Ever since her mom died, Josie Lawrence has been content with her safe, predictable life. She hangs out with exactly two people: her best (and only) friend, Louise, and her stepdad, Matt. She has exactly one (unrequited) crush on resident high school himbo, Isaac. And she’s fully prepared to spend the end senior year preparing for Stanford and actively avoiding anything that reminds her of her mother.
But when Josie discovers that her biological father is the recently deceased Ali Mashad—patriarch of America’s original reality TV family, dripping with wealth, fame, and Vogue magazine covers—Josie’s “predictable” life is gone quicker than you can say “you’re doing amazing, sweetie.”
Being a Mashad means that the entire world is now at Josie’s feet—desperate to dress her, to photograph her, to know her—opening a door to a world that Josie never expected to find: one with a cute guy who just might be her soulmate, three ridiculous but wonderful sisters, and answers to all the questions she wishes she could ask her mom. But the biggest question of all is: If being a Mashad is the chance of a lifetime, will Josie be brave enough to take it?
Introduction
There's more than a touch of The Princess Diaries in this rags to riches story of a girl who discovers she's related to the most famous family in America - sort of like if you woke up and discovered you were a Kardashian. Of course, even The Princess Diaries is long enough ago now that she didn't have to worry about the internet...
Plot Summary
Josie has been something of on introvert since her mother died, reduced to one friend, one crush, and her step father. She's happy though! Perfectly happy! Nothing needs to change!
And then everything changes...
Characters
Josie is our main character. Anxious and quiet, I can see that she's going to annoy some readers, especially in her interactions with the two boys in her life. I found her very relatable, though! We don't get to know her sisters very well yet, but the subtitle on the book suggests that there may be more in the series. I definitely hope so!
Writing Style
Fast paced, with some banter and some nice descriptions, particulary of Mary's houses and compound.
Themes and Messages
The book is very subtle with its' themes. There's a general sense of 'things can't stay the same forever', and, as in many works dealing with fame, an acknowledgement that things are fickle and people can turn on the people they love. None of this is shoved at the reader, though, it's easy to read this as just an adventure story.
- Strengths
- A fun read
- Josie and her family feel very realistic
- Literally wish fulfilment for many readers
- Including the Persian language and food is a lovely touch as it's a very underrepresented culture
Weaknesses
- I felt that Josie's sisters were very quick to accept her, but perhaps that'll be addressed in further books
- I can't get a handle on Mary but that's probably deliberate on the part of the author!
Personal Connection
At some point in their life, almost everyone entertains the fantasy that their current family isn't their real family, imagining that a more exciting and perfect family is out there waiting to scoop them up. Known as the 'family romance' fantasy, it's a very normal part of childhood development. Watching it happen to Josie in this novel satisfied that part of me that's still waiting for a Hogwarts letter! The author doesn't shy away from the downsides, either, making it feel very realistic.Conclusion
A really intriguing read for teens, and hopefully the start of a series following the fascinating Mashad family and their friends!
Further Reading/Viewing
The Princess Diaries are the classic in this genre - although, if you go back even further, A Little Princess has many similarities! The Inheritance Games series is another contemporary with a similar feel. Finally, Influential delves into the dark side of living in the public eye.
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