The Hollywood Sisters: Backstage Pass
Reviewed by Amy Parsons
What It’s About
Eva Ortiz is a new, popular television sitcom star. Her parents and younger sister, Jessica, moved from Anaheim to Los Angeles so that Eva can pursue her dreams. Unfortunately, someone connected to Eva is planting negative gossip items about her in the tabloids. Jessica sets out to uncover the culprit.
What Parents Need to Know
“Backstage Pass” is part of a series of books by Mary Wilcox about Eva Ortiz, a teenage television star, and her younger teen sister, Jessica. The books all have a mystery that Jessica sets about solving while her sister acts on a show. Their parents are present and the family dynamic is a cohesive, supportive one. There are no objectionable behaviors or plot points.
The Bottom Line
This is a book pre-teen girls would enjoy. It’s got a nifty little mystery (albeit one easily solved by more experienced readers), a cute romance, and entertaining characters. Mary Wilcox does a good job of explaining show business and how fake it can be, which could be beneficial for girls to understand. The Ortiz family is a good model of supportive yet firm parents, and it’s good to see Jessica as a girl with her own ideas and not someone who harbors a lot of jealousy towards her sister. It’s a cute book.
The Scoop
This is geared toward ten to fourteen-year-olds. I doubt late teens will enjoy it because it is silly at times and not very challenging. They mystery has a good hook, the characters are entertaining, and it would be a fun book for a twelve-year-old.
