I heard about this series years ago and was extremely intrigued by it but because it's a British series it can be a little hard to get at an affordable price overseas.
I recall thinking it was an alright book but not good enough that I had to immediately get the other 3 books in the series. I can't really remember anything about it except for a little fashion show Sara and the other models at school give as well as Sara's audition at the end with the water and funny hat.
- Pretty quickly into the story I remember why I didn't like it; the rivalry between Sara and Nina.
Sara can't afford to attend the Lena Lane modeling school so Ms. Lane puts her up for the schools scholarship. However Ms. Lanes assistant, Lydia, is trying to get her niece, Nina, the scholarship. Nina is already an up-and-coming model with plenty of money but winning the scholarship is apparently such an honor that it gives your reputation a big step up in the modeling world.
To help make sure Sara doesn't receive the scholarship Lydia lies to her about the interview time being changed, which Sara blinding believed even though Ms. Lane had made the actual time very clear. After showing up late for the interview Sara runs into Nina who straight up tells Sara she has no chance of getting the scholarship, especially when compared to herself ("Poor Aunt Lydia, however could she have seen you as any sort of competition for the scholarship!").
Nina's dialogue is extremely over the top to let you know she's the evil enemy. It made me roll my eyes. Sara of course remains super sweet and believes Nina when she says she's better than Sara which makes it a total surprise when Sara is awarded it. I think we're suppose to take this as meaning Sara is humble but it comes off as gullible.
It's annoying, it's overdone, and it's transparent. Not only that but I can't stand books where the main character has a nemesis that's always causing trouble. It's one of the reasons I don't enjoy The Dana Girls series.
- One of Sara's fellow students is Marion Richards who everyone is shocked and disgusted to see because eww, she's fat or, as the book says, "lumpy" and a size fourteen...the horror! Sara assumes Marion must be very conceited to think she could ever be pretty enough to be a model. I get that this is a book about models in the early 1960's which was known to be a negative environment but damn, this turns into intense bullying. The modeling students share a cafeteria with the charm school class and the models remarked that the other girls obviously aren't there for the modeling school cause so many of them are fat like Marion.
"That explains it." a third girl remarked. "I didn't think they looked like future models. Some of them are quite fat."
"They're not the only ones," Nina said and stared pointedly at Marion Richards, who flushed scarlet and turned away.
- Marion's weight is constantly discussed, it's like they're obsessed with it. When Sara goes out to lunch with Anne and Elspeth they talk about how Marion should be made to feel bad because, as Anne says "people should know their limitations and not try to put themselves where they don't belong".
They continue to talk about it on the walk back to the school, laughing over Marion being a model for diet pill "before" pictures. Then the meet up with Jean and Sylvie and they all talk about it. Upon arriving at the school they see Marion get out of a limo and decide she must be rich and have bought her way into the modeling school for which they immediately start to bully her in the coatroom. They surround her and start to verbally assault her, then Marion understandably gets upset and shoves her way out of the room they use that as "proof" that's she's a bad person, getting offended that she would leave when they were in the middle of hurling insults at her.
- A physiotherapist reviews all the students bodies and individually gives them exercises to reduce or build up any areas that are not ideal measurements. Sara is perfect and doesn't need to receive any. When all the girls go to the hair salon to get makeovers Sara is the only one whose hair is left untouched. She also naturally knows how to model without being taught. Ugh, perfect characters are so boring.
- One student is named Honey Wei. Even though we're told her name she is still referred to as "the Chinese girl" ("Sara (...) was classified with Nina and the Chinese girl").
- Sara ends up finding out the Marion doesn't actually want to be a model. Don't worry, she doesn't think she's pretty after all. She actually wants to be a vet and live on a farm with her boyfriend who she says isn't good looking either.
Marion confides in Sara that she's very unhappy because her mother is constantly trying to force her into her deceased sisters place. Her sister, Eva, was her mothers favorite and they shared a love of fashion, elegance, and refinement. After her passing Mrs. Richards started forcing Marion to occupy her place, all against Marion's will.
Mrs. Richards then shows up carrying a bouquet of tea roses (Eva's favorite flower) for Marion and then begins to complain about Marion wearing ready made clothes. Mrs. Richards then compliments Sara's looks and Sara admires the dress Mrs. Richards is wearing. Sara then decides Marion is clearly a selfish brat and should be thrilled to have a mother so interested in fashion. Who cares if she controls Marion whole life, forcing her onto a starvation diet, putting her into a modeling school where she gets bullied, forbidding her to follow her true career dreams, or ever see the man she loves because eww, he's poor.
- Things get even weirder with Mrs. Richards when she begins trying to turn Sara into Eva. She gives Sara one of her dresses, invites her to a charity ball and insists Sara spends the night and stay in Eva's room, which she has previously forbidden anyone else staying in. Sara is on-board because she gets a wealthy older friend who gives her expensive things and invites her to glamourous events. She continues to scold Marion over not appreciating her mother and tells Marion she should just be the daughter her mother wants.
- Apparently getting the Lena Lane scholarship and Gold Medal Award gets you to the top of the modeling world yet it didn't help Sara because she had a bad modeling photo. You'd think the clients would be interested in seeing her in person if she won the scholarship and award with such a bad photo. It doesn't add up.
- The photographers young assistant takes Sara out to dinner where she eats spaghetti for the first time. He admires her for being so willing to try something "so foreign". This was written in 1961 when spaghetti was already a common household meal in Britain. I guess the author didn't know any actual foreign foods.
I think this is an interesting topic for a book series but I wasn't much of a fan of this. I rolled my eyes constantly over Sara and how perfect she was, the way she switched between timid and conceited so much, and her strange unsolicited advice to Marion. I'm still interested in reading the rest of the series eventually but I'm gonna let this one go for now.
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