Being Audrey Hepburn
by Mitchell Kriegman
I happen to be one, but you don't have to be an Audrey Hepburn fan to enjoy Mitchell Kriegman's Young Adult novel. Even though the classic actress occupies the title and the constant attention of the main character, readers don't have to know anything about her prior to reading the book. The main character uses her love of Audrey Hepburn's poise and confidence as inspiration, a calm in her storm, and eventually, as a model as she explores what kind of adult she wants to become. Audrey is a symbol, and for modern audiences, she can be replaced by any idol. I happen to be an old-movie aficionado, so I appreciated all the film references.
I found myself in constant amazement for Kriegman's talent. Not only does he make the readers forget the first-person teenage girl narrator was created by a man, but he writes with an incredible attention to detail, one that's not usually present in Young Adult novels. In the protagonist's self-discovery, she journeys into the fashion world, the realm of celebrity, and observes recording sessions of her pop-star friend, all the while juggling her secret identity of a blogger stuck in small-time, low-class surroundings. Readers involved in fashion will undoubtedly appreciate Kriegman's spot-on descriptions, as I did during his scenes involving the music business, an industry in which I hold more than a layman's knowledge.
Read this book, if only to experience Mitchell Kriegman's humorous realism. But if you must know the plot, here's a brief blurb: A nineteen-year-old Jersey girl fears she will never rise up and out of her home. She tries on the dress Audrey Hepburn wore in Breakfast at Tiffany's (I'm cutting to the chase) and hobnobs among the elite she aspires to join. Before she knows it, she's juggling her new life as an Audrey-reincarnation with her celebrity friends and keeping her Jersey life a secret.
Sounds pretty good, doesn't it? Take my word for it; it is.
I found myself in constant amazement for Kriegman's talent. Not only does he make the readers forget the first-person teenage girl narrator was created by a man, but he writes with an incredible attention to detail, one that's not usually present in Young Adult novels. In the protagonist's self-discovery, she journeys into the fashion world, the realm of celebrity, and observes recording sessions of her pop-star friend, all the while juggling her secret identity of a blogger stuck in small-time, low-class surroundings. Readers involved in fashion will undoubtedly appreciate Kriegman's spot-on descriptions, as I did during his scenes involving the music business, an industry in which I hold more than a layman's knowledge.
Read this book, if only to experience Mitchell Kriegman's humorous realism. But if you must know the plot, here's a brief blurb: A nineteen-year-old Jersey girl fears she will never rise up and out of her home. She tries on the dress Audrey Hepburn wore in Breakfast at Tiffany's (I'm cutting to the chase) and hobnobs among the elite she aspires to join. Before she knows it, she's juggling her new life as an Audrey-reincarnation with her celebrity friends and keeping her Jersey life a secret.
Sounds pretty good, doesn't it? Take my word for it; it is.