To cut a long story short, we won the national pop starlet auditions and here we are today. A little bit more than famous – the nation’s most well-known pop starlet group.
Strictly Stars is told from the point of view of Kiara, who with her friends Sam, Gardenia and Britney won a national pop starlet competition. Now they are back at school with their song ‘Wannabe’ at the top of the pop charts. Life is good, everyone wants to know them. Everyone except disgraced former Strictly Stars member Alithia, who tells them they will soon be has-beens, yesterday’s news. A mysterious new singer, Thailia appears and her song races up the charts. As Thailia’s song heads to Number One, the Strictly Stars are struggling to maintain their place. If they fall too far, their planned tour will be cancelled. Someone is sending the girls emails, nasty ones designed to cause trouble. After resolving their misunderstandings, the Strictly Stars girls work together to discover who is trying to destroy them.
Strictly Stars is the sequel to Pop Starlets. While Strictly Stars reads well as a stand alone, readers who enjoy this book might well be tempted to look out for Pop Starlets. Kiara and her friends are a diverse bunch, living the dream of many young girls. Alithia and her mother are nasty villains, yet they do help to highlight the transience of fame and the lengths some will go to in achieving it. There is also a message about the work involved in being a pop star. This is a quickly moving story, suitable for 8-11 year old girls.
Strictly Stars, by Josie Montana
Lothian Children’s Books
ISBN: 9780734404466
This book is available online at Fishpond.