The Kari AnnAlysis

One day she wakes up normal, a freshman in high school, ready for summer break. The next day, there is paparazzi all over her school telling Dani she is the daughter of a famous actor. She’s never known her dad and has always been told he didn’t want a part in her life. The bombshell Mark Ocean immediately responds Dani is not his daughter, but changes his mind, with his career in mind.

So Dani is headed to California for the summer where she is set up with the prettiest, richest girls she’s ever seen. They accept her like she’s been there forever, and not an import from Michigan. But things aren’t as she expected. Her dad gives up his credit card, which she realizes is much needed to hang with this group of girls, but doesn’t do much for family bonding. She’s living a completely different life than what she is used to and when she finds out who is the one who let the paparazzi in on her mom’s little secret about who her dad is, she’s not sure if her old life is a place she wants to go back to.

And don’t fret, it’s not all rich, spoiled girls and credit cards and outrageous parties and beach clubs. Of course there are boys. I mean, you don’t need much more than Dani’s rich and handsome dad. I imagine Eric Dane, AKA McSteamy from Grey’s Anatomy playing this role. There’s also the resident CA hottie whom no girl can seem to tame and the dorky by CA standards brother of Dani’s new beautiful friend to keep you company.

What a story. When most of us east coasters think of California, we think of the rich and famous and the beautiful. Dani has a chance to jump into that life, but realizes that money isn’t everything. It sure doesn’t help with her relationship. I know many of us wish we could make a few more bucks on our paycheck and it might make our lives easier, but we’ve always heard “you can’t buy love.” It takes so much more to make everything picture perfect.

I can’t imagine a life not knowing who my dad was then realizing he is one of the most famous men in the world. I couldn’t imagine jumping into those shoes, but Jessica Park did a pretty good job of painting an easily believable picture for me that made me feel like I was poolside with Dani through most of the book.

It’s hard not to like Dani in this book. She is smart and funny and seems to fit in with any group she is thrown into. From the time she finds out who her dad is, you are rooting for her. You hope that it works out for her because she is so likable and you want her to be happy.

This is a lot for a 14-year-old girl to go through, but in just a few short months, Dani learns about love, in a new way that isn’t just for your mom. She learns about friendship, through the good and the bad, and learns to take what is thrown at you, run with it and make the best of it.

I give Relatively Famous 4 bookmarks and thank Jessica Park for sending me a review copy!

ISBN: 978-1453645642
Release Date: July 28, 2010
Author Website
Kari got this book in e-form from the author

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