© 2008 All rights reserved. Materials may not be reproduced without express permission of C. Leigh Purtill.
Technical Questions -- Email the web site Head Honcho
ALL ABOUT VEE Reviews
VOYA:
In this coming-of-age, chick-lit novel for teen girls, eighteen-year-old Veronica is a slightly plus-sized belle of the local community theater group in Arizona. She lives with her father and his forever fiancée, May Sanchez, both librarians. Veronica is a member of the Vees, a group of four friends who have pledged friendship and follow a set of rules. Their names begin with the letter V: Veronica, Val, Virginia, and Vivian. Soon after her latest dramatic triumph, things start to go wrong in Veronica's life. She does not get a part in the next production, and her father finally sets a date for his wedding. In a box of old letters, Veronica discovers that her mother went to Hollywood to become an actress, and Veronica sets off for Tinsel Town believing that it is her destiny to follow her mother's path. She stays with one of the Vee's, Vivian, who begins to show her the process and lifestyle of Hollywood wannabees. Veronica begins to question her choice and career. This novel adeptly shows how superficial and difficult the entire Los Angeles/Hollywood scene is. The focus on character and choice from Veronica's perspective is wonderful. The trendy yet substantive take on life issues for young women, such as the struggle for using talent while finding a way in career, friends, and love, makes the book worth purchasing for collections where stories on friendship, jealousy, betrayal, following dreams, and choosing the correct path in life are appreciated. Reviewer: Karen Sykeny
April 2008 (Vol. 31, No. 1)
...she becomes pals with a gay coworker and a paranoid conspiracy theorist one. It is an entertaining heartfelt story. It is great to have a plus size heroine in teen lit who is beautiful and has a great sense of humor. (Pick of the week and can be seen on their home page)
Little Willow
Her upbringing hasn't exactly prepared her for the big city, so she's naive, but she's sweet and confident without being conceited. She's also quite a bit bigger than most of the other girls at the auditions, but she never feels the need to do anything unhealthy or drastic to compete with them or look like them. That's nice to see.
Thanks to C. Leigh for the sweet blog.
This is a story with a good heart. Readers will be drawn to funny, talented Vee, and they will empathize with the plus-sized actress who faces harsh scrutiny by Hollywood casting agents -- and even the owner of the coffee shop where she works. The author is to be applauded for bringing these important body image issues to the forefront -- and for creating a big girl protagonist who stands up for herself (and even though she is much bigger than her skinny friend, Big Vee still gets the guy)
This book made me a little uncomfortable, mostly because it made me remember how selfish I was as a teen. Ms. Purtill is able to evoke all the uncertainty and awkwardness that comes with growing up. Vee grows up over the course of this book and at the same time, she grew on me. She learns about true friendship, strength, self worth, and love. There were some sexual references in this book so I would recommend this for older teens. I expect to see more good stories from this author.
______________________________________________
ALL ABOUT VEE is the story of Veronica May, a plus-sized actress who moves from a tiny little border town in Arizona - where she knows everyone and everyone knows her – to the bright lights and big city of Los Angeles to seek her fame and fortune as a movie star.
Back home in Chester, Veronica, whom her friends Val and Ginny call "Big Vee," is the go-to gal for the local theater. Since she was a wee Vee, she acted in pretty much every show, usually as its female lead because that's just how good she was.
Life in Chester has been comfortable for Veronica, if not exciting: she still lives at home with her father; she has a part-time job at the local drugstore, and she hangs out with her friends, the other Vees. When the story begins, she has just completed a run of "Romeo and Juliet," and the director of the local theater is about to announce the next show. Veronica has been counting on it being the Tennessee Williams play, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" but instead, the director says it will be "Glengarry Glen Ross," a play with no female roles!
Distraught, Veronica finds out things are gonna get a lot worse: the drugstore is closing and she's losing the one job she's ever had and on top of that, Daddy and his longtime fiancée May Sanchez have finally set a date for their wedding. It seems like no one wants or needs Big Vee around anymore.
When Veronica finds a box full of letters from her deceased mother to her father, she discovers that she is in fact a legacy: her mother had moved to LA to be a star too! Big Vee decides that's what she will do too.
In LA, Veronica finds it's not so easy to be the star of the show, that people discriminate against her because of her weight, and that one of her former best friends has changed so much she's barely recognizable. Will she find success and happiness and love in this strange new city? Or will she have to run back home and seek comfort in the arms of her father and good friends? That's the million dollar question in ALL ABOUT VEE.
