The Life History of a Star

Rating:
Summary: A Compelling Novel
Review: Kristin Folger is your normal 14-year-old-girl living in the 1970's. Aside from the fact that she's somewhat of a genius, has "the ghost" (really her brother David who returned from the war only to never be the same) living in the attic and keeping her awake at night, and a grandmother whom tells her all about her sex life. But when her parents announce that they're getting a separation, David dies, and her best friend Carol elopes with her ... boyfriend Freddie, she turns to reading and her older brother Bobby.

This is a wonderfully written novel. Reading this book is like reading a letter from your best friend. Kristin is not only cynical, but hilarious, and mishaps with her and her family will either have you crying or rolling on the floor laughing. Kelly Easton has an extremely bright future.

Rating:
Summary: Laugh Out Loud Funny
Review: Poor Kristin- her body's changing shape, theres a ghost living in her attic and her best friend is in love with her. It's 1973, and Kristin is worried about the ghost in her attic. One of her best friends is growing without her- and well the other is in love with her. This book is one of the funniest I have read yet- I reccomend you read this if you're looking for a good laugh.

Rating:
Summary: Get a feel for the '60s.
Review: Stars are very volatile objects floating in outer space; they form spontaneously, when conditions are right, and disappear without notice. Kristin Folger is a star of her own, forming her identity, developing in the '60s. One might think that growing up in the '60s was easy, but let's get real --- being a teen is hard in any decade. So here she is, turning 15, self conscious --- and I'm reading her diary. Kristin is cool, smart, and she has some very interesting views on life.

The Folger family is made up of five people --- one of whom is a "ghost." There's Kristin, her older brother Bobby, and her mother and father. That makes four. David, Kristin's oldest brother, dwells in the attic. Left traumatized by the Vietnam War, both Kristin and Bobby long for the day when David will come back. While Kristin is dealing with this, she also has to try and fight off Simon, her way cool friend, who, after hitting puberty, is now hitting on her. And along with the typical traumas befalling the female teen, Kristin must also deal with Carol, her quasi best friend, who is getting married in high school. Who knows what will happen to this star...

Kelly Easton writes seamlessly as she describes this whirlwind of experiences. If you read THE LIFE HISTORY OF A STAR, you will definitely get a feel for the '60s. Through the eyes of Kristin, the book's heroine, readers get an intimate portrait of what life was like for a normal suburban teen. (Although normal doesn't describe her accurately; anyone who reads this book will be able to identify with her.) And sometimes we need to read about somebody else's life --- to take our minds of our own.

--- Reviewed by Lisa Marx




Rating:
Summary: The Life History of a Star
Review: The book The Life History of a Star by Kelly Easton is about a girl who writes about all the problems in her life. She has a ghost in her attic. But really it is her brother back from the Vietnam War. But he is so sick that she calls him the ghost. Her mom and dad are getting a divorce because her mom doesn't like him anymore. Her best friend is going out with this guy. Her life is a total mess. I don't recommend this book to anyone. This book is pretty much a book about how depressing someone's life can really get. If you really do feel like finding out what happens to Kristen then read the book The Life History of a Star.

Rating:
Summary: funny, slow
Review: The Life History of a Star by. Kelly Easton was a diary of a 14 year old girl from the 70's named Kristin Folger. Just like any teenage girl she was growing up and going through body change. Kristin is a girl with a dry cynical humor which gets old after awhile. This somewhat genius of a girl wrote this dairy expressing how she copes with her friend dating someone she dislikes, her and her parents always arguing, her grandma telling her about her sex life, and 'the ghost' in the attic who we later discover to be her brother David. Kristin calls him 'the ghost' because after returning from the Vietnam War he was different, never the same. When the family got the announcement that there parents were getting separated, David died, and Kristin was able to express herself in her diary and put us in the moment. I think that Kelly Easton's intentions for writing this book were to show kids that even if you are going through a lot if you talk about it or write it in a diary, and make the best out of it you will get through it a lot quicker. If I were to rate this book from 1-10, I would probably rate it a 7. This is because the book is funny at some parts and at the same time it taught you a lot about how to deal with growing up and going through hard times. Also it was kind of slow in telling you about the history of 'the ghost' and her cynical humor got old after awhile.

Rating:
Summary: Life History- Oustanding
Review: The LIFE HISTORY OF A STAR is definitely my favorite book of the year. The heroine, Kristin Folger brought me right back to the agonies and ecstasies of adolescence. I loved her spunk, vitality, intelligence, humor, and vulnerability. She was so vital and real to me that I felt sad to finish the book. I laughed and I cried, and I couldn't put the book down. Easton is a talented new writer, and I look forward to her next book eagerly. I hope there will be a sequel to The Life History Of A Star. The characters were so vibrant and unforgettable; it was hard to say good-bye to them at the end of the book.

Rating:
Summary: Life History of a star
Review: This book is a work of sheer genius. It made me laugh and tugged at my heart strings. I have never read a book like this before. It's almost a hymm or prayer. She must have had help from the angels in the universe. I did not want to put it down. I wanted it to go on and on. Oprah Winfry should review it. She would love it. This is a gift for people from age 10 to age 100. This book should get the Newberry Book prize. It deserves it. I have read works of hers before. But this one takes the cake!

...

Rating:
Summary: brilliant satire
Review: This book is masterpiece: funny and intense. A great read for adults as well as teens.

Rating:
Summary: This book is great! (so are diaries)
Review: This book, "The Life History of a Star", is a really great book, if you ask me. It is a diary, in which Kristin,14, records her thoughts and feelings about the 70's, her brother David (who she calls "the Ghost" because of his experiences in the Vietnam War.), her friends, the 70's, and everything else that goes on around her. Even though it is sad in the end, (I won't say why, because some of you reading this might not have read this book) all's well that ends well. (It also mentions The Beatles, my FAVORITE group!)

Rating:
Summary: A great book for all ages
Review: This is a great book about a teenage girl living in the 70s and how she is coping with everything, such as with her best friend dating someone she doesn't like, about her parents arguing all the time, about "the ghost" living in the attic, and about school. I can even relate to some of the people she mentions. I give this book 5 stars, and recommend it to anyone.