Cathy Hopkins

Zodiac Girls: Discount Diva

admin — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 13:06:00 +0000

Discount Diva is a fun book for pre-teens eager to read as a hobby. The main character in the book, Tori, who is a Tarus, comes from a poor family and longs to have the finer things in life. When Tori finds out she is a Zodiac Girl, she thinks her days of wearing secondhand clothing is over, but is it? In the age of technology, I know I find myself reading my horoscope to find out what my day, month, and year will be like. But it’s not that easy. In _Discount Diva _it’s up to each girl to listen to the stars and turn her dilemma into a moment to shine.

Best selling author Cathy Hopkins does a wonderful job at writing for young adults. Before becoming a writer she worked as an aroma therapist and was a singer in a rock band. This book is a great read for any pre-teen girl who has an active imagination.

Written by: Tamekia Fain-Lovett, December 27th 2007

Zodiac Girls: From Geek to Goddess

admin — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 12:44:00 +0000

By Cathy Hopkins

Kingfisher

Zodiac Girls: From Geek to Goddess by Cathy Hopkins is a re-telling of one of the oldest stories around. Girl goes to new school where she doesn’t know anyone, gets picked on by the school bully and fails to make the team, or in this case, the school play. Eventually, through misadventures and valuable life lessons, she comes to love herself, make friends and stick it to the aforementioned bully. What makes this re-telling different from all the others? Astrology. The heroine of From Geek to Goddess, Gemma, is chosen to be a Zodiac Girl. This means that for one month the planets, stars and a few Greek gods will help her on her journey from loner loser to queen bee.

Great premise, but the execution of the actual story was lacking. Hopkins tries to shove too many events into too few pages. Instead of just a couple of main events, we get several small, quick adventures that don’t really connect, giving the book a disjointed feeling. Also, for a book that’s supposed to involve magic and mythology, there’s not that much in the way of the supernatural that happens. It’s hinted at that several characters are Greek gods, but we never get to see them do anything superhuman. Most of the otherworldly help Gemma receives is via a magic cell phone and website, and even then, she is mostly just given vague, daily horoscopes that she could have read in the newspaper.

Still, the book does have its merits, the biggest of which being the character of Gemma herself. Outgoing, impulsive and fairly confident, Gemma does not mope when things go wrong, but instead looks for new and different ways to makes friends and improve her social life. She is positive and self-reliant, neither a goody-goody nor a brat. A good role model for any young girl.

Though not destined to become a classic, From Geek to Goddess would probably be an entertaining read for a child interested in Greek mythology or astrology. Even if they are not impressed with the story, the astrology wheel and Gemini Fun Facts page at the back of the book should be enough to make it worth their while.

Written by: Victoria Kroeger, July 1st 2007

Zodiac Girls: Recipe for Rebellion

admin — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 20:40:00 +0000

By Cathy Hopkins

Kingfisher

Cathy Hopkins has sold millions of books, most of them written for teenage girls. After reading her latest book, Zodiac Girls: Recipe for Rebellion, I credit her popularity with a tone that both accurately captures the anxieties of adolescent life, and also achieves a likeability of character that is the key to most of today’s popular literature. Formerly an art school student, rock singer, aromatherapist and teacher of meditation techniques, Hopkins has an edge to her, a wit and style only found in people who have lived life outside of the lines to a certain degree. And this comes through in her characters.

Recipe for Rebellion is the story of Danu Harvey Jones, a motherless thirteen-year-old whose father has left for the archeological expedition of a lifetime and foisted her off on his sister, a workaholic attorney. Danu hates having to leave her home, her pets and her friends, and hates the cold high rise her aunt lives in. So, she plots to get herself sent back home by dreadlocking her hair, adopting a scowl and acting out in class. Unfortunately these tactics only increase her loneliness and isolation, until she meets a magical stranger who informs her that she is this month’s "zodiac girl."

While the plot and characters are interesting and engaging enough to stand up on their own, the key to the Zodiac Girls series is that each book is centered on an astrological sign, Recipe’s being Sagittarius. And through the foil of fantastical characters - people who represent planets and all live together in one small, needless-to-say very funky town - Hopkins manages to give a solid overview of astrology to her reader. Anyone not familiar with astrology would have a much better idea of what it is all based on and how it all works after reading a book in this series. That in and of itself is a reason I’d recommend this over most other teen chick-lit books. It is informative as well as incredibly entertaining.

Written by: Jen Wilson Lloyd, June 19th 2007