Last Cut

by Wren Handman

Overview

Caitlin Myers's greatest ambition is to be a star, and she can outshine anyone at her school. But then Lianne comes to town and starts to give Caitlin a run for her money, even getting top billing in the school play. So when Caitlin's offered a bit role as the bikini girl in a low-budget slasher flick, she ignores the warning bells (and her parents), lies about her age, and takes the part. It's not long before Caitlin finds herself out of her element when it comes to bossy directors and experienced film crews. Her only way out is to fess up about her age, but if she does, she'll have to come clean to her parents, her friends, and her boyfriend about the things she's done.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781459401891
Publisher:	James Lorimer & Company Ltd., Publishers
Publication date:	09/12/2012
Series:	Lorimer SideStreets Series
Sold by:	De Marque
Format:	eBook
Pages:	144
Lexile:	820L (what's this?)
File size:	319 KB
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

WREN HANDMAN is an author, playwright, and stage manager who lives in Vancouver, BC. She received her BFA in Creative Writing from the University of Victoria and her MFA in Theatre and Playwriting at UBC. Her short stories have been published in literary magazines such as Crow Toes Quarterly and anthologies such as Revolutions of the Undertones and Voice From the Planet. Her plays have won critical acclaim at the Victoria International Fringe Festival (Best New Play) and the Theatre in the Raw New Play Contest.

Editorial Reviews

A short but gritty story finds a teen stymied by her relentless pursuit of her dream. Seventeen-year-old Caitlin desperately wants to be an actress, defying her parents to skip three weeks of school when she's cast in a real movie. That means she'll have to give up what she's sure will be the lead in her high school production of West Side Story, while a bright and talented new girl both gets the part and befriends Caitlin's neglected best friends. She also won't be able to spend quality time with her boyfriend, Mark, as he pursues his music career. Caitlin pours out lie upon lie to deceive her parents, who forbid her to take the movie job. The production schedule is so heavy that Caitlin finds she can't keep up with her homework, and when the director bullies her into doing a topless scene, she keeps it secret from everyone. Mark gets a real chance in his music career, but Caitlin remains too consumed with her own difficulties to notice. Finally, everything falls into chaos. Handman chooses a subject sure to attract her target audience and guides them into their own realizations about Caitlin and what happens when fantasy meets reality. Her characterizations ring true, adding even more punch to this alluring character study and morality tale. Short but punchy and highly effective. (Fiction. 12 & up)

Kirkus Reviews