331. I Made Lattes for a Love God by Wendy Harmer

I Made Lattes for a Love God by Wendy Harmer
Published November 2012 Allen & Unwin

From the publisher:
Elly Pickering has a juicy secret. A secret her PR mum won't let her tell anyone because if the kids at Oldcastle High knew that mega-star Jake Blake (yes, THE Jake Blake, teen sensation and all round heart-throb) was coming to Oldcastle to film his latest movie, they might just explode with excitement.
Elly is determined to get on set and to get more than a glimpse of her Hollywood crush. But now thanks to an unfortunate incident involving a car, a red handbag and the paparazzi, it looks like Elly's lost a lot more than her opportunity to be close to Hollywood royalty. She's lost her dignity, her job and her best friend. How can she get everything back to normal?


For those of you that loved Harmer’s first foray into teenage fiction I Lost My Mobile at the Mall, you will be very happy to know that this new book continues the adventures and sagas of the one and only Elly Pickering.  This book will appeal to teenage girls everywhere, because who hasn’t wished that the teenage screen idol of the day would one day be filming in their town, which will of course lead to meeting him and then him falling in love with you!?


Things look pretty hopeful from the start when Elly’s Mum get’s the job of handling publicity for the big budget movie being filmed in town, a film that will star non other than teen heartthrob Jake Blake.  Apparently just being the mother of the head of publicity isn’t enough to get a part in the film, and Elly has to audition as an extra, juts like everyone else.  When this  attempt to get close to Jake fails, she gets a job as an assistant, and while she does get to meet him (a bit more that that even!), a slight media problem sees herself fired.

The only way to get close to the set is to accept a job working for the on site caterers.  Spending her days in a hair net and covered in grease was not really part of the plan, but if it’s the only way to part of the film, then Elly is willing to give it a go.

So, on this journey to get close to fame, Elly also has to deal with a boyfriend who she is starting to have second thoughts about, and crush like feelings for the unlikely ‘Caramba nacho cheese corn chip boy’, Tyler. There’s also her best friend Carmelita who seems very chummy with their arch nemesis Bianca, and making new friends with someone who is besties with her arch nemesis.  Then there’s also the sneaking suspicion she has that her sister may be cheating on her boyfriend, with non other than Jake Blake, and could her Dad really be thinking about having an affair with a famous TV star?!

When I started reading this book, I suddenly remember the one thing that I didn’t like about Harmer’s earlier teenage novel.  It’s a little thing, and it doesn’t take away from the story but I was really annoyed with the use of the term Face Place.  It’s Face Book, and I think it’s OK to call it that, because that’s what it is.  That’s me done with my gripe, and like I said it’s a personal peeve of my own, and it didn’t get in the way of a fun story. So much drama, so many laughs, and so much for teenage girls to identify with!

Who will like this book: Girls age 13+
Read it if you like: the Georgia Nicholson books by Louise Rennison