A review by the_scribe_owl
Rising Star: Book One in the Rise and Fall of Dani Truehart Series by Michele Kwasniewski

4.0

See this review and more at my blog, The Scribe Owl!

Thank you to Rockstar Book Tours for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4/5 stars

I honestly did not expect much from Rising Star, but it completely blew me away! I don't often read contemporary, but I'm glad I read this one. I love books and music, so a book about music is right up my alley!

Fifteen-year-old Dani Truehart is living a life that is not quite her own. Driven by her mother's desire for fame and fortune, she has spent her childhood dutifully training for a career as a pop star. After a stellar audition, Dani is thrown full-force into the music industry. She leaves her friends, family, and scheming mother behind to move into the Malibu compound of her new manager, Jenner Redman. Isolated from her life at home and trying to stay apace with her demanding schedule, Dani struggles to keep in touch with those she loves, connect to her withholding mother and find her voice as an artist.

When I opened the book, I was apprehensive. The writing was simple and everything started out a little slow. It didn't take long for everything to pick up! The plot gained speed and the writing fit the story perfectly.

One of my favorite aspects of the book was how we got to take a look into what a budding popstar's life would look like. I have no doubt that it's just as hard in real life, and I appreciate all the effort and research the author must have put into it! I would not be able to make it in a world where relationships are hard to maintain and my day is a blur of activity, so hats off to all the people that manage that!

The characters and character development were amazing. Seeing Dani's mom would run her ragged to form her into popstar material, and then unintentionally reveal that she was in it for the money all along, I was really able to appreciate how lucky I am to have the fantastic and supportive parents I do. Also, everyone give a round of applause for Dani's boyfriend, Sean, for making it work even when Dani was far away and too busy or tired to call or text. I hope everyone has a person like that in their life!

I had a great time with this book! I will definitely revisit the series when it's time for book two, Burning Bright, to come out!