she's used to it. But when her Uncle Norman gets Sam an internship at Authentic Pictures as a birthday present (and all because her father had happened to mention that she liked movies), Sam's not quite sure what to do. Sure, going to L.A. for eight weeks, working for a movie company, hanging out with her sometimes snobby and always spoiled cousin Kate--that could be fun. Part of her, though, wishes she could just stay home in Northampton and go about her life as usual.
Hollywood, of course, is nothing, and yet everything, like what she expected. She's both appalled and amazed at the goings-on behind the scenes at Authentic Pictures. She's both flattered and nearly repulsed by the male attention she seems to be attracting like flies to honey. And she's definitely not sure if L.A. holds the type of lifestyle she really wants for herself.
Ms. Roter has managed to write a fun, breezy novel that contains true-to-life characters. Sure, I don't actually know anyone who has ever gotten to go work for a film company in Los Angeles, but reading about it sure was fun! The characters in GIRL IN DEVELOPMENT are all three-dimensional, unlike a lot of other teen chick-lit stories that are out there. And, fortunately for the reader, each and every character in the story is allowed to grow throughout the book, so that by the end you'll be rooting for (almost!) all of them. This is an entertaining read that's sure to please, regardless of age.
