Starstruck

Set during the 1930s, this scintillating series opener shines the spotlight on three very different Hollywood hopefuls. Pasadena debutante Margaret Frobisher is discovered at a lunch counter and transforms into Olympus Studios' newest star, Margo Sterling; Gabby Preston spent her childhood performing vaudeville and now takes dangerous drugs to lose weight in her quest for a leading role; and redheaded bombshell Amanda Farraday hopes to hide her not-so-distant past as a paid escort. Through alternating chapters, the protagonists struggle with a controlling studio that dictates their wardrobe, diet, and romantic interests as they pursue the elusive dream of celebrity. Adult author Shukert, in her first book for teens, embeds a mystery at the heart of it all: where did glamorous Diana Chesterfield, the studio's biggest star, disappear to the night of her movie premiere? The characters are types, and Shukert doesn't shy from melodramatic writing ("They melted into each other's arms.... She couldn't tell where she ended and he began"), but this all fits well with the book's film backdrop. Readers will gladly immerse themselves in the almost mythological setting of Hollywood's Golden Age. Ages 12%E2%80%93up. Agent: Rebecca Friedman, Sterling Lord Literistic. (Mar.)