Model: A Memoir
Twenty-year-old author Diamond describes the trials and triumphs of breaking into the New York modeling market, which she entered at 14. The North Carolina native quickly gains a shaky foothold in the cynical business by treating her lecherous boss and nasty booking agents with kindness and always standing up for herself. The teen’s positive outlook never flags: after one harrowing experience that includes a night spent in a personal storage unit, she perkily proclaims, “On the bright side, I was alive . . . and I was still cute.” By the memoir’s end, not even losing her signature blond locks in a hair-show fiasco can keep Diamond down. After a short stay with her parents, she returns to New York, even more determined to realize her dream. Even though Diamond’s prose can be self-conscious and her constant cheer occasionally strains credibility, the insider details she reveals about photo shoots, runway shows, and agencies’ sometimes shady business practices are fascinating and will quickly hook teen fans of modeling reality shows. A perfect summer beach read. Grades 10-12. --Jennifer Hubert