Starstruck

TeenVogue.com, March 11, 2013:
“This author’s razor-sharp writing has been published by high-brow publications like Salon and McSweeney’s, and she maintains that same wit and humor in her first foray into YA. About Old Hollywood starlets in varying stages of professional success, think of this as Valley of the Dolls for a new generation.”

Seventeen.com, March 29, 2013:
“Why we’re buzzing about it: Rachel Shukert’s Starstruck is not a typical Hollywood tale. This novel is filled with glamour and ambition, but it has tons of drama and mystery, too.”

The Huffington Post, March 6, 2013:
“As a blogger, playwright, and the author of two memoirs, Rachel Shukert has already proven herself to be one of the most hilarious and talented writers ever, forever. But  Starstruck is epic and expert in a new way…The result is witty, breathtaking, and a priceless addition to both the young adult and historical genre.”

HelloGiggles.com, March 9, 2013:
“I completely fell in love with it. If you’re a fan of old Hollywood, glamour, drama or just good writing, chances are you’ll love it, too… Starstruck is an insanely compelling read, and not just because it’s fun and exciting and glamorous (although it is all of those things). I’m not a huge old Hollywood buff, but Rachel Shukert includes so many details about the culture and time period that it’s impossible not to get sucked in.”

The Atlantic Wire, January 3, 2013:
“Old Hollywood plus Y.A.,like a Laura Lamont for the teen-reader set.”

Publishers Weekly, March 25, 2013:
“Set during the 1930s, this scintillating series opener shines the spotlight on three very different Hollywood hopefuls…Readers will gladly immerse themselves in the almost mythological setting of Hollywood’s Golden Age.”

Kirkus Reviews, February 1, 2013:
“Shukert’s foray into the teen market is well-plotted and carefully nuanced; historical details are crisp and vivid without being too obtuse; the narrative is tight and masterful, mixing just the right amount of cattiness and salaciousness with secrets that reveal themselves one after another. The result is a compulsively readable piece sure to appeal to fans of Anna Godbersen and Judy Blundell…Historical fiction that’s both smart and sassy.”

Booklist, April 15, 2013:
“This is part Valley of the Dolls, part Modern Screen magazine, and lots of fun. The tropes are hoary—the evils of Hollywood, the bad girl trying to hide her past for the love of a good man—but they’ll be new to many teenage readers. A surprise ending (a real surprise) is over the top in the best possible way.”

School Library Journal, May 2013:
“The Golden Age of Hollywood–and its gritty underside–is captured with real flair in this novel…this novel evokes late-1930s Hollywood with panache. Characters are well drawn, representing common archetypes but with a twist. Bound to appeal to fans of Anna Godbersen and Judy Blundell.”

DuJour.com, March 12, 2013:
“Starstruck reads like a smarter, more real Valley of the Dolls…As with all satisfying novels, the worst part of Starstruck is that it comes to an end.”

The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, April 2013:
“Shukert has enough historical and contextual knowledge to give satisfying depth to the froth in this cinematic sudser…Readers who adore the black and white selections in their Netflix queue will eat this up like popcorn.”

 “Wit, pluck, darkness, pitch-perfect period details, juicy twists, and big heart. This book is one to savor.”—Anna Godbersen, New York Times bestselling author of the Luxe and Bright Young Things series

“Thrilling, superb, and dizzyingly glamorous . . .  I was completely ‘starstruck!'”—Jillian Larkin, author of The Flappers