Saturday, February 20, 2016

Six top behind-the-scenes novels for the tabloid reader

Sarah Skilton is the author of Bruised, a martial arts drama for young adults; and High and Dry, a hardboiled teen mystery. At the B&N Reads blog she tagged six behind-the-scenes novels for the tabloid reader, including:
The Love Song of Jonny Valentine, by Teddy Wayne

Bieber-esque 11-year-old pop star Jonny Valentine was discovered in an online busking video and molded into a singing, dancing sensation. He likes the video game Zenon and Michael Jackson music. In some ways, he’s an everyboy, except that his clothing, hair, signature moves, and puppy love celeb romances have all been tested and preapproved, packaged to appeal to the masses. Raised by a single mom, and curious about his long-lost dad, he’s heartbreakingly eager to reunite with a former friend who’ll never be able to see past Jonny’s newfound fame. Regardless of your place on the Belieber to non-Belieber spectrum, Jonny Valentine delivers a genuine, poignant, and effortlessly real adolescent voice.
Read about another entry on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue