Book Review: True Colors

True Colors (Landry’s True Colors #1)
by Krysten Lindsay Hager
Release Date: June 17th 2014

Summary from Goodreads:

Landry Albright just wants to be one of the interesting girls at school who always have exciting things going on in their lives. She wants to stand out, but also wants to fit in, so she gives in when her two best friends, Ericka and Tori, push her into trying out for a teen reality show modeling competition with them. Landry goes in nervous, but impresses the judges enough to make it to the next round. However, Ericka and Tori get cut and basically “unfriend” her on Monday at school. Landry tries to make new friends, but gets caught up between wanting to be herself and conforming to who her new friends want her to be. Along the way she learns that modeling is nowhere as glamorous as it seems, how to deal with frenemies, a new crush, and that true friends see you for who you really are and like you because of it. This is the first book in the series.

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Best Friends… Forever? (Landry’s True Colors #2) on Goodreads

Landry in Like (Landry’s True Colors #3) on Goodreads

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What people are saying about the Landry’s True Colors Series:

From Teenage Book Recommendations in the UK: “This is a fantastically relatable and real book which I feel captures all of the insecurities and troubles which haunt the modern teenage girl. It is about a young model who has to go through tough times when she is torn between a life as a model and managing her friendships. You learn which friends she can most trust and which will create the drama typical of teenage life. Follow the life of Landry and try to see if you can find out which are her true friends before their true colours are revealed. This book is all about relationships, hopes and truth. I loved this book!”

From Books & Authors Spot: “This book is such an inspiration for those who just care about their looks and are tensed about them. This thing is looks aren’t everything. This book is related to every teen’s problem. Hager has written a very inspiring novel.”

My Review:

I find this book easy to read and most of the things that happen to the main character can happen to any teenager. I must admit that I had some difficulties relating to her, mainly because, as opposed to her, my dream was never to be famous. Still, looking past that, I can relate to her feelings when the ones she considered as best friends turned their backs on her once she found the smallest possibility of success.

For a 14 year old, I’d say Landry has reached her rebellious period. She has small fights with her mom regarding clothes or makeup. She once protested for having to do some cleaning around the house. She is very much preoccupied about her looks, being in a high school where most of her colleagues put a high accent on the way they dressed or how their hair looked like. Appearances seem to control her life as well as her friends’ lives. She moves from one group of friends to the other, trying to fit in and be accepted by all. I had the impression she still did not accept the fact that some people like you, some they don’t. That’s life! But this is part of her personality, a girl that still has to figure out what is the true meaning of friendship.

I loved how the parents were always involved in what the children were doing. Landry’s mom went with her shopping for the beauty contest and took her there, being by her daughter’s side. She gave her enough space to learn things on her own, but still watching over her significant decisions. In the beginning, I felt like Landry was too superficial (not to say self-centered), as she never insisted on finding out what were the issues with her parents. But what can you ask for a girl that age?

All in all, I believe the author did a great job describing the life of a teenager, struggling with popularity and friendship. I think she created a very realistic character and as a result, we have here a book that can be a lesson for parents and kids as well J

About the Author

Krysten Lindsay Hager is the author of the Landry’s True Colors Series, a clean reads young adult series and the new Star Series. Krysten writes about friendship, self-esteem, fitting in, middle school and high school, frenemies, modeling, crushes, values, and self-image in True Colors, Best Friends…Forever? And Landry in Like, as well as in, Next Door to a Star (Star Series). Her sequel to Next Door to a Star will be out March 22 2016.

Krysten is a book addict who has never met a bookstore she didn’t like. She’s worked as a journalist and writes YA, MG, humor essays, and adult fiction. She is originally from Michigan and has lived in Portugal, South Dakota, and currently resides in southwestern Ohio where you can find her reading and writing when she’s not catching up on her favorite shows. She received her master’s degree from the University of Michigan-Flint.

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