Now Starring Vivien Leigh Reid: Diva in Training

Authors: Yvonne Collins & Sandy Rideout

Pages: 256

Published: 2006, St Martin's Griffin

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Cover Score: B-

Overall Grade: B+

   16-year-old Vivien Leigh Reid, who scored a small part on the set of her all-time diva mother's latest movie last summer, is ready to further pursue her acting career a year later. And what better place to do so than at an elite acting academy in Los Angeles, where she'll be spending yet another summer with Annika, aka the Diva? Competition in class is tough, especially when Leigh is up against members of Hollywood royalty, but Leigh still manages to score a role on a daytime soap, Diamond Heights. But as Leigh's fame escalates, she quickly becomes her own worst nightmare: a total Hollywood, designer-demanding diva, purse-sized dog and all. Can Leigh get a bit of a reality check, or are her days on Diamond Heights done?

   My thoughts: I loved the first book in this series, Daughter of the Diva, so I knew that it was going to be pretty hard for this book to be as good or better as the first. However, it was very different from the previous novel, aside from the change of scenery. 

   All the new characters were awesome and gave the book a burst of freshness. It just didn't feel, though, like these characters were realistic. In fact, they seemed very two-dimensional. The first half of the book was also a bit dry and boring, especially in unnecessary dialogue, but quickly picked up in the middle, all the way to the end. The second half was bursting with awesome descriptions of the hilarious situations that Leigh gets herself into. I loved the tidbits from the script of Diamond Heights, and hearing about Leigh's LA experiences in first-person narration was great. I loved her voice--witty, sarcastic, and downright hilarious with a dose of reality. She is a great protagonist that I felt like I--and others--could relate to. I looked forward to reading on, and each chapter ending had me begging for more of Leigh's escapades.

   I couldn't stand the New Leigh, though. She was insufferably bratty, rude, and obnoxious. The authors did a fantastic job of showing the change in her personality, which I loved. 

   Overall, Diva in Training was almost as good as the first book. A fast, fun, and humorous read, Diva in Training could use improvement in some areas, but I know I'll definitely be picking up the 3rd book in the series ASAP!

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