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A review by jennalouisereads
Off the Record by Camryn Garrett
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
TRIGGER WARNING: Sexual assault, sexual harassment, fatphobia, internalized fatphobia
17 year old Josie Wright is an aspiring journalist who just won a contest with Deep Focus magazine to write a profile on rising movie star Marius Canet. Soon she finds herself in a world surrounded by glamour, a world where as Black, bisexual and fat, she feels like she'll never fit in, despite her growing feelings for Marius. She finds a friend in Penny, Marius' costar who ends up confiding in Josie about an open Hollywood secret, the well respected and revered director Roy Lennox has sexually assaulted not only her but various other women in in the industry. Lennox also happens to be the director that Marius is working with next. Penny knows that Josie is the only one that can tell this story and expose Lennox. But Josie is herself is reluctant. What if she lets these women down? What if she ruins Marius budding career? But she won't give these women their voice...who will?
Do you ever read a book that you love so much you wonder? Why haven't I heard about this book before? That's how I felt reading Off the Record. I really loved how despite that fact that this book dealt with such heavy topics it still felt like a teen driven story. Yes the story is so so so important but I loved how it was ultimately a book about Josie and her relationship to what was going on. The writing style was also very easy to jump into and the author did a great job balancing themes of not only sexual assault, but anxiety and fatphobia. The romance was also really well done too.
17 year old Josie Wright is an aspiring journalist who just won a contest with Deep Focus magazine to write a profile on rising movie star Marius Canet. Soon she finds herself in a world surrounded by glamour, a world where as Black, bisexual and fat, she feels like she'll never fit in, despite her growing feelings for Marius. She finds a friend in Penny, Marius' costar who ends up confiding in Josie about an open Hollywood secret, the well respected and revered director Roy Lennox has sexually assaulted not only her but various other women in in the industry. Lennox also happens to be the director that Marius is working with next. Penny knows that Josie is the only one that can tell this story and expose Lennox. But Josie is herself is reluctant. What if she lets these women down? What if she ruins Marius budding career? But she won't give these women their voice...who will?
Do you ever read a book that you love so much you wonder? Why haven't I heard about this book before? That's how I felt reading Off the Record. I really loved how despite that fact that this book dealt with such heavy topics it still felt like a teen driven story. Yes the story is so so so important but I loved how it was ultimately a book about Josie and her relationship to what was going on. The writing style was also very easy to jump into and the author did a great job balancing themes of not only sexual assault, but anxiety and fatphobia. The romance was also really well done too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Fatphobia and Racism