Image and summary from Goodreads.com:
Meet Josephine Foster, or Zo Jo as she’s called in the biz. The best pint-sized photographer of them all, Jo doesn’t mind doing what it takes to get that perfect shot, until she’s sent on an undercover assignment to shoot Ned Hartnett—teen superstar and the only celebrity who’s ever been kind to her—at an exclusive rehabilitation retreat in Boston. The money will be enough to pay for Jo’s dream: real photography classes, and maybe even quitting her paparazzi gig for good. Everyone wants to know what Ned’s in for. But Jo certainly doesn’t know what she’s in for: falling in love with Ned was never supposed to be part of her assignment.
This book is exactly what the summary makes it out to be: cute, light, and humorous. While it is not my typical cup of tea (I tend to stay away from the romantic realistic fiction books, as any of my students will tell you after one of my Sarah Dessen diatribes), I did enjoy spending time in Zo Jo's world.
The characters in this book were well-developed enough to put you on their side. Jo, the protagonist, instantly disarmed me with her humorous voice and passion for the future. I always admire a female character with goals! Rushby does an excellent job of creating a dynamic character that evolves throughout the story indirectly - instead of bludgeoning the reader with tidbits about Jo, she shows us Jo's growth. Ned, the love interest, is also well done. He had a kindness and vulnerability that was unexpected, but appreciated. Though both characters were lightly done, and we don't really get into deep territory with them, it was appropriate in this novel.
The plot, though somewhat predictable, had enough surprises in it to keep readers engaged. Examining celebrity through the eyes of the paparazzi was a fun twist - I've certainly never read a book from that point of view. It exceeded the expectation of the "boy meets girl, they fall in love, girl renounces her erroneous ways to keep the relationship" pattern that I was expecting. Jo's actions instead lead her to be someone you can cheer for while avoiding the cliche.
Without a doubt, my favorite part of this novel was the humorous voice given to Jo. Her self-deprecation is light and funny, and her sarcastic inner monologue kept even heavier situations, like group therapy, appropriately light and fun. My only beef (and this is probably just because I am a word nerd) was the use of the word "papping." As in, "Saving money for real photography class has forced me to fall into papping and hounding celebrities." So... do you say it like popping? Or, papping, as in Mammy and Pappy? Just a bizarre word. Not sure that paparazzi has a verb form. English nerd rant is complete now. :)
The cover on this book is also cute and sweet, just like the novel itself. I think that it would be something that would catch the eye of potential readers, and it certainly matches the content of the novel. It certainly caused me to take a second look, which is why I requested the title!
Overall, I would recommend this book for any of my chickadees who love realistic, romantic fiction. While perhaps not the next great American novel, it is fun and engaging - a perfect weekend read with a cup of hot chocolate, or poolside with some sweet tea (and adequate SPF ladies!). What a fun debut novel!
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