Customer Reviews

Shooting Stars

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4½ Out of 5

Zo Jo, the pint-size photographer, is the best in the biz. She loves her job, and certainly isn't afraid to do whatever it takes to get the perfect photo.
Until she's sent undercover to an exclusive retreat to get shots of teen star Ned Hartnett. Ned, the only star who has ever spoken to her kindly, who kept her in the paparazzo biz. She isn't at all sure about being there, but this job could secure the money she needs to go to school. But as she gets closer to Ned, her morals are tested like never before...

I don't know what I was expecting when I picked up Shooting Stars - I've never heard of anything like it! What I wasn't expecting was to be totally addicted to ever word. Exciting, twisty, funny and pure awesome, Shooting Stars just sucked me in from the first page. I loved every moment, all the characters and the fact it made me laugh out loud. Amazing, amazing, amazing!

Josephine Foster, AKA Zo Jo, was just brilliant! Crafty, enthusiastic and a little genius, I was equally shocked and impressed at the lengths this 16 year old went to get that one perfect photo. More impressed, actually. She was snarky and funny: a just really loveable character. As awesome as the tough, snarky Jo was, I really liked seeing the more vulnerable side of her. It was obvious she was hurting really bad, even if she couldn't admit it. And she was, as I mentioned before, a genius! An EVIL genius!

Ned Hartnett, a 16 year old singer-song writer, who was reclusive without being resentful - according to Jo, anyway. He helped Jo when they were younger and was really sweet to her and he proved that he had sneaky-smarts with his suggestion on how Jo could get the sneaky shots. I liked his sneaky side. And his sweet side. He was just so cute and adorable! But, he was hiding something... Something I didn't guess. And it wasn't his bacon bits addiction!

I really loved Ned and Jo's relationship. I'm glad they didn't start of loathing one another, like in so many movies - I liked that their backstory was sweet and realistic. Their past made their current feelings much more plausible. What I liked even more is that they were kinda awkward in their dating - I mean, real teens aren't totally at ease with one another right away are they? Their mix of chemistry and awkwardness was sweet and believable. Perfect!

All the supporting characters were equally amazing. Such as Mannie, Jo's friend and fellow pararazzo, who was cheerful, friendly and funny. Jo's dad, also paparazzo, only paparazzo royalty; he was also really supportive and just lovely. Wendy, Jo's cousin and next door neighbor, was really nice and funny and totally knew Jo and all her sneaky ways! But she really loved Jo and would do anything for her. And I loved Kristina: former ballerina, girly, funny and as tall as Jo was short, she was Jo's only friend in the retreat facility. And all of them were just so real, so well-padded-out!

And the writing was amazing! It was teen, addictive, funny and so Jo. I adored the witty style, the description, the characters and the humor - everything! I loved every moment, that I saw everything, and that I fell totally in love with all the characters. And I loved the way Rushby tackled difficult issues such as depression, suicide and teen phobias. Although these were just touched upon, I felt Rushby covered and described them really well: lightly, but not so lightly she brushed them off.

The plot was completely unexpected. I thought it'd be boy meets girl, fall in love, moral dilemma, get over it, couple. And, well, I was wrong! Shooting Stars was full of twists: I actually did not see the big twist coming - at all. Which, of course, made it even more amazing and awesome. Sure, some parts were expected after the blurb. But the main part of the story... not so much.

And I'd just like to say that I really admired Allison's view of fame and the paparazzi. She totally got the way our world, the media and stardom work. I just loved the way she portrayed it all through the slightly cynical Jo, who just nailed how the celeb society works.

A leading paparazzo, a reclusive teen star, a retreat to "find yourself" and one or two problems to untangle, I adored Shooting Stars. A cute, fun, light hearted and addictive read, it is not one to be missed!

Zo Jo is a young paparazzo in the making and taking incriminating/embarrassing pictures of the famous and infamous is in her blood. Her dad is a paparazzo and is oh so proud that his daughter has her finger poised on the camera trigger.
But Zo Jo wants more.

Zo Jo watches life through a camera lens. At the moment it's a pap one but her ultimate dream is to observe and take snap shots of life through an adjustable lens as a portrait photographer.

Cash is tight so when she gets offered a highly well paid pap job Zo Jo accepts. But something nags her at the back of her mind. Is following a famous star into a retreat for people who need some time crossing the line?
The moral compass of a pap has never pointed north but Zo Jo has done a pretty good job of not making it point completely south. That is until this job. It will blow morals and compass away, but will buy her her dream.

Looking at everyone else's flaws and embarrassing moments through her faux ipod camera, the tables are ironically turned on her when she accepts the job. Now slowly and subconsciously she's examining he own conscience through that very lens. Pap has been her life for a longtime but was she denying something? Paying so much attention to the stills she takes of others, she never thought to stop and examine the snap shots of her own life.

As Zo Jo clics away she has to make some decisions and choices that were clear cut for me. But it was interesting seeing things from the point of view of the pap, and a teenage one at that. They made her face reality, mature and decide who she wanted to be, not as a job but a breathing feeling human being. Sometimes you have to step away from the lens and see life through your own eyes.
And if that life might include the gorgeous teenage star Ned Hartnett, stepping away from he camera might just be worth it.

Allison Rushby wrote a steady paced novel that definitely threw me some curve balls that I did not see coming. They smacked me head on and left me with my mouth hanging wide open.

Shooting Stars was a deceptive book, appearing a light hearted easy read when actually it had hidden depths and twists. This was a really great read that I very much enjoyed and will most certainly be reading again.

You can take stills and capture moments on camera but you can't always read into someone's heart through a glass lens.

In Short
- Shooting Stars is action packed with lots of twists.
- The storyline gets better and better throughout the book.
- Shooting Stars has much more to it than I thought it would.
- I loved that I giggled at quite a few points in this book.

In Long
The cover for Shooting Stars is amazing, I love it! It's so unique and grabbed my attention quickly that I straight away had high hopes about this book. I wasn't let down!
Shooting Stars is a hard book to wrap up, I wouldn't say it's an easy read as so much is happening throughout the whole book, your quickly picked up and sweep away into Jo's world that you don't have a moment to think about anything else or possibly get bored, no chance in that!

The storyline grows throughout the book, getting better and better and more addictive. There were so many little twists and then suddenly the biggest twists which definitely shocked me. I have to admit I went into Shooting Stars thinking it would be a cute, witty and easy read, that it was but it was also more. I was definitely gripped half way through the book and didn't want to put it down! Shooting Stars has much more to it than I can say because I don't want to ruin it but as I said, it has a big twist in!

Jo is a great main character; throughout the book I kept wishing that I could be friends with her, she is definitely the sort of person I could become best friends with. She is such a fun character who had me giggling at quite a few points in Shooting Stars but she also has a more serious side which has a big heart and really means well. I found myself wanting to protect her at a few points. Ned is a swoon worthy character, whom I also warmed too and felt quite sorry for.

Final Thoughts
Shooting Stars is a great, fun, witty, relaxing read and so much more. It was a pleasant surprise when Allison revealed the big twist that I didn't see coming. I definitely recommend reading Jo's story (Shooting Stars).

This book was nothing like I expected, it was so much more. I was expecting to read a cute short read aimed at younger teens which centred on forbidden love. What I got was so much more. This book is about real problems people go through and how far a person would go to get what they want. Each of these themes are explored in great detail in the novel making it a great read. Despite the cover which I personally think makes this book look less mature than it really is, Jo is a mature character who we can't help rooting for all the way.

Zo Jo, is a paparazzo, who has a big advantage over her fellow photographers. She's incredibly short making it easy to sneak into places unnoticed, allowing her to take the best shots. Making her one of the best in the biz with her advantage, she's asked to go on a special assignment. Join Ned Hartnett and secretly take photos of him while he's away at a retreat. It's a dirty task, the lowest one Jo has ever faced but the money's too good to decline. She accepts but she can't shake the fact that this is wrong. Once she arrives things get even more complicated.

I loved the character of Jo, she's very down to earth after all she spends most of her life watching celebs making fools out of themselves. She's clever and strong but underneath it all she's vulnerable. While away at the retreat listening to others spill their secrets, we see that Jo is affected by her own secret. A secret that's having more of an effect on her then she lets on. It shows no matter how good appearances are things can always be shimmering under the surface. We see Jo getting more confused each day trying to make the right decisions, just like a normal teenager choices are hard to make. I liked the reality of Jo's character, how she suffers but puts on a brave face so she can work towards her own goal. It's the future that she wants that pushes her on and motivates her and we see that if you set your mind to it, you can achieve what you always wanted.

Ned is another main character who is also suffering but nobody knows why. He keeps to himself and tries to stay out of the limelight despite his singing career. We learn that the only thing he wants is to get better and my heart goes out to him, he has some real courage. Jake was just plain awesome, I didn't see his particular story line coming at all, it completely blew my mind! It was so great, I wasn't expecting it and bam there it was, throwing the story in a whole new direction.

Shooting Stars is a great novel aimed at Teens. It contains many life lessons and reflects the reality of life and how difficult it can be. It shows that even if you are suffering, you're not alone and you never will be. There will always be people there who you can talk to and slowly things will get better. I loved the world building in this book especially the retreat was done very well. The best thing about this book though is the main character Jo, which I think many people will be able to relate too. Shooting Stars was a brilliant novel. When you read it you will definitely come out of reading it slightly wiser, it's full of wisdom and advice. It was great!

Shooting Stars was an enjoyable read, full of laughs with plenty of twists and turns.

Jo isn't your average sixteen year old. Instead of spending her evenings studying or hanging out with friends or family, Jo is hitting the streets of L.A. or crouching in bushes waiting for the right person to come by. Jo is a pap...one with a distinct advantage. With her slight frame and short height she can get into places no one else can, play roles to fool security and disguise herself as someone totally different.

But paping isn't Jo's dream. She is only doing it to make enough money to get into the school she longs for to become a portrait photographer. So when Jo is offered the job of a lifetime that pays enough to quit paping sooner rather than later, she would be stupid not to do it. But in doing so, Jo has to quieten her conscience which screams that what she is doing is so very, very wrong. No one said life as a teenage pap was easy. And it's about to get a whole lot harder.

Jo must pose as a teenager with problems to infiltrate an elusive retreat with a very high profile patient. Teen sensation Ned Hartnett has always shied away from the spotlight. But with Jo hot on his tail, his every movement is going to be shot for the world to see.

I absolutely loved Jo. She is a sassy character with drive and ambition, but with a strong moral character that she strives not to lose. When she gets to the retreat, she manages to befriend Ned and gain his confidence. But as she gets to know him her resolve to treat the assignment like any other job wavers. Ned is a person with real problems and real feelings. He is not a piece of meat the world feels belongs to them. And as Ned and Jo get closer, her conscience refuses to stay quiet.

Shooting Stars is an amazing coming of age story. Jo goes on a journey of self discovery without meaning to and figures out who she really is, and just what she is capable of when she puts her mind to it.

This book was laugh out loud funny with more than a few endearing moments. I teared up on a couple of occasions and couldn't help but come away from this book with a warm, glowy feeling.

"Shooting Stars" is a sweet, if slightly implausible, teen romance, written in a zippy, pacy style that's easy to engage with. "Zo Jo", teen paparrazo, is sent undercover at a mysterious retreat in Boston to snap teen hearthrob Ned Hartnett, only to find she discovers more about herself, and Ned, than she really wants to know.

It's hard to suspend disbelief enough to get over the highly unlikely idea of the protagonist as a sixteen-year-old girl paparrazo, and Jo is, unfortunately, not as likeably as she could be. Sure, she embodies that over-used adjective "spunky", or possibly "fiesty", but it's hard to like a girl who, at least in the beginning, is so purely motivated by money, and who can't acknowledge the generosity of a father who is matching her dollar-for-dollar in her quest to raise cash for college. This reader doesn't buy that the only way Jo can make money is by papping, as she tries to justify in the pages of the book.

Jo becomes more likable when she arrives at the retreat and starts to develop a conscience, but by then the damage is already done in the readers eyes. Her budding relationship with the secretive Ned is sweet, but it feels like we're really only skimming the surface, and the supporting characters are thinly drawn. Which is a shame, because some of them are more interesting than the main protagonists, and it would have been nice to see them fleshed out.

Undemanding teens will be more than happy with the book, and will read it while doodling hearts round the name of Justin Bieber (or whoever it is this week) on their pencil case, and dreaming of falling for a star. I like my teen fiction with more depth, but I suspect I'm not the target market.

Was this bad luck? I think so. My vanillas have gone rancid. I can stop writing this review and copy/paste the one I wrote for The Summer My Life Began.

In this one, we have Josephine, a.k.a. Jo Zo, a 16-year-old paparazz(a). Daughter of a famous paparazzo, student by day, celebrity stalker by night. She's young, tiny and can sneak in where no other photographer can go. When she gets an assignment to stalk the latest teen heartthrob, Ned Hartnett, while he's on retreat/rehab for "mysterious" issues, she just cannot refuse, even if it feels far from ethical. She needs the money to get out of her life as a pap and enroll in a proper photography school.
Unfortunately, the plan to get in, shoot and get out backfires big time. The more she gets to know the sweet Ned, the more she realizes:
- there's something weird about him she just can't put her finger on
- she's loosing her cool and feels definitely attracted to the guy.
When the truth comes up, will Jo Zo be able to renounce her dream and do "the right thing"?

I wish I could tell you this book is terrible, but it's not. I didn't hate it. Worse. I felt very indifferent to it.
It's not boring, it's not awfully written. It's just there's really very little to it. No substance, no depth, no - or very little - character development. I might repeat myself for the 100th time when I say this, but while I like light, fluffy stories, there has to be something in there. Something has to touch me, or amuse me or make me cry or whatever. Nothing is not good at all.

This is the kind of book that if you ask me in 6 months what it was about or the name of the MC, I won't even be able to tell you. So NOT memorable. There are so many more nice vanillas out there you want to read. Skip this one.

As soon as I read the synopsis for this I knew I had to read it. Photography, romance and a teen superstar? I just loved the sound of it. And I am please to say it lived up to my expectations!

I loved Jo. She's a great character - fun, witty and someone I warmed to straight away. She is one of those characters that really cares about others - which you'd think would directly oppose her choice of profession! - but she does have a moral compass and the rights or wrongs of what she is asked to do is explored in an interesting way.

And as soon as we meet Ned at the rehabilitation retreat I was a goner - he's lush! A really nice guy - which is a refreshing change from all the bad boys - and there is a lovely and genuine connection that develops between him and Jo. Plus you have to love someone who has a bacon bits addiction, right?

The story has much more depth that you'd think from the synopsis too. Jo's home life is explored (and one revelation is especially poignant) and there is more to the guests of the retreat than meets the eye at first. And speaking of the other guests, I really loved Katrina and Seth!

A great story and one I wholeheartedly recommend! I can't wait to read more by this author.