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Being Audrey Hepburn A Novel Mitchell Kriegman Books

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Being Audrey Hepburn A Novel Mitchell Kriegman Books

Its chapters are short but intensely engaging,not just about teenage angst or high fashion, there are amusing anecdotal side stories (shopping tactics, glimpses of the lifestyles of the decadent and indulgent in Manhattan and the Hamptons) for a wider audience. The content is well researched, substantive without being overly obsessive. Movie buffs will enjoy the rare nuggets of Audrey Hepburn history; mothers can relate to "Argumageddon" conflicts and ignored texts with daughters; romance readers will get brief, titillating doses of relationship trysts and of course, fashionistas get their fittings of designer names.

Writing language is contemporary, sometimes salty but necessary to keep to its storyline. I don't agree with the earlier review of suspension of disbelief; the plots and subplots are credible; precedents are mentioned. I had trouble with the names of the characters - "Tabitha" may be an upper crust English name but it conjures an image of a regal cat, not a pop princess and the last "Dahlia" I heard of was a tragic victim, not an evil supervillain.

The author's work in "Clarissa" entertained and raised an entire generation of millennials. Given the depth, originality of his first book, I am surprised it hasn't received more buzz.


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Being Audrey Hepburn A Novel Mitchell Kriegman Books Reviews

Review of Being Audrey Hepburn
Hot Toasty Rag, May 8, 2017

I happen to be one, but you don't have to be an Audrey Hepburn fan to enjoy Mitchell Kriegman's Young Adult novel. Even though the classic actress occupies the title and the constant attention of the main character, readers don't have to know anything about her prior to reading the book. The main character uses her love of Audrey Hepburn's poise and confidence as inspiration, a calm in her storm, and eventually, as a model as she explores what kind of adult she wants to become. Audrey is a symbol, and for modern audiences, she can be replaced by any idol. I happen to be an old-movie aficionado, so I appreciated all the film references.

I found myself in constant amazement for Kriegman's talent. Not only does he make the readers forget the first-person teenage girl narrator was created by a man, but he writes with an incredible attention to detail, one that's not usually present in Young Adult novels. In the protagonist's self-discovery, she journeys into the fashion world, the realm of celebrity, and observes recording sessions of her pop-star friend, all the while juggling her secret identity of a blogger stuck in small-time, low-class surroundings. Readers involved in fashion will undoubtedly appreciate Kriegman's spot-on descriptions, as I did during his scenes involving the music business, an industry in which I hold more than a layman's knowledge.

Read this book, if only to experience Mitchell Kriegman's humorous realism. But if you must know the plot, here's a brief blurb A nineteen-year-old Jersey girl fears she will never rise up and out of her home. She tries on the dress Audrey Hepburn wore in Breakfast at Tiffany's (I'm cutting to the chase) and hobnobs among the elite she aspires to join. Before she knows it, she's juggling her new life as an Audrey-reincarnation with her celebrity friends and keeping her Jersey life a secret.

Sounds pretty good, doesn't it? Take my word for it; it is.
Briefly What happens when your average girl with below average finances and a Jersey accent gets stuck in that infamous black Givenchy from Breakfast at Tiffany's? At the Metropolitan Museum of Art? During a hoity toity soirée? And people see you and think you belong? And it feels great to pretend that you are not Just Lisbeth but instead Lisbeth, the Audrey Hepburn-esque party goer?

In her real life, Lisbeth is a retreater. Her life is chaos, from her delinquent little brother, to her escapist sister, to her mother who is always about to snap. Lisbeth's sanctuary has become her closet, where lives a TV and her Audrey Hepburn movie collection. The only family member that she can relate to is Nan, her grandmother who lives nearby in a senior living facility. Nan was a society girl who married her regular guy grandfather, much to Nan's parents' chagrin.

Lisbeth's best friend, Jess, is going to fashion design school and working part-time at the Met. Knowing that Lisbeth is a (literal) closet Audrey Hepburn fan, she texts Lisbeth so she can come and see the dress. Along the lines of a less-wacky version of an I Love Lucy, Lisbeth can't remove the dress. And Jess' boss has returned. So stepping out into a completely different world, Lisbeth's life is forever changed in an instant because of pretending to be someone else.

Didja Like It? The bones of this story allowed for so much potential poor girl stumbles into wealthy world, re-invents herself for the night. However, there is so much going on, that it feels like the stories are not all fully fleshed-out. The most interesting story line involves her Nan. She has saved a lot of couture dresses from when she was a debutante, and Jess is just the person to update them. Lisbeth starts a fashion blog, becomes darling of a fashion icon, and helps her friend Jess in the fashion world. I enjoyed the fashion angle, particularly because the real Audrey Hepburn was a huge fashion icon. (I wrote 'fashion' five times!)

The tortured teen pop icon, poor little rich boy, evil Svengali and the plotting mean girl were over-the-top contrivances. Also, along the way, Lisbeth ignores her family's problems, has to keep her real identity a secret, and just might have chosen the wrong guy. Unfortunately, there's never enough meat on those bones to make us care about any of these people or their problems.

Anything Else to Mention? I couldn't determine whether Lisbeth wanted to be Audrey Hepburn or Don Rickles. The occasional snarky comments did not jibe well with the idea that this girl worshiped someone known for her loveliness, grace and elegance. The plot was very telegraphed, flat and shallow. It was a "tell, not show" sort of book which I deplore.

To Read or Not To Read I didn't like it. Let me know if you did in the comments below.

Being Audrey Hepburn by Mitchell Kriegman was published September 16, 2014 by St. Martin's Griffin. A free copy of this book was given to Ink and Page in return for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, the Publisher and the Author.

Rating 2

Genre Young Adult Fiction Contemporary Romance
Ages 13 and up
You Might Want to Know Mature themes, including underage drinking, drugs, sex.
My granddaughter enjoyed this book
Fun book to read! It kept my interest.
Wonderful story that made me watch Breakfast at Tiffany's and a whole host of other Hepburn classics. Entertaining and well-written.
Its chapters are short but intensely engaging,not just about teenage angst or high fashion, there are amusing anecdotal side stories (shopping tactics, glimpses of the lifestyles of the decadent and indulgent in Manhattan and the Hamptons) for a wider audience. The content is well researched, substantive without being overly obsessive. Movie buffs will enjoy the rare nuggets of Audrey Hepburn history; mothers can relate to "Argumageddon" conflicts and ignored texts with daughters; romance readers will get brief, titillating doses of relationship trysts and of course, fashionistas get their fittings of designer names.

Writing language is contemporary, sometimes salty but necessary to keep to its storyline. I don't agree with the earlier review of suspension of disbelief; the plots and subplots are credible; precedents are mentioned. I had trouble with the names of the characters - "Tabitha" may be an upper crust English name but it conjures an image of a regal cat, not a pop princess and the last "Dahlia" I heard of was a tragic victim, not an evil supervillain.

The author's work in "Clarissa" entertained and raised an entire generation of millennials. Given the depth, originality of his first book, I am surprised it hasn't received more buzz.