At first I thought what is this a rip off of Brooke Shields’ life? And the writing seemed choppy…but I kept with it. The more I read the better I liked it and by the end, I gave it a 5. My biggest problem had been the switching from first person to third and I kept thinking well that’s confusing..but in the end I figured out why the author did it..and it was actually quite brilliant.
This book made me realize how defunct the modeling business really is. I kind of envied someone that was in that “world” but honestly This book was a rude awakening. I did enjoy the book and I would recommend it to friends and book club members. It’s well written but it’s not a book everyone would be interested in reading. The character development for Birdie was exceptional; I was growing with her. Some of the characters, like Birdie’s mom were flat. I wasn’t sure if this book depicted what the modeling business was years ago or the present. Maybe it’s both because some things don’t change. There is definitely a sexual aspect to modeling that seems inherent in this type of business including acting. Both are “performance” occupations.
I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I appreciated the insight into the world of modeling, and learned about the very negative parts of being a model. However, I also found it to be very odd. In particular, I did not find Birdie to be a fully realized character. Just as her mother thought she was nothing, according to Birdie, I did not get a sense of her having an internal life, and found her character to be very superficial.
I admit to liking it because it was entertaining reading. Nothing profound or life shattering literature but the narrative pulled you in. I modeled for a big department store in Chicago when I was 14 and so was interested in the book. So glad I had loftier ambitions than to continue in this endeavor. Interestingly enough, I experienced several instances of sexual misbehavior on the el riding downtown. Never told anyone until my 20’s!
He did not finish the book as it did not really grab me at all. Nothing about it drew me in, and I ended up losing interest and felt like I was forcing myself to read it.
I think this book revealed an important message about the exploitation of young girls. It was extremely timely with the Epstein Papers being a front page story. Amy Rossi conveyed the sadness, self-humiliation, and loneliness of this naive girl who felt alone in this world and wanted to be loved. But something about the book didn’t set well with me. The first person narrative became tiresome. It felt like listening to a very long therapy session, and many of the descriptions of incidents in her life didn’t ring true to me. I was relieved when the book ended.
I found the story compelling. Ultimately, I feel like Birdie was a survivor after she realized she was in control of her life. She was one of the lucky ones. Many go down a path from which they are unable to climb out of.
I had trouble staying with this book. It seemed repetitive and disjointed, and full of sentences that I had trouble with, like this one at one of her modeling sessions: “I was power and ferocity and I was steady on my feet through sheer force of will. I unleashed the girt…etc.” What does that even mean? And how many times did she say she wanted to be young again? And who goes to a mattress store to lie on waterbeds to “just feel something”? I get the horrible circumstances. Exploitation like this has been well publicized and not a new subject. I just could not warm up to the characters. Not enough about the parents as backstory to get me more involved and care. Not enough explanation of the industry – decision making, selection process, and how it’s organized, etc. to make it more interesting. It just felt like it was a recounting in a detached way. I could not get emotionally involved in the story. Clearly, I am not the right audience for sure, but I cannot think of anyone who I would recommend this book to.
I really liked it and really cared about the characters.
I felt similar Kim. As a senior I really got involved with the story. I was so saddened by her life, or perhaps I need to say the lack there of a good solid lifestyle. So many years wasted, I was happy to see her finally reach for a place to heal.
I was not able to connect with any of the characters in the book. I read the entire book without having much empathy for Birdie or anyone else. I thought that it was an “ok” read.
The book was well written but the beginning was quite depressing due to the total predominance of very young models’ looks and bodies…not anything about their intellect or values. But the latter part of the book was somewhat redeeming and uplifting.
I wasn’t sure I was going to like it initially but as I read on I couldn’t put it down.
I finished the book, but can’t say that I enjoyed it. The writing was choppy. Although I was angry and sympathetic toward Birdie’s story, the writing didn’t make me FEEL any emotions.
I found it a pager-turner. I had no expectations before the book, but I found it an enjoyable read even though it was about some disturbing topics.