What do you think?
Rate this book
Catch a Falling Star
A deliciously charming novel about finding true love . . . and yourself.
Nothing ever happens in Little, CA. Which is just the way Carter Moon likes it. But when Hollywood arrives to film a movie starring former child star turned PR mess Adam Jakes, everything changes. Carter's town becomes a giant glittery set and, much to her annoyance, everyone is starry-eyed for Adam. Carter seems to be the only girl not falling all over herself to get a glimpse of him. Which apparently makes her perfect for the secret offer of a lifetime: playing the role of Adam's girlfriend while he's in town, to improve his public image, in exchange for a hefty paycheck. Her family really needs the money and so Carters agrees. But it turns out Adam isn't at all who she thought he was. As they grow closer, their relationship walks a blurry line between what's real and what's fake, and Carter must open her eyes to the scariest of unexplored worlds - her future. Can Carter figure out what she wants out of life AND get the guy? Or are there no Hollywood endings in real life?
Nothing ever happens in Little, CA. Which is just the way Carter Moon likes it. But when Hollywood arrives to film a movie starring former child star turned PR mess Adam Jakes, everything changes. Carter's town becomes a giant glittery set and, much to her annoyance, everyone is starry-eyed for Adam. Carter seems to be the only girl not falling all over herself to get a glimpse of him. Which apparently makes her perfect for the secret offer of a lifetime: playing the role of Adam's girlfriend while he's in town, to improve his public image, in exchange for a hefty paycheck. Her family really needs the money and so Carters agrees. But it turns out Adam isn't at all who she thought he was. As they grow closer, their relationship walks a blurry line between what's real and what's fake, and Carter must open her eyes to the scariest of unexplored worlds - her future. Can Carter figure out what she wants out of life AND get the guy? Or are there no Hollywood endings in real life?
304 pages, Hardcover
First published April 29, 2014
195 people are currently reading
7786 people want to read
About the author
Kim Culbertson
9 books375 followersKim Culbertson is the author of the teen novels THE WONDER OF US (Scholastic 2017), THE POSSIBILITY OF NOW (Scholastic 2016), CATCH A FALLING STAR (Scholastic 2014), INSTRUCTIONS FOR A BROKEN HEART (Sourcebooks 2011), and SONGS FOR A TEENAGE NOMAD (Sourcebooks 2010).
She believes books make the world a better place.
Happy Reading!
www.kimculbertson.com
She believes books make the world a better place.
Happy Reading!
www.kimculbertson.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 976 reviews
April 30, 2015
3.5 STARS
I am flummoxed.
Baffled.
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered how this book managed to pull something off of me, a plot-twist of sorts in my reading habits. We often get disappointed and underwhelmed but it’s quite a rarity to start off with notes snarking on the cringe-inducing cliches only to end up halfway through not making notes at all and just paying attention. You start to take it seriously. You realize hey, this book has something to say outside the stale and recycled premise. The message was hardly original but I was taken aback that there was a message at all. One that came across with heartfelt sincerity despite the cheesy and unpolished delivery methods.
The small town of Little, California has been chosen as the location for the comeback propaganda movie (the ridiculously premised A Christmas Cheryl) of troubled young star Adam Jakes. In his efforts to charm the public and improve his image, he hires the plain and provincial Carter Moon to portray the real-life small-town girl he supposedly falls for while filming. In her desire to help her brother from the financial snaggles of his gambling problem, Carter agrees. And what follows is the extremely predictable trope of Adam being charmed by the simplicity of the small-town and Carter discovering the “real” person behind the entitled, troubled boy.
Except, despite that predictability, Culbertson did a brilliant job in communicating the depth of both Carter and Adam's characters.
The effort to paint Adam as a big star fell flat, coming across as a B-movie star filming a direct-to-DVD film instead of the blockbuster this story was trying to sell. He started off like a Reid Alexander-esque character who transitioned awkwardly into a somewhat bad-boy-gone-good, misunderstood hero who just happens to understand his job a little too well. For me, this could have been done in a more seamless manner (or not done at all, actually) but the end product did deserve some merit, even if I'm not particularly a Frankie Muniz fan. In terms of the romantic chemistry between him and Carter, it was either too reined in or it really just was close to nil making me hanker for a more believable ending than what this disappointingly dished. I find them more interesting as two young people trying to make sense of life in the context of their contrasting realities.
Surprisingly, my favorite aspect in this book is its Pollyanna heroine, Carter. She's seventeen going on forty, a self-confessed hick who gave up a dance scholarship in New York because she wants to stay in Little helping out in her family's diner, holding dance classes for octogenarians and keeping a stargazing blog. She doesn't have a facebook or know how movies are made. It really REALLY was so easy to hate her.
It's a tricky age, seventeen. You have the whole world at your feet, people urging you to follow your dreams, to take life by the balls. Not having an ambition will probably send your parents into an apoplexy. But the hardest thing, harder than making it out on your own, is distinguishing between what makes you happy and the people around you happy. And that's what made me fall in love with Carter, she portrays that conflict brilliantly. She's a girl-next-door caricature and it's a bit of a stretch to believe that her thought process as reflective of her age and upbringing but there's this exchange between her and her dad that reveals an unexpected layer in her character.
The writing felt a little off at certain points, sometimes it felt like characters were breaking the fourth wall getting carried away with the soapboxing about bigger issues. Those self-serving, pretentious kids posting photos in Facebook are doing the devil's work, yes but can we not thump the podium too often too hard?
This also read a little too young for me. It’s not one of those young adult books targeting an adult audience. But at the same time, I can imagine, with some effort, any person at any crossroad in their life connecting to the themes this was trying to drive across. In a poignant reminder sort of way rather than as a cautionary guide on navigating adulthood.
Uncorrected proof provided by the publishers in exchange for an honest review. Quotes may not appear in the final edition.
Also on BookLikes.
Even Hobbits have to take adventures. That's how they bring back stories to the Shire.
I am flummoxed.
Baffled.
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered how this book managed to pull something off of me, a plot-twist of sorts in my reading habits. We often get disappointed and underwhelmed but it’s quite a rarity to start off with notes snarking on the cringe-inducing cliches only to end up halfway through not making notes at all and just paying attention. You start to take it seriously. You realize hey, this book has something to say outside the stale and recycled premise. The message was hardly original but I was taken aback that there was a message at all. One that came across with heartfelt sincerity despite the cheesy and unpolished delivery methods.
The small town of Little, California has been chosen as the location for the comeback propaganda movie (the ridiculously premised A Christmas Cheryl) of troubled young star Adam Jakes. In his efforts to charm the public and improve his image, he hires the plain and provincial Carter Moon to portray the real-life small-town girl he supposedly falls for while filming. In her desire to help her brother from the financial snaggles of his gambling problem, Carter agrees. And what follows is the extremely predictable trope of Adam being charmed by the simplicity of the small-town and Carter discovering the “real” person behind the entitled, troubled boy.
Except, despite that predictability, Culbertson did a brilliant job in communicating the depth of both Carter and Adam's characters.
The effort to paint Adam as a big star fell flat, coming across as a B-movie star filming a direct-to-DVD film instead of the blockbuster this story was trying to sell. He started off like a Reid Alexander-esque character who transitioned awkwardly into a somewhat bad-boy-gone-good, misunderstood hero who just happens to understand his job a little too well. For me, this could have been done in a more seamless manner (or not done at all, actually) but the end product did deserve some merit, even if I'm not particularly a Frankie Muniz fan. In terms of the romantic chemistry between him and Carter, it was either too reined in or it really just was close to nil making me hanker for a more believable ending than what this disappointingly dished. I find them more interesting as two young people trying to make sense of life in the context of their contrasting realities.
Surprisingly, my favorite aspect in this book is its Pollyanna heroine, Carter. She's seventeen going on forty, a self-confessed hick who gave up a dance scholarship in New York because she wants to stay in Little helping out in her family's diner, holding dance classes for octogenarians and keeping a stargazing blog. She doesn't have a facebook or know how movies are made. It really REALLY was so easy to hate her.
Dancing was hard work. But hard work was not ambition. Ambition was something else. And I didn't have it.
It's a tricky age, seventeen. You have the whole world at your feet, people urging you to follow your dreams, to take life by the balls. Not having an ambition will probably send your parents into an apoplexy. But the hardest thing, harder than making it out on your own, is distinguishing between what makes you happy and the people around you happy. And that's what made me fall in love with Carter, she portrays that conflict brilliantly. She's a girl-next-door caricature and it's a bit of a stretch to believe that her thought process as reflective of her age and upbringing but there's this exchange between her and her dad that reveals an unexpected layer in her character.
The writing felt a little off at certain points, sometimes it felt like characters were breaking the fourth wall getting carried away with the soapboxing about bigger issues. Those self-serving, pretentious kids posting photos in Facebook are doing the devil's work, yes but can we not thump the podium too often too hard?
This also read a little too young for me. It’s not one of those young adult books targeting an adult audience. But at the same time, I can imagine, with some effort, any person at any crossroad in their life connecting to the themes this was trying to drive across. In a poignant reminder sort of way rather than as a cautionary guide on navigating adulthood.
Here's the thing you need to know. Here's a hint from Grown-Up World. There's no right way. Not really. Just perspective. We choose whether we succeed or fail. We do. It's all our own spin on it. We create our own definition of success or failure. You can't hold yourself up to other people's versions of things. Not society's idea of things and not other people's. Your own.
Uncorrected proof provided by the publishers in exchange for an honest review. Quotes may not appear in the final edition.
Also on BookLikes.
March 9, 2014
*suspiros*
June 4, 2017
If you are looking for a clean, sweet read similar to Elle Kennedy's Jen Fredericks (The writing erotic duo behind Erin watt's name) "When it's real" but more appropiate for readers under 18 look no further.
Kennedy and Frederick write New adult but this book Catch a Falling star is for Young adult reader and it's quite sweet. I wont' re-read but I enjoyed it! It's far from being a perfect book or original but it's the perfect beach read.
This book is indeed cute, clean young adult contemporary romance. Although I prefer some smut in my reads from time to time I need books like this one.
Kennedy and Frederick write New adult but this book Catch a Falling star is for Young adult reader and it's quite sweet. I wont' re-read but I enjoyed it! It's far from being a perfect book or original but it's the perfect beach read.
This book is indeed cute, clean young adult contemporary romance. Although I prefer some smut in my reads from time to time I need books like this one.
July 12, 2019
Surprisingly cute with a good audiobook too! I particularly enjoyed the way this book talked about future plans and figuring out what you want to do in life. Good parent interactions. Good exploration of the images we see in Hollywood or post online vs our more private selves.
The only thing that felt out of place were the blog posts that came between chapters every once in a while. I feel like these were added in to flesh out Carter's hobbies, but she wasn't very involved in the blog or her hobby anyway. They were from the POV of a secondary character who didn't have a big role in the story and I feel like we could have done without the blog posts and not missed them at all. Tabloid snippets would have made more sense.
tw: addiction
The only thing that felt out of place were the blog posts that came between chapters every once in a while. I feel like these were added in to flesh out Carter's hobbies, but she wasn't very involved in the blog or her hobby anyway. They were from the POV of a secondary character who didn't have a big role in the story and I feel like we could have done without the blog posts and not missed them at all. Tabloid snippets would have made more sense.
tw: addiction
February 15, 2015
This was far too plain for me. No plot depth, no character depth, slower-than-a-snail pace and just too bland.
This had so much of potential. That's the sad part.
This had so much of potential. That's the sad part.
May 1, 2014
This book mainly got my attention because every time I read the title I would start singing that song from the movie Princess Diaries. So I read the blurb and it sounded like a cute light read. And I guess it kind of was, but not good enough.
I just didn't connect with Carter. At all. She actually frustrated me to no end. She tried coming off as this totally mellow, well adjusted teen who had all her shit together but instead she was just so into the self denial that I just wasn't buying any of the crap she spouted. I'm not saying she was a horrible, unrelatable character. I just didn't like her, personally. She was so close minded about almost everything. She, again, tried coming off as this totally great, forward moving person, but she just wasn't. She was trying too hard.
As for Adam, I couldn't really get a reading on him. At first he was a grade A jerk. Which didn't feel right to me. It actually felt like Culbertson was pushing him into this role because that's what was expected. Then they share one laugh together and suddenly he just isn't a jerk anymore. It was too much of an abrupt face.
The romance went along with the voice and atmosphere of the book itself. Slow, mellow, and a bit stunted. I just felt NO spark, no chemistry between them. What I got out of it was a nice start to a solid friendship, not a romance.
And that ending? It came out of left field. Again, it was like Culbertson was forcing it because the reader just expects that kind of ending, but I was honestly all for how things would have ended right before that last chapter. It would have felt much more real to me.
It wasn't a bad read, but it also didn't do anything for me.
I just didn't connect with Carter. At all. She actually frustrated me to no end. She tried coming off as this totally mellow, well adjusted teen who had all her shit together but instead she was just so into the self denial that I just wasn't buying any of the crap she spouted. I'm not saying she was a horrible, unrelatable character. I just didn't like her, personally. She was so close minded about almost everything. She, again, tried coming off as this totally great, forward moving person, but she just wasn't. She was trying too hard.
As for Adam, I couldn't really get a reading on him. At first he was a grade A jerk. Which didn't feel right to me. It actually felt like Culbertson was pushing him into this role because that's what was expected. Then they share one laugh together and suddenly he just isn't a jerk anymore. It was too much of an abrupt face.
The romance went along with the voice and atmosphere of the book itself. Slow, mellow, and a bit stunted. I just felt NO spark, no chemistry between them. What I got out of it was a nice start to a solid friendship, not a romance.
And that ending? It came out of left field. Again, it was like Culbertson was forcing it because the reader just expects that kind of ending, but I was honestly all for how things would have ended right before that last chapter. It would have felt much more real to me.
It wasn't a bad read, but it also didn't do anything for me.
June 7, 2019
A sweet Y.A. romance with an interesting twist. Not every girl in Little, California has the chance to be the “girlfriend” of movie star Adam Jakes when he comes to town for filming. Supposedly it will improve his public image, and Carter will be able to help her family’s business with the money she’ll receive for her “acting role”. As Adam and Carter “date” for the cameras, their relationship begins to take a different turn.
May 9, 2020
THIS BOOK!!!! The best, I am glad that I read this book. If you are worried about anything bad in this romance novel, don't be. This book is about a girl who loves the smallness of the town that she grew up in, but "hollywood" starts filming a movie starring Adam Jakes, a popular actor in some trouble. Then mysteriously Adam's manager Parker meets Carter (The only girl in Little California who does not care at all that Adam Jakes is in town), asking her to stage as Adam's girlfriend for 3-4 weeks for a big sum of money. She agree's but only on her brother's behalf (he is also in some trouble) not knowing she is going to fall in love! She now has to figure out what is going on and stick to a script written for her and Adam. This book would not be good for anyone under 12-13 years old. Anyone else, ENJOY!!!!
If you want to discuss this book I am the Mod of a Clean Romance group! Feel free to join! https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
If you want to discuss this book I am the Mod of a Clean Romance group! Feel free to join! https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
June 9, 2014
More Reviews At Boricuan Bookworms
This book was just what I needed. If you want Young Adult stories to read this summer, this is the book for you.
I loved Carter Moon. You know how there's always a small-town character that dreams big and wants to leave to some big city to start living? Carter is the complete opposite. She's happy living in her small town of Little, CA. She lives in the now and doesn't think much of her future. And if she has to, her plans are pretty simple. She'll graduate high school, work more hours at her dad's cafe, go to the elderly center, back home, stargaze, repeat. Yet as the story goes on she discovers that while some people have trouble filling their minds with too many dreams and not live in the now, she's been living for too long in the now and not taken that much care to the tomorrow. Her voice was simple and interesting to read from. She put people before her and preferred to keep things as uncomplicated as possible. She talked instead of fight, and couldn't stand to lie to those she cares about. Which crashes a bit with what she's asked to do once a Hollywood Star comes to her Little town.
The story was sweet, funny, swoony, all things I imagine a YA book to be. Even with all the growing romance between the two characters of Carter and Adam, the book also dealt with things really common in our lives. We often prejudice people by what we see, specially superstars like singers and actors/actresses. Not everything is how it seems and not everyone is how they make you think they are. There's more to people but we prefer to be lead by false things like social media and gossip rather than know the person and judge them through our own eyes and acquired knowledge.
I loved how in this book, the author speaks about following your dreams, any dreams. To try something even if we won't be that for all our lives. We can't lose the opportunity when we have it thinking we'll fail or it's selfish. No one can decide for you what to do or not do. But if you don't do it, the small wonder of things will only grow in time to become regret and think all those What If's at night.
There were also those random astronomy moments, I loved those! I love everything related to stars and the universe that I couldn't help but squeal whenever the characters stargazed and said astronomy facts, plus the cool blog entries they did occasionally <3
It was really good to be honest. I loved every moment of this book, how relatable and real the characters were. From Carter's parents, her brother, friends, to Adam Jakes and the whole Hollywood movie crew. It was fun, fluffy, and inspiring. Another great thing was that the main character wasn't stupid and didn't do slut-shamming! I loved every single simple and unique thing about her. Definitely a worthy pick.
Rating: 4 stars
This book was just what I needed. If you want Young Adult stories to read this summer, this is the book for you.
I loved Carter Moon. You know how there's always a small-town character that dreams big and wants to leave to some big city to start living? Carter is the complete opposite. She's happy living in her small town of Little, CA. She lives in the now and doesn't think much of her future. And if she has to, her plans are pretty simple. She'll graduate high school, work more hours at her dad's cafe, go to the elderly center, back home, stargaze, repeat. Yet as the story goes on she discovers that while some people have trouble filling their minds with too many dreams and not live in the now, she's been living for too long in the now and not taken that much care to the tomorrow. Her voice was simple and interesting to read from. She put people before her and preferred to keep things as uncomplicated as possible. She talked instead of fight, and couldn't stand to lie to those she cares about. Which crashes a bit with what she's asked to do once a Hollywood Star comes to her Little town.
The story was sweet, funny, swoony, all things I imagine a YA book to be. Even with all the growing romance between the two characters of Carter and Adam, the book also dealt with things really common in our lives. We often prejudice people by what we see, specially superstars like singers and actors/actresses. Not everything is how it seems and not everyone is how they make you think they are. There's more to people but we prefer to be lead by false things like social media and gossip rather than know the person and judge them through our own eyes and acquired knowledge.
"We create our own definition of success or failure. You can't hold yourself up to other people's versions of things. Not society's idea of things, and not other people's. Your own. But regret... well, that's a real thing. Take it from me. You should try things on, see if they fit you. If they don't, it's not failure. It's a choice."
I loved how in this book, the author speaks about following your dreams, any dreams. To try something even if we won't be that for all our lives. We can't lose the opportunity when we have it thinking we'll fail or it's selfish. No one can decide for you what to do or not do. But if you don't do it, the small wonder of things will only grow in time to become regret and think all those What If's at night.
There were also those random astronomy moments, I loved those! I love everything related to stars and the universe that I couldn't help but squeal whenever the characters stargazed and said astronomy facts, plus the cool blog entries they did occasionally <3
It was really good to be honest. I loved every moment of this book, how relatable and real the characters were. From Carter's parents, her brother, friends, to Adam Jakes and the whole Hollywood movie crew. It was fun, fluffy, and inspiring. Another great thing was that the main character wasn't stupid and didn't do slut-shamming! I loved every single simple and unique thing about her. Definitely a worthy pick.
Rating: 4 stars
June 22, 2021
Some of our my favourite things in a YA rom-com book:
- Fake Dating ( because WHO DOESN’T like fake dating right? So much better than having real boyfriend and dramatic love life)
- Celebrity fall for a normal down to earth girl cause that's our modern Cinderella story.
- Bad boy falls for the goody two shoes (okay, maybe I liked this trope when I was like thirteen but whatever)
- Enemies to Friends to Lover. (Can we be more subtle?)
- Supportive friends.
Amazing thing is this book has all of the above tropes together. You'd think we are in for a ride right? WRONG. somehow this book managed to destroy all of these tropes. How's that even possible?
And here I am, sulking cause I really wanted to like this book. I truly thought I would. What a waste of a potential story.
- Fake Dating ( because WHO DOESN’T like fake dating right? So much better than having real boyfriend and dramatic love life)
- Celebrity fall for a normal down to earth girl cause that's our modern Cinderella story.
- Bad boy falls for the goody two shoes (okay, maybe I liked this trope when I was like thirteen but whatever)
- Enemies to Friends to Lover. (Can we be more subtle?)
- Supportive friends.
Amazing thing is this book has all of the above tropes together. You'd think we are in for a ride right? WRONG. somehow this book managed to destroy all of these tropes. How's that even possible?
And here I am, sulking cause I really wanted to like this book. I truly thought I would. What a waste of a potential story.
December 12, 2018
I DNF this book because I don't think this was the one for me right now. I will try to re-read later.
April 28, 2015
2.5
This was an okay read. I didn't really love the characters but the story was a light read. It was slow and I felt bored at times. The romance didn't feel real/believable to me. I'm glad it wasn't insta-love though.
This was an okay read. I didn't really love the characters but the story was a light read. It was slow and I felt bored at times. The romance didn't feel real/believable to me. I'm glad it wasn't insta-love though.
January 19, 2016
Sometimes you just need a satisfying romance. Catch a Falling Star is a book that makes you throw out the idea of analyzing the details and allows you to just sit back and enjoy the completely predictable, light-hearted, warm fuzzy feeling that it brings. It’s been a long time since I have been able to read a book in one sitting. Catch a Falling Star has the perfect additive romantic comedy feel that had me chuckling and beaming with each turning page.
The whole idea behind the story is a little cliché. What are the chances that a small town girl would get the opportunity to play pretend girlfriend to an extremely successful movie star. I’m thinking the chances are slim. But of course, this scenario is the perfect set up for silly banter, cheesy one liners, and the opportunity to play the lonely celebrity card who falls in love unexpectedly. I really don’t want to downplay this book, though. There were a lot of special elements that made this book so much more than a typical contemporary romance.
Carter Moon was a really realistic character. She’s comfortable in her hometown of Little, California and has zero intentions of leaving her job at her family owned café, despite her opportunity to accept a dance scholarship. The family dynamic present in the Moon family was really strong and supportive. The underlying story of her brother’s gambling addiction was quite heartbreaking, but really emphasized the loyalty that Carter and her family proved to have. It’s nice to have a young-adult contemporary with an encouraging mother and father present. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t see it very often in books.
Aside from the family component, the additional hilarious side character friendships was the icing on the cake. Chloe added a lot of hilarious moments with her obsession of the Hollywood lifestyle, more specifically, all things revolving around Adam Jakes. When Carter, your best friend, starts dating the boy you have pictures of on your bedroom wall, things might get a little awkward, especially when your boyfriend becomes jealous. Drake, who also goes by Alien Drake, is Chloe’s boyfriend and Carter’s childhood best friend. Together with Carter he runs a blog revolving around all things stars, space, and alternate life forms. In between select chapters there are snippets of their blog posts that provide insightful messages interlinking life lessons with views of the galaxy. The subtle details of space throughout the book was really fun. I mean, Carter Moon falling in love with a movie star, while blogging about space. It can’t get much cuter than that.
Of course I have to save the best for last: the romance. It was everything I wanted it to be. Adam Jakes starts off appearing like a snotty, uptight celebrity who only cares about himself. It was the perfect pairing with Carter, who already has zero interest in celebrity affairs. Although their relationship starts off completely professional, including scheduled kisses, their feelings for each other turn into something more real. I mean it when I say this relationship is predictable, but it is the perfect guilty pleasure for a sweet, slow burning romance.
The whole idea behind the story is a little cliché. What are the chances that a small town girl would get the opportunity to play pretend girlfriend to an extremely successful movie star. I’m thinking the chances are slim. But of course, this scenario is the perfect set up for silly banter, cheesy one liners, and the opportunity to play the lonely celebrity card who falls in love unexpectedly. I really don’t want to downplay this book, though. There were a lot of special elements that made this book so much more than a typical contemporary romance.
Carter Moon was a really realistic character. She’s comfortable in her hometown of Little, California and has zero intentions of leaving her job at her family owned café, despite her opportunity to accept a dance scholarship. The family dynamic present in the Moon family was really strong and supportive. The underlying story of her brother’s gambling addiction was quite heartbreaking, but really emphasized the loyalty that Carter and her family proved to have. It’s nice to have a young-adult contemporary with an encouraging mother and father present. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t see it very often in books.
Aside from the family component, the additional hilarious side character friendships was the icing on the cake. Chloe added a lot of hilarious moments with her obsession of the Hollywood lifestyle, more specifically, all things revolving around Adam Jakes. When Carter, your best friend, starts dating the boy you have pictures of on your bedroom wall, things might get a little awkward, especially when your boyfriend becomes jealous. Drake, who also goes by Alien Drake, is Chloe’s boyfriend and Carter’s childhood best friend. Together with Carter he runs a blog revolving around all things stars, space, and alternate life forms. In between select chapters there are snippets of their blog posts that provide insightful messages interlinking life lessons with views of the galaxy. The subtle details of space throughout the book was really fun. I mean, Carter Moon falling in love with a movie star, while blogging about space. It can’t get much cuter than that.
Of course I have to save the best for last: the romance. It was everything I wanted it to be. Adam Jakes starts off appearing like a snotty, uptight celebrity who only cares about himself. It was the perfect pairing with Carter, who already has zero interest in celebrity affairs. Although their relationship starts off completely professional, including scheduled kisses, their feelings for each other turn into something more real. I mean it when I say this relationship is predictable, but it is the perfect guilty pleasure for a sweet, slow burning romance.
June 27, 2021
The storyline was very generic and so were all the tropes like movie star, small town, star gazing, etc. I honestly got really bored. I also strongly disliked the ending. It was not developed at all. The conflict seemed as if the characters would move on but then suddenly just within two pages the author switched up the story for a very unrealistic happy ending. I think this would have been better if they had given the other main character's perspective. Did have some good advice about branching town because the character was scared about leaving her small town, but then again I couldn't relate because I would want to leave. I felt like giving the character some advice myself and telling her to snap out of it, but I obviously couldn't. To be honest, would not recommend.
July 1, 2014
Originally posted at Writer of Wrongs
Rating: I loved this! What a lovely, entertaining summer read. Plus, FAKE DATING.
I bought this book partially on a whim and partially because I just love this kind of fluffy, modern-Cinderella story. Blame Notting Hill. Blame Teen Idol. Hell, blame Camp Rock, if you want to. I love them all. I could read/watch these types of stories for... well...
And while this book is definitely that, it's got quite a bit more heart than I was expecting, and was actually way funnier. I am so glad I listened to that whim, because I really enjoyed Catch a Falling Star in a way I was not expecting, and here's why:
Carter Moon: Our improbably named main character is funny. Oh, is she funny. She made me laugh so many times and was really the reason I became so engrossed in this book. She's the rare small-town girl who loves living in her small town and never wants to leave. Her friends call her a Hobbit, since she's content to stay in the Shire. She's mature, private, has a dog named Extra Pickles, and I love her. She very easily could have fallen into a lot of cliches, but she always felt very real to me.
Little, California: I LOVE reading about small towns, probably because I grew up in the polar opposite of a small town, and Carter's hometown is like a NorCal version of Stars Hollow (so maybe kinda more like that town in Bunheads), and I loved it. It's full of history, charm, and quirks. It has colorful characters, but it's just one stop short of zany, which keeps it anchored in the real world.
Chloe and Alien Drake: Carter's best friends are funny, supportive, and healthy. They also feel real, even though Drake being nicknamed Alien Drake due to his obsession with the sky and the cosmos and the possibility of life beyond is a bit strange. And again, Chloe--bubbly, celebrity-obsessed Chloe--could very easily have fallen into cliches, but she didn't. I loved her and her close friendship with Carter.
Adam Jakes: ADAM. Movie star bad boy, man of many faces and facades. I found him very interesting. He's been in some tabloid trouble lately and needs an image rehabilitation. That's where Carter comes in. Adam is in Little to film a family friendly Christmas movie and needs a wholesome small-town girlfriend to complete the do-gooder image. Carter, immune to the lure of Hollywood and doer of community service, is the perfect choice.
Carter's family: And behold the reason Carter agrees to be Adam Jakes' fake boyfriend for money. Her parents are wonderfully present and supportive, but her brother, John, has an addictive gambling problem, and it's tearing the family apart. Carter needs the money to help him.
The swoons: So then Carter and Adam begin fake date, and I began to squeal like a Directioner at a One Direction concert because OMG. I loved how much they truly did not like each other to start. Adam is self-absorbed. He's far from perfect. He's a different Adam to every person he encounters. He struggles with telling the truth. He loves acting and performing and playing to an audience. Carter does not.
But of course they come to UNDERSTAND each other and it's ADORABLE and Carter begins to get confused about what's real and what's not and yessssss so much yesssssss. Plus you get to learn a bit how movies are made and how much work it is, and Carter gets a taste of what being famous is like, and also chemistry. And funnies. And banter. Gillian like. But will things turn out? Will this be Model Behavior, or will it be Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! or even The Lizzie McGuire Movie? (I told you I really like it that famous person/regular person dating trope) (though not as much as I love the fake dating trope)
Only tiny niggles: the stargazing blog that she runs with Alien Drake (still a silly name) is slightly unnecessary, there might have been ooooone beat missing in Carter and Adam's relationship, and every now and then the writing would pull away from the dialogue. What I mean by that is we'd be listening to two characters talking in quotation marks, and all of a sudden Carter would summarize what it is she said. As in, "I told him about X and Y" instead of just showing us telling him, like she was just doing. It's just a personal niggle, but that always tends to jerk me out of the immediate action.
But those are small points. Honestly, I couldn't put this book down. It hit me at just the right time and in just the right way. A truly delightful summer read, and I hope you give it a try! It totally took me by surprise.
June 5, 2014
To See full review click on one of the following links:
My blog
Booklikes
Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket…
That song has stuck with me ever since I saw The Princess Diaries.
And speaking of The Princess Diaries, this book does remind me a lot of Meg Cabot’s novel, Teen Idol though that book was better written. It also reminds me a lot of the Disney movie, Star Struck, though this book was better than that movie.
So what does that mean for Catch a Falling Star well it was okay.
Not great.
But okay.
It’s what I expected. To be honest, I really don’t think it was worth being a hardback-it was more or less paperback worthy. But at the same time I didn’t outright hate it and felt like I wasted my time.
The plot is pretty simplistic. A girl gets hired to pretend to be some Zac Efron wannabe’s fake girlfriend. If you’re expecting a cute romance between the two of them, don’t get your hopes up. I didn’t get the thrills between Carter and Adam. Really, Adam is just man candy. However, as far as YA go I’ve seen worse relationships.
In fact, the interactions between the two leads is probably one of the weakest points of the novel. With the way the novel is pitched, I really thought the whole Carter/Adam relationship would’ve been the most prominent feature of the novel, but it’s not. Carter more or less plays the role that Luke Strikler does in Cabot’s Teen Idol except while Cabot acknowledges that Luke and Jen have little to no chemistry and does not have them end up together, Culbertson does the opposite. And man these two are boring together.
Also, Luke had much more personality than Adam. This might have been in part because Culbertson focused the book so much on Carter. And to be honest, I really didn’t think I got to know her. Oh, I knew enough about her but the explanations of her motives. They really didn’t make much sense to me. Let’s look at a few of them:
Carter quits dancing because she can’t have fun all the time.
Well, it’s a little bit more than that, but not much. Seriously, though nothing is 100% fun except for bad TV. And that can just get annoying, so I guess that’s not fun either. The lack of ambition that this character had though was astounding.
She basically begs to ho herself out for her brother.
Really. Instead of letting her brother face the consequences for his action, she hooks up with a movie star. Well, fake hooks up. But still.
I still don’t understand her blog.
Astronomy, UFOs, movie stars. Well, I’ll just ask the folks at Ancient Aliens.
So, yeah. When it comes to it, I really had ambiguous feelings about this character. Based on the three examples I just wanted to smack her, but she wasn’t the worst character I read about. Even though she was annoying beyond belief.
My blog
Booklikes
Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket…
That song has stuck with me ever since I saw The Princess Diaries.
And speaking of The Princess Diaries, this book does remind me a lot of Meg Cabot’s novel, Teen Idol though that book was better written. It also reminds me a lot of the Disney movie, Star Struck, though this book was better than that movie.
So what does that mean for Catch a Falling Star well it was okay.
Not great.
But okay.
It’s what I expected. To be honest, I really don’t think it was worth being a hardback-it was more or less paperback worthy. But at the same time I didn’t outright hate it and felt like I wasted my time.
The plot is pretty simplistic. A girl gets hired to pretend to be some Zac Efron wannabe’s fake girlfriend. If you’re expecting a cute romance between the two of them, don’t get your hopes up. I didn’t get the thrills between Carter and Adam. Really, Adam is just man candy. However, as far as YA go I’ve seen worse relationships.
In fact, the interactions between the two leads is probably one of the weakest points of the novel. With the way the novel is pitched, I really thought the whole Carter/Adam relationship would’ve been the most prominent feature of the novel, but it’s not. Carter more or less plays the role that Luke Strikler does in Cabot’s Teen Idol except while Cabot acknowledges that Luke and Jen have little to no chemistry and does not have them end up together, Culbertson does the opposite. And man these two are boring together.
Also, Luke had much more personality than Adam. This might have been in part because Culbertson focused the book so much on Carter. And to be honest, I really didn’t think I got to know her. Oh, I knew enough about her but the explanations of her motives. They really didn’t make much sense to me. Let’s look at a few of them:
Carter quits dancing because she can’t have fun all the time.
Well, it’s a little bit more than that, but not much. Seriously, though nothing is 100% fun except for bad TV. And that can just get annoying, so I guess that’s not fun either. The lack of ambition that this character had though was astounding.
She basically begs to ho herself out for her brother.
Really. Instead of letting her brother face the consequences for his action, she hooks up with a movie star. Well, fake hooks up. But still.
I still don’t understand her blog.
Astronomy, UFOs, movie stars. Well, I’ll just ask the folks at Ancient Aliens.
So, yeah. When it comes to it, I really had ambiguous feelings about this character. Based on the three examples I just wanted to smack her, but she wasn’t the worst character I read about. Even though she was annoying beyond belief.
September 25, 2015
Catch a Falling Star had an interesting premise. I liked the concept of Hollywood going to an unpopular location to film, and the idea of a famous guy falling for a regular girl. It's a cute story with some sweet moments, along with some scenes that made me cringe.
Carter wasn't a bad character. She was a young girl coming into her own, but with the troubles of her brother and not believing in herself enough, she made the decision to remain in her small town instead of going after her dreams. And I like that her parents finally had that talk with her and made her open her eyes.
As for Adam Jakes, he was swoon-worthy. A misunderstood guy. We all know that tabloids fabricate stories so I was a little surprised that Carter, along with her friends, bought so much into his supposedly "issues."
Speaking of friends, I honestly thought Alien Drake (I did not like that nickname) was jealous of Adam and Carter. He just seemed kind of off, then again any boyfriend would be upset with the way his girlfriend, Carter's other bestfriend, would go all fangirl over Adam. Chloe was a lot. I wanted to smack her at times and tell her to chill because of the way she was around Adam. No wonder he was a tad put off when she brought out the magazine with him and Carter on the cover. Like relax girl.
Anyway, in spite of those few things, it was good read with fluid writing. Loved the summer setting and the way things worked out for the characters too.
Carter wasn't a bad character. She was a young girl coming into her own, but with the troubles of her brother and not believing in herself enough, she made the decision to remain in her small town instead of going after her dreams. And I like that her parents finally had that talk with her and made her open her eyes.
As for Adam Jakes, he was swoon-worthy. A misunderstood guy. We all know that tabloids fabricate stories so I was a little surprised that Carter, along with her friends, bought so much into his supposedly "issues."
Speaking of friends, I honestly thought Alien Drake (I did not like that nickname) was jealous of Adam and Carter. He just seemed kind of off, then again any boyfriend would be upset with the way his girlfriend, Carter's other bestfriend, would go all fangirl over Adam. Chloe was a lot. I wanted to smack her at times and tell her to chill because of the way she was around Adam. No wonder he was a tad put off when she brought out the magazine with him and Carter on the cover. Like relax girl.
Anyway, in spite of those few things, it was good read with fluid writing. Loved the summer setting and the way things worked out for the characters too.
February 6, 2019
This was cute. light and fluffy.
February 14, 2023
Precisely the kind of YA romance I used to treasure, and still today I not so secretly adore. Short, sweet and utterly glorious. Read and surrender to this Little romance.
May 7, 2020
This book was a five star because, first of all, the story was great, second of all, it kept me on my toes, and third of all, I enjoyed reading it. My friend recommended this book to me, along with a multitude of others, and I am very glad she did that. Thank you Ruby! I hope you all get to read this book, it is a very great read.
March 30, 2014
Review - What to say? I loved it. It's a perfect summer read. It's everything you want in a contemporary book, I don't know. I did love it though. The characters, the setting, the whole book is exactly what one wants when picking up a contemporary book. Personally I always enjoy the rich boy not so rich girl story line and the movie star/regular person story lines, it's some good reading and this book nailed it.
This story is fun and cute and it has the realistic more serious real issues that I love in a contemporary. In this book it's mainly in the form of Carter's brother who has a major gambling addiction, owes bad people lots of money and just can't seem to stop himself from getting into more trouble, and then you have Carter who wants nothing more than to save her brother even if he doesn't want to be saved, this was one of my favorite aspects of this book. Then you have the movie star, who Carter thinks she is actually falling for but she doesn't know what's real and what's fake when it comes to Adam whose whole life seems to be one big publicity stunt. I liked how realistic their relationship was, I think the author took a bit of a different take on the movie star role than a lot of authors, while she showed the side where Adam is just liked anyone else she also made it abundantly clear that he wasn't and that he knew that. I loved and hated Adam, I wanted them to end up together and I didn't, but I was completely satisfied with the ending, non the less.
Favorite Things -
- Carter - I absolutely loved her character, I loved that she wasn't completely drawn into the movie star imagine, she wasn't obsessed with Hollywood but also she wasn't immune to it, because really who would be? I liked that at the end of the day Carter knew who she was, knew she didn't believe in Adam's superstar, every thing's an act life, and that she was completely happy with who she was, she wasn't like everyone else, she wasn't waiting to leave her small town behind the second that she could, you know? I loved her for that and I loved her when she started to realize that it was okay to want more and that she could always come back.
-Adam - Like I said love hate relationship with this character but he was believable and perfect in his own way and I can appreciate that.
-Alien Drake and Chloe (Carter's best friends) - Alien Drake will forever be my favorite name, ever. I loved both these secondary characters and the part they played in this story. Though in the beginning part of me wanted to slap Chloe a little bit.
- The stars - I loved all the stargazing the characters do and the philosophizing and everything. I loved the little bits that were supposed to be posts from Alien Drake and Carter's blog and how it fit into the story.
- I loved the backdrop of the Christmas Carol story, Adam is filming a remake and how it all fits into the way he was recovering from his "bad boy" imagine and all that.
- I guess I loved that while this has the same premise as allot of other books and movies it's still completely original and satisfying.
Least Favorite Things -
- In a way I didn't like the way Carters parents acted forcing her to want something more than her small town, but this was a minor small annoyance.
- I loved Adam through the whole first half and more of the book but then a few things happened in the last few pages that made me doubt how I wanted the book to end.
-That's all.
Overall - I loved it, it's a perfect summer read, if you love YA contemporary you will love this. If you loved This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith let me put it this way, as much as I loved that book this one is slightly better. =)
Recommended for - Fans of This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith and The Distance Between Us by Kasie West
This story is fun and cute and it has the realistic more serious real issues that I love in a contemporary. In this book it's mainly in the form of Carter's brother who has a major gambling addiction, owes bad people lots of money and just can't seem to stop himself from getting into more trouble, and then you have Carter who wants nothing more than to save her brother even if he doesn't want to be saved, this was one of my favorite aspects of this book. Then you have the movie star, who Carter thinks she is actually falling for but she doesn't know what's real and what's fake when it comes to Adam whose whole life seems to be one big publicity stunt. I liked how realistic their relationship was, I think the author took a bit of a different take on the movie star role than a lot of authors, while she showed the side where Adam is just liked anyone else she also made it abundantly clear that he wasn't and that he knew that. I loved and hated Adam, I wanted them to end up together and I didn't, but I was completely satisfied with the ending, non the less.
Favorite Things -
- Carter - I absolutely loved her character, I loved that she wasn't completely drawn into the movie star imagine, she wasn't obsessed with Hollywood but also she wasn't immune to it, because really who would be? I liked that at the end of the day Carter knew who she was, knew she didn't believe in Adam's superstar, every thing's an act life, and that she was completely happy with who she was, she wasn't like everyone else, she wasn't waiting to leave her small town behind the second that she could, you know? I loved her for that and I loved her when she started to realize that it was okay to want more and that she could always come back.
-Adam - Like I said love hate relationship with this character but he was believable and perfect in his own way and I can appreciate that.
-Alien Drake and Chloe (Carter's best friends) - Alien Drake will forever be my favorite name, ever. I loved both these secondary characters and the part they played in this story. Though in the beginning part of me wanted to slap Chloe a little bit.
- The stars - I loved all the stargazing the characters do and the philosophizing and everything. I loved the little bits that were supposed to be posts from Alien Drake and Carter's blog and how it fit into the story.
- I loved the backdrop of the Christmas Carol story, Adam is filming a remake and how it all fits into the way he was recovering from his "bad boy" imagine and all that.
- I guess I loved that while this has the same premise as allot of other books and movies it's still completely original and satisfying.
Least Favorite Things -
- In a way I didn't like the way Carters parents acted forcing her to want something more than her small town, but this was a minor small annoyance.
- I loved Adam through the whole first half and more of the book but then a few things happened in the last few pages that made me doubt how I wanted the book to end.
-That's all.
Overall - I loved it, it's a perfect summer read, if you love YA contemporary you will love this. If you loved This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith let me put it this way, as much as I loved that book this one is slightly better. =)
Recommended for - Fans of This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith and The Distance Between Us by Kasie West
July 23, 2014
I checked this book out because I thought it would a fun, light read--it's barely 300 pages and the blurb makes it sound like one of those typical, cliche stories about a girl discovering that not everything you see in Hollywood and the press is true: a lot of things are often fabricated, embellished, or a flat-out lie.
I thought it'd read like your typical fan-fiction you'd see online where you'd have a typical, ordinary girl next door given the chance of a lifetime to meet and, predictably, fall in love with a celebrity who was not as one-dimensional as she thought, and the book would end with them living happily ever after.
This was not the case.
I didn't expect to learn anything, but I did. I didn't expect to have any questions raised about life, philosophize, or wonder, but I did.
It's filled with lovable characters like Carter, her best friends Alien Drake and Chloe, Adam Jake, and the rest of the small town of Little, California, which was described so beautifully and shown so that I fell in love with it and wanted to move there myself. A lot of the times authors will lack in description to create an atmosphere that I can imagine, but Kim Culbertson manages to do this well: you get smells, sights, sounds, the feeling of the air, the light quality, etc.
It's great with showing the problems people have growing up, making changes in their lives, deciding things, living with no regrets, trying to "expand your horizons" versus being content with where you are in life.
This book is chock-full of quotable things. It might seem a little preachy, as in trying to teach you too many things at once, but I for one loved it. The blog posts that Carter and Alien Drake have in the book are some of my favorites, and I love that you don't know the author of each post so it could be from Alien Drake's feelings and hurts or Carter's. It also blends science, metaphors, and life lessons perfectly. I tried collecting some quotes to add in this review, but, unfortunately, there were too many, so I've added some that I can find, going back through the book:
I always have a hard time reviewing novels I actually like/love, and this in no way does the book justice, but trust me, even if it's not that deep, the dumb blurb belies a thoughtful novel that doesn't strain your brain too much.
Even though the story actually focuses more on Carter and her deciding her future, there IS a cute romance involved. Adam, the celebrity love interest, is surprisingly insightful, full of wisdom, sweet, and funny.
I thought it'd read like your typical fan-fiction you'd see online where you'd have a typical, ordinary girl next door given the chance of a lifetime to meet and, predictably, fall in love with a celebrity who was not as one-dimensional as she thought, and the book would end with them living happily ever after.
This was not the case.
I didn't expect to learn anything, but I did. I didn't expect to have any questions raised about life, philosophize, or wonder, but I did.
It's filled with lovable characters like Carter, her best friends Alien Drake and Chloe, Adam Jake, and the rest of the small town of Little, California, which was described so beautifully and shown so that I fell in love with it and wanted to move there myself. A lot of the times authors will lack in description to create an atmosphere that I can imagine, but Kim Culbertson manages to do this well: you get smells, sights, sounds, the feeling of the air, the light quality, etc.
It's great with showing the problems people have growing up, making changes in their lives, deciding things, living with no regrets, trying to "expand your horizons" versus being content with where you are in life.
This book is chock-full of quotable things. It might seem a little preachy, as in trying to teach you too many things at once, but I for one loved it. The blog posts that Carter and Alien Drake have in the book are some of my favorites, and I love that you don't know the author of each post so it could be from Alien Drake's feelings and hurts or Carter's. It also blends science, metaphors, and life lessons perfectly. I tried collecting some quotes to add in this review, but, unfortunately, there were too many, so I've added some that I can find, going back through the book:
Morning, sky watchers. In 1961, John Kennedy said that we should explore space because it "may hold the key to our future on Earth." It's been two weeks since Hollywood left Little, and since they've left, we've been talking a lot about we we watch movies. Why are they and the lives of their stars so important to us? We think it's much the same reason as Kennedy suggested. They might hold the key to something in our own future, in our own lives. Whether we search for answers in space o in the books we read, in the music we listen to, or through the movies we watch, the essential thing is that we keep exploring, that we keep pushing ourselves to find our possible lives.
What possibilities will you seek out today?
See you tonight, under the sky.
I always have a hard time reviewing novels I actually like/love, and this in no way does the book justice, but trust me, even if it's not that deep, the dumb blurb belies a thoughtful novel that doesn't strain your brain too much.
Even though the story actually focuses more on Carter and her deciding her future, there IS a cute romance involved. Adam, the celebrity love interest, is surprisingly insightful, full of wisdom, sweet, and funny.
He pulled the sheet off my face. "Today you're not working at all. I'm not long for Little, and I want to take you on a trip."
I peered at him. For a guy who'd shot a movie all night, he didn't even look tired. "My brother's in the hospital."
"Okay, this is ridiculous." He stood up and whipped the covers from my bed.
I leaped up. "What if I'd been naked?"
"Then it would have been my lucky day." He held up a sundress. "Get dressed."
June 25, 2016
"There were many things in this world to feel small — stars, cemeteries, oceans. They relaxed me. I liked being reminded of being small, mostly because it took the pressure off when people pushed you to be big."
Was that really supposed to be inspiring?
I can't say I enjoyed this book. Although it had some really great concepts, I would have liked to have seen the author make use of the potentials it had. I must say, I did admire was how the author managed to tie in astronomy in with this.
Plot: A small town good girl meets a Hollywood star bad boy. Small town good girl is an obvious member the of Not-a-Fan-of-Hollywood fan club and is coincidentally hired to be the Hollywood star bad boy's fake girlfriend. But little had they'd planned, their friendship starts to become a little something more. At least, that's what the synopsis said. You need not get any further than that, because nothing else happens. You won't miss a thing if you leave it at just reading the synopsis.
It had mentioned how this was nothing like Hollywood, but fun fact — it totally completely was. It was cliché overload , but I guess I walked right into that one, having known the love interest would have been a Hollywood star.
Characters: So, we have our characters, Carter, Adam, Chloe, and Alien Drake. Protagonist, Carter Moon was a simple-town girl, whose biggest dream was to one day run her family restaurant, Little Eats in Little California. Then there is the energetic, lively Chloe, best friends with Carter.
*NOTE: What is it with books having a simple minded protagonist with a dynamic best friend? It's unbelievable how often I see that. Seriously, is the main goal not to have an original story? This standardization has got to go.
As for Alien Drake? He's that nerdy best friend of Carter's, that best friend that the girl will not have feelings for. Sound familiar? But here's the twist to that stereotype - he doesn't have feelings for her either. And then we have our charming love interest, Adam Jakes, who's as charming as a chair. They had nothing to themselves other than their assigned personality type.
Relationship: I was especially disappointed with the romance, if that's even what you can call this. I wish, instead of being told of how she felt, it was shown. I wish there were more solid reasons as to why Carter felt the way she did towards Adam, instead of merely being persuaded by teen hormones.
Yup. I said it.
Overall, if you're looking for an absolutely heartwarming story that will leave you in tingles, I suggest you walk away now. Don't get me wrong, it did have its moments, and I honestly think it really comes down to if you enjoy Hollywood-type books or not. It is, however, a perfect book for a simple light rainy day read. Although it was nothing special or extraordinary, it wasn't completely terrible either. It was just another story with a typical Hollywood ending.
June 2, 2014
2.5 stars
I definitely think there is a subset of readers out there that will love Catch a Falling Star, by Kim Culbertson. I just wasn’t one of them. I think the book had potential, and I really liked the premise and title of the book, but overall the story fell a bit flat for me.
I liked Carter. I think her reasons for taking the job as Hollywood star Adam Jake’s pretend girlfriend were pretty sound. I liked Adam well enough. I think Culbertson did a good job showing us that living a life under constant public scrutiny would splinter even the strongest person into different personalities and make it hard to trust people. I liked Chloe, Carter’s best friend. I never really warmed to Alien Drake, Carter’s other best friend. I think he meant well, but he came off kind of douchey to me. I liked Carter’s parents, though maybe not the best examples of hands on parenting that I’ve come across. I liked the small town setting, and I liked the café as a home base for so much of the story.
I didn’t like Parker. He seemed slimy and self-serving, though perhaps a good representation of a manager. I really wouldn’t know. I didn’t really like John. Again, probably a good representation of someone with a gambling addiction, and he provided some darkness and drama to the story. It just felt slightly removed from the main story line.
I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of a script for Carter and Adam’s love story, and I liked it even less that Parker told Carter not to stray from it. The problem for me is that it was hard for the developing relationship between Carter and Adam to feel real when it was scripted. There was no magic there. I never knew whether Adam was sincere or lying, so I just assumed he was lying all the time. I think the story would have benefited from Adam’s point of view. Then at least we might have known when something was real for him. The climax was less of a tidal wave and more like the wake of a boat: rhythmically expected and not very jarring.
Everything just sort of skimmed the surface. Culbertson’s writing was too descriptive for my taste and relied on the surroundings and food way too often. I think I read about the purple sky a dozen times and watched them eat two dozen sandwiches. I’m a detail person, so repetitive gestures stick out like a sore thumb to me. I wanted emotion, not just more emotion but any emotion, whether it was hopelessness and despair or giddy possibility. There was the thread of Carter’s dancing that never really materialized into much. Even the stargazing fell flat as Carter seemed to leave Chloe and Drake high and dry often. And I didn’t find the blog entries all that telling nor did I find much help in them tying together elements of the story, despite thinking the blog idea was cool.
So yeah, the story was just okay for me. I think people who enjoy Sarah Dessen might enjoy this story.
I definitely think there is a subset of readers out there that will love Catch a Falling Star, by Kim Culbertson. I just wasn’t one of them. I think the book had potential, and I really liked the premise and title of the book, but overall the story fell a bit flat for me.
I liked Carter. I think her reasons for taking the job as Hollywood star Adam Jake’s pretend girlfriend were pretty sound. I liked Adam well enough. I think Culbertson did a good job showing us that living a life under constant public scrutiny would splinter even the strongest person into different personalities and make it hard to trust people. I liked Chloe, Carter’s best friend. I never really warmed to Alien Drake, Carter’s other best friend. I think he meant well, but he came off kind of douchey to me. I liked Carter’s parents, though maybe not the best examples of hands on parenting that I’ve come across. I liked the small town setting, and I liked the café as a home base for so much of the story.
I didn’t like Parker. He seemed slimy and self-serving, though perhaps a good representation of a manager. I really wouldn’t know. I didn’t really like John. Again, probably a good representation of someone with a gambling addiction, and he provided some darkness and drama to the story. It just felt slightly removed from the main story line.
I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of a script for Carter and Adam’s love story, and I liked it even less that Parker told Carter not to stray from it. The problem for me is that it was hard for the developing relationship between Carter and Adam to feel real when it was scripted. There was no magic there. I never knew whether Adam was sincere or lying, so I just assumed he was lying all the time. I think the story would have benefited from Adam’s point of view. Then at least we might have known when something was real for him. The climax was less of a tidal wave and more like the wake of a boat: rhythmically expected and not very jarring.
Everything just sort of skimmed the surface. Culbertson’s writing was too descriptive for my taste and relied on the surroundings and food way too often. I think I read about the purple sky a dozen times and watched them eat two dozen sandwiches. I’m a detail person, so repetitive gestures stick out like a sore thumb to me. I wanted emotion, not just more emotion but any emotion, whether it was hopelessness and despair or giddy possibility. There was the thread of Carter’s dancing that never really materialized into much. Even the stargazing fell flat as Carter seemed to leave Chloe and Drake high and dry often. And I didn’t find the blog entries all that telling nor did I find much help in them tying together elements of the story, despite thinking the blog idea was cool.
So yeah, the story was just okay for me. I think people who enjoy Sarah Dessen might enjoy this story.
November 21, 2015
I’ve had my fair share of stories that feature celebrities falling for the unsuspecting townie. Most of them have been really romantic. Catch a Falling Star, however, was as bland as they come. That’s not to say there wasn’t much to enjoy about this book. And who knows? Maybe it was meant to highlight a realistic portrayal of these type of relationships; and if that was the case, the author was relatively successful. But if you’re expecting to swoon, fall in love, and even develop a mild crush on this celeb, you’d be disappointed. I know I was.
Carter Moon is not what you would expect of a girl from Small Town, USA. While most have dreams of getting out of dodge, she’s perfectly happy helping out at her family’s restaurant. In fact, she won’t even complain if she ends up doing exactly that for the rest of her life. So when a Hollywood Invasion reaches Little, California, she was unprepared for the tremor of changes the caravan brought about. She also did not expect to be at the spotlight when Adam Jakes’ PR team saw all the possibilities of what ‘pretend romance with a small town girl’ could do to the troubled star’s notoriety.
Carter was hesitant at first; She couldn’t find any redeeming qualities to the teen heartthrob. When circumstances backed her into a corner, she finds herself in a scripted romance with the Hollywood It boy. In a surprising twist of fate, Carter would find what she wants out of life through the manufactured relationship she has with Adam. But the question remains, does she have what it takes to pursue a dream that she once put on hold?
It really is about family and friendship. Carter’s family is dealing with the troubles that her older brother brought upon their household. The only thing that boggles the mind is for someone as principled as her mother was, I thought she’d have more of a staunch objection to Carter’s business transaction with Adam’s PR person. Her mother is a supposed activist who’d rather be fighting for the rights of whatever cause she deems relevant. In the meantime, their home life is somewhat in disarray; the parental units seem to have given up hope that they can somehow save their errant son from a sure path to destruction. Carter Moon, however will not have it. So yes, knowing the type of person Carter is, I was not surprise with the ease in which she made the arrangement.
As far as the romance goes, there was no chemistry to speak of between Carter and Adam. He’s all sparkle and shine but there really is not much there. Though, I feel like their relationship progressed as it should since they’re practically strangers. So the basis of being friends first worked well.
Overall, I think readers will be disappointed if it’s romance you’re after. But the book’s strong suit is the friendships and the camaraderie in a small town setting.
Carter Moon is not what you would expect of a girl from Small Town, USA. While most have dreams of getting out of dodge, she’s perfectly happy helping out at her family’s restaurant. In fact, she won’t even complain if she ends up doing exactly that for the rest of her life. So when a Hollywood Invasion reaches Little, California, she was unprepared for the tremor of changes the caravan brought about. She also did not expect to be at the spotlight when Adam Jakes’ PR team saw all the possibilities of what ‘pretend romance with a small town girl’ could do to the troubled star’s notoriety.
Carter was hesitant at first; She couldn’t find any redeeming qualities to the teen heartthrob. When circumstances backed her into a corner, she finds herself in a scripted romance with the Hollywood It boy. In a surprising twist of fate, Carter would find what she wants out of life through the manufactured relationship she has with Adam. But the question remains, does she have what it takes to pursue a dream that she once put on hold?
It really is about family and friendship. Carter’s family is dealing with the troubles that her older brother brought upon their household. The only thing that boggles the mind is for someone as principled as her mother was, I thought she’d have more of a staunch objection to Carter’s business transaction with Adam’s PR person. Her mother is a supposed activist who’d rather be fighting for the rights of whatever cause she deems relevant. In the meantime, their home life is somewhat in disarray; the parental units seem to have given up hope that they can somehow save their errant son from a sure path to destruction. Carter Moon, however will not have it. So yes, knowing the type of person Carter is, I was not surprise with the ease in which she made the arrangement.
As far as the romance goes, there was no chemistry to speak of between Carter and Adam. He’s all sparkle and shine but there really is not much there. Though, I feel like their relationship progressed as it should since they’re practically strangers. So the basis of being friends first worked well.
Overall, I think readers will be disappointed if it’s romance you’re after. But the book’s strong suit is the friendships and the camaraderie in a small town setting.
April 13, 2014
Thanks Netgalley and Publisher for this lovely book! It was worth the read with the adorable chracters and raw emotions. It was a real kind of magic. The kind of magic that let's you discover who you are meant to be. It's the kind of magic that let's you dream and hope and wish. ~Full review to come
More reviews on No Bent Spines
REVIEW
I wanted something real yet magical. I wanted something that gave me a sense of hope. I wanted something fresh and raw and real. And what could be more real than falling in love with a celebrity? I’m kidding! Sort of. I didn’t expect to resonate with the emotions and thought and actions that Carter said or did or felt but I did.
She has the same problems and fears that a lot of teenagers have: the fear of leaving, being away from home. The fear of being forgotten. The fear of change. I mean there are a lot of teens who can’t wait to get out of the town they’ve been stuck in. But I’m a homebody. And this one struck a chord with me that I really didn’t expect. Carter’s emotions for one, the need to save everyone, the fear of failing, I could totally relate to that and for me, that made this book kind of amazing.
Let’s talk about our two main characters and Carter’s amazing friends. Carter and her friend’s relationship was amazing. Her two best friends are dating. There’s something they all love: stars. The night sky and all the metaphor’s in this book amazed me. The way the blog posts related to their lives. They way that the sun and the atmosphere and just the universe in general was all linked back to their own lives never ceased to amazed me. I loved it all. What can I say? I love the sky. Then we have own movie star who starts out as a jerk but then turns out to be a HUGE teddy bear. But even teddy bears have issues and need to put their big boy pants on every once in a while.
I loved how real their characters all are, down to her gambling-addicted brother and down- to- earth parents. Everything, even the movie and acting roles felt like something that could happen. This book felt like hope.
This novel is constructed with fake roles and real feelings. It’s a mash up of choreographed kisses and romantic tours. Catch a Falling Star is a story stuffed with secrets and fears and two people- who are ultimately star crossed- trying to figure out where they belong in the world. This book is a mash up of real problems, real people and is basically the definition of self- discovery.
In total, this book was a pleasant surprise. Also that title is perfect? Catch a falling star, but who’s the one falling? And who really needs to be saved?
See you tonight, under the sky.
~Jackie
More reviews on No Bent Spines
REVIEW
I wanted something real yet magical. I wanted something that gave me a sense of hope. I wanted something fresh and raw and real. And what could be more real than falling in love with a celebrity? I’m kidding! Sort of. I didn’t expect to resonate with the emotions and thought and actions that Carter said or did or felt but I did.
She has the same problems and fears that a lot of teenagers have: the fear of leaving, being away from home. The fear of being forgotten. The fear of change. I mean there are a lot of teens who can’t wait to get out of the town they’ve been stuck in. But I’m a homebody. And this one struck a chord with me that I really didn’t expect. Carter’s emotions for one, the need to save everyone, the fear of failing, I could totally relate to that and for me, that made this book kind of amazing.
Let’s talk about our two main characters and Carter’s amazing friends. Carter and her friend’s relationship was amazing. Her two best friends are dating. There’s something they all love: stars. The night sky and all the metaphor’s in this book amazed me. The way the blog posts related to their lives. They way that the sun and the atmosphere and just the universe in general was all linked back to their own lives never ceased to amazed me. I loved it all. What can I say? I love the sky. Then we have own movie star who starts out as a jerk but then turns out to be a HUGE teddy bear. But even teddy bears have issues and need to put their big boy pants on every once in a while.
I loved how real their characters all are, down to her gambling-addicted brother and down- to- earth parents. Everything, even the movie and acting roles felt like something that could happen. This book felt like hope.
This novel is constructed with fake roles and real feelings. It’s a mash up of choreographed kisses and romantic tours. Catch a Falling Star is a story stuffed with secrets and fears and two people- who are ultimately star crossed- trying to figure out where they belong in the world. This book is a mash up of real problems, real people and is basically the definition of self- discovery.
In total, this book was a pleasant surprise. Also that title is perfect? Catch a falling star, but who’s the one falling? And who really needs to be saved?
See you tonight, under the sky.
~Jackie
October 5, 2014
This was really great. It felt like a true coming of age story, about a girl trying to figure out her life and reconcile all parts of it.
I picked up because I was interested in the movie star aspect, but, in some ways, I was a little dissatisfied with that aspect of it. I don't think I ever quite got to know Adam and his motivations well enough. There were lots of hints, but it didn't really come together. But I did buy his and Carter's relationship as a really great friendship.
But, mostly, I loved this for feeling like it was about real people and their struggles and growing up and trying to figure out what you want, especially when it's not what the world seems to think you should want.
I picked up because I was interested in the movie star aspect, but, in some ways, I was a little dissatisfied with that aspect of it. I don't think I ever quite got to know Adam and his motivations well enough. There were lots of hints, but it didn't really come together. But I did buy his and Carter's relationship as a really great friendship.
But, mostly, I loved this for feeling like it was about real people and their struggles and growing up and trying to figure out what you want, especially when it's not what the world seems to think you should want.
December 5, 2018
I loved this book! I am not one for realistic fiction but this one really caught my attention. I loved the plot and storyline and would definitely recommend the book. It's basically about how a teenage girls life is changed when she falls in love with a movie star and they start hanging out. I thought it was a little sappy but overall a great book!
June 13, 2020
Such a good book. This is my first contemporary novel I've read in a long time and I freaking loved it.
February 9, 2023
I literally love this book so much. Little, California is my home ❤️
AND CARTER AND ADAM ARE MY OTP. NO ARGUMENT
AND CARTER AND ADAM ARE MY OTP. NO ARGUMENT
Displaying 1 - 30 of 976 reviews