Reviews

Behind the Scenes by Dahlia Adler

erinarkin20's review against another edition

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4.0

Behind the Scenes by Dahlia Adler was a quick and sweet YA romance. Adler explores Hollywood life and what really is “normal” as well as some deeper family issues. I really enjoyed this one and found myself unable to put it down until I found out how things ended.

Ally is a “normal” teen who just happens to have a best friend (Van) in the “business”. Van just got the lead role in the new teen drama Daylight Falls and despite the fact that she is becoming more popular, she continues to have a solid friendship with Ally. This was one of the pieces of the story that I really loved. It is clear these friends have very different upbringings and backgrounds but despite that, they are able to support and rely on each other.

As things are changing for Van, Ally is also facing some changes. Her family is facing some serious challenges and at the same time, Ally is trying to come up with a way to fulfill her dream of attending Columbia University. She has the grades but she now has to come up with a plan for tuition. As a result, Van proposes Ally become her assistant (paid) and continues to do whatever she can to help Ally get money. This includes offering her up as a French tutor to Liam…which Ally accepts.

Liam is definitely a swoony guy and he has had a very different life than Ally. Again, despite that, he and Ally start to become close and eventually end up dating. Sounds great right?? Well…at the same time, Van’s agent decides it would be great publicity if Van and Liam became a thing and because she thinks it is best for Van’s career, Ally agrees with the plan. Here is where things start to go downhill for these characters.

Obviously it is hard on Ally to never get to go out with her boyfriend. What she doesn’t realize (or see) is just how hard it is for Van and Liam as well. I get it though…she always felt like a bit of an outsider and she always felt insecure as to why Liam was with her. Add to this the fact that she starts to question Van’s motives and loyalty and I am sure you can see where this is headed. I will say, based on how close these friends were supposed to be, I found it odd that Ally wouldn’t have spoken to Van immediately to share her concerns.

As the story progresses, these characters hit some rough patches but there are also some good patches for them all. I can’t give everything away but I thought Liam was the perfect love interest and there is a good mix of angst, friendship, swoons, and funny stuff to keep me entertained. If you are looking for a quick and fun read, definitely check this one out.

Thank you to Edelweiss & Spencer Hill for the review copy.

lynnlovegreen's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Found the Dahlia Adler debut! I really enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look at making television shows, and the romance was really well done. Highly recommend this, especially if you're a fan of this brilliant writer.

mehsi's review against another edition

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5.0

4.5 stars!

This was a great book and just what I was looking for. It has fluff, romance, drama and Hollywood! Add to that mix great(well mostly great) characters and fun situations.

Our main character was really cute, but at times I was annoyed with how she thought about things. The whole Liam x Vanessa stuff. I wish she would have been just honest about it, instead of letting things spiral out of control like the way they did. But yeah, I guess if the author had done that, that book wouldn't have had the drama or the whole learning process.
I loved how our main character was with her family, how she tried to make her own money so she could go to college. I loved that she just didn't accept the money, but instead wanted to work for it, hard, and I was so proud of her. Not many people would say they would work for it if the have the option to get it for free.
Her friendship with Vanessa was great, though I didn't always get how these 2 are friends. Yes, I know, opposites attract and all that, but it was just a bit weird. Our main character is all study and work, while Vanessa is more play and have fun. Oh well, I still liked to see them together. And I loved the code-word they had for when a certain thing happened. It just made me laugh aloud.

Then we have Liam, ah Liam, swoon. He was so cute and sweet. I instantly liked him when we first met him on the set. He is a really kind and sweet guy and he genuinely likes our main character and tries to treat her well. I felt sorry for him when all kinds of drama started up. He doesn't deserve this, he deserved an explanation, a why, a how. After all, even though girls tend to think it, guys are not telepathic.

Vanessa was a fun character and I can't wait to see more of her in the next book. Even with her being a star in Hollywood she keeps her feet on the earth, doesn't float away or become a bitch like many others (*cough*Zoe*cough*) would do. It was refreshing. I was worried she might change, but throughout the book she stays a sweet person who you just want to befriend.

And I can so imagine that the drama got out of hand like this. Our main character didn't know that it would go like this, and like I said, she could have been honest and I think that would have been best. But I can also imagine why she got so angry and sad. She finally has a boyfriend and then finds out that she can't be with him for most of the time, that she can't be in public with him, and that she has to share him with her best friend for some marketing ploy. I just wanted to hug her at times and tell her things would be all right.

The book is filled with fluff and romance, but we also have a realistic plot going on. Our main character's dad is sick, he has cancer and throughout the book we are pretty much front-row on how he is doing. And I can honestly say that I was crying near the end when a certain thing was said.
I am happy they added this plot piece to the book, it gave more depth to all the characters as they were all connected and all cared dearly about the dad.

Ah, I have to give some extra credit to Josh. He was a great character and while he was a dick at times, I really liked him. I saw he didn't always mean harm.

All in all, this is a terrific book and I would really recommend it to everyone.

Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/

kaylakaotik's review against another edition

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5.0

This is my first book by Dahlia Adler, but I'm positive it won't be my last.

Behind the Scenes was a great book. It was full of the things that I love about YA books. It was adorable, funny, a little dramatic, swoon worthy, and perfectly teenager-y. All those things with an interesting plot and well developed characters? Yeah, I know! Books like this are rare.

If you're looking for a really good YA book, look no further. This is one you need to pick up. And, it gets better. This is the first in a series (and I'm lucky enough to have been approved for the second book on Netgalley)! Under the Lights is set to be published on June 30, 2015. Until then, pick up Behind the Scenes!

clem_mathieu's review against another edition

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3.0

I was due to read a YA contemporary and this one really helped my book slump. It took me a bit to get into the storyline and the romance, but I liked all the main characters and the added elements of family, career and showbizz were fun to see. My main critique was that Ally often got into this persona of lying and being bitchy as a defense mechanism and I wasn't here for it. It felt like manipulation a bit and could've been avoided.

casuallycolorado's review against another edition

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lighthearted fast-paced

3.0

becloseau's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

caitiep92's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.25

jrv45's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

sometimesleelynnreads's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5