Crystal

By Walter Dean Myers

Book Overview

Crystal is beautiful. She is an up-and-coming model--and she loves it. With Mama pushing her and her tough-as-nails agent selling her, Crystal knows she can be a superstar. But when the dark side of the glamorous modeling world threatens to envelop her, Crystal must decide on her own what she wants more--to be a beautiful model, or to be herself. Originally published in 1987 and now fully updated, Crystal is a brave and honest exploration of one girl's struggle for self-worth and integrity.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0064473120
• ISBN13: 9780064473125
• Release Date: May 2002
• Publisher: Amistad Books for Young Readers
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 4.5" x 6.9"
• Age Range: 13 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 8 and higher

Customer Reviews

::Crystal::

Crystal is 16-year-old girl who has the begging stage of a modeling carrier, in her hometown New York. At first modeling is exciting for Crystal but soon it becomes less about her and more about her body/appearances. When her friend Rowena goes to the hospital over stress and trying to kill her self, Crystal realizes modeling is hard work and not fun and games. Especially when she has a big movie deal with the famous movie writer, Joe Sidney, he tries to get in her pants and make her do things she doesn't want to do, like change her name. Crystal also has the pressure to model from her mom, who could have been a model too but never through with her aspirations, and her dad, who wants Crystal to experience different things but also make a good living. This book had allot of different conflicts but the only thing that really irritated me was that they wouldn't say the problem was resolved or something else happened you would just have to keep reading and figure it in the next chapter, which was very frustrating but kept me reading! I thought this book was well written and had a very good plot line. When the plot line got stared it seemed like it would be predictable and the more you read it wouldn't go as predictable as you would think. I also think this was a good book because it showed a different side of modeling and its not all about the glamour and being famous. It made you think about the dark side of some models have to do. The only bad thing about the book was that the ending wasn't very interesting, it just basically wrapped of the book up and finished with a bad ending, I think the ending would have been okay if their was a sequel to Crystal that explained more about her decision and her life more.

4.5, really. Well-researched, brilliantly told.

CRYSTAL is a fine book with an important message. I love the vivid pictures of the modeling world, and the way Crystal herself is such a real girl. She's beautiful, but you won't hate her for being so lucky, because Myers keeps her real and presents the downsides of modeling and Crystal's life being devoured by it. While it's aimed at girls ages 10-14, older girls would enjoy it also. The only reason I took of half a star is the ending. I won't spoil that for you, but if you've read it, maybe you noticed that Crystal has no ther talents, as far as we know, besides her modeling. If Myers had developed her poetry more, or schoolwork or acting or anything, given her a talent besides being gorgeous, then I would be more satisfied. Perhaps she could have gone into a different, less sexy kind of modeling; cereal ads, TV commercials, whatever; or maybe she could have a talent like poetry (which she has, but it's not mentioned very often) that she could turn to. But I really loved this book. Myers is so good at thinking as Crystal would: for example, Crystal is meeting a new person, and it says something like "In her mind, Crystal made the woman up. Powder, a less ridiculous lip color, mascara...it didn't help." Of course, a model would think of make up. It's so perfectly told. I also like the fact that Crystal is black, and beautiful. It teaches African-American girls that they don't need pink apple cheeks and golden hair to be pretty--and also, that your looks are tiny compared to what's inside you. All in all, it's a terrific book, well-researched and brilliantly told. Read it!

pretty good (no pun intended, well maybe! lol)

This was a nice book. It really made you see the modeling world from a whole different point of view. I liked it!

Great book for kids and adults alike!

This book is not your average fairy tale! It shows you the true side of modeling and what it takes to get here. This is a great read and will keep you in suspense until the very end!

Crystal Clear

This book is very good, but hard to find! I fouund it at my local library. It is about a 16 year old model named Crystal, and how she's going straight to the top of the modeling world, and how there is another side of her, one that doesn't want to grow up to soon, and sees the dark things in the modeling world, and thinks that the price is too much for her to pay! Read this book!