Girl of the Moment

By Lizabeth Zindel

Book Overview

"In the Wake of the Surge" is a gripping first-person narrative that tells the story of the Kurds, the Arabs, and the Americans in Iraq during one of the most violent and wrenching periods in that country's history. Award-winning foreign correspondent Michael J. Totten visited Iraq seven times between 2005 and 2009, first as a "unilateral" freelance journalist without a gun in the Kurdish autonomous region, and then as an embedded reporter with the U.S. Army and Marine Corps in Baghdad, Sadr City, Ramadi, and Fallujah. He was there at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of General David Petraeus' "surge" of combat troops to Iraq and saw first-hand how young men from places like Florida and Texas pacified a relentless insurgency-an insurgency that most people, during the darkest days of the war, assumed would be victorious. "In the Wake of the Surge" is a bracing story of war in a tormented country by a writer who has spent enough time in the Middle East to know there are few happy endings, but who nevertheless was a witness when Iraqis and Americans drove each other to the brink of the abyss before managing, against all odds and at the very last second, to pull back and save themselves from utter catastrophe. Praise for Michael J. Totten "I think of only a certain number of people as having risen to the intellectual and journalistic challenges of the last few years, and Michael J. Totten is one of them." - Paul Berman, author of "Terror and Liberalism" "Michael J. Totten...practices journalism in the tradition of Orwell: morally imaginative, partisan in the best sense of the word, and delivered in crackling, rapid-fire prose befitting the violent realities it depicts. An unabashed classical liberal, Totten brings his political commitments and emotional intelligence to bear on the dramatic events he witnesses. As a result, he ends up far more clearsighted than the many analysts who claim 'objectivity' but share neither his love of the region and its inhabitants nor his concern for its future." - Sohrab Ahmari, "Commentary" "Michael J. Totten is a one of a rare breed. Moving from front to front, he brings experience and context and the willingness to go where few men dare." - Michael Yon, author of "Moment of Truth in Iraq" "Michael J. Totten, to my mind, is one of the world's most acute observers of Middle East politics. He is also an absolutely fearless reporter, both physically-he has explored the darkest corners of Middle East extremism-and morally." - Jeffrey Goldberg, author of "Prisoners: A Story of Friendship and Terror" Praise for "The Road to Fatima Gate" "A terrific book about a terrifying and beautiful part of the world." - Benjamin Kerstein, "Jewish Ideas Daily" columnist "It is extremely rare to read such an accurate account of anything to which one was oneself a witness." - Christopher Hitchens, author of "God is Not Great" "A thriller in which a daredevil reporter puts himself in harm's way in search of the inside story of some of the most dangerous outfits in the world." - Amir Taheri, "Asharq al-Awsat" "Outstanding...it grabbed me so quickly that I ended up lost in it." - Claire Berlinski, "Ricochet"

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0142411043
• ISBN13: 9780142411049
• Release Date: March 2008
• Publisher: Speak
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 4.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.2" x 0.8" x 5.5"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

Be Careful What You Wish For...

Lily Miles has just finished her junior year of high school and is ready for her internship with the New York Museum of Modern Art over the summer before senior year. This will look great on her college application to Brown. As luck would have it, due to funding cuts her internship is a no go. Lily's luck picks up when her dad's unlikely college alumni connections land her a job as personal assistant to teen movie star Sabrina Snow. Will this be Lily's dream job or a case of be careful what you wish for? Sabrina's requests of Lily include having her sign Sabrina's name to photographs for her fan club, putting up with Sabrina's friends, and making runs to a secret store for her diet pills. Also thrown in the mix is Sabrina's cute California boyfriend, Bronson, who is visiting her in New York for the summer. Lily tries to be the best personal assistant ever with pressure to succeed from Sabrina and her dad. Bronson reminds her that she should lighten up and may see something in her that he doesn't see in Sabrina. Will they give in to their attraction? I thought this was a light, quick read. Is it predictable? Yes. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the job will turn into a disaster when working for a movie star that never hears the word no. But it's still a fun read that I definitely recommend.

Book of the Moment =)

Lemme start out by saying that I broke an important rule in the Book Lover's Code of Conduct. "Don't judge a book by its cover." I mean, the cover of this book is amazing, I couldn't stop staring at it, so I just got the book. Then, later, I thought I would regret it, but thank God I didn't! This book is great. It's a fast read, and it's really well-written. I like how the author didn't make Sabrina Snow like all the other teen pop stars in fiction. At the beginning of the book, Sabrina seems like a sweet girl, until you dig into her territory (including her boyfriend). Near the end, that's where her true personality comes out. To sum things up, Lily Miles gets a job as an intern for rising star, Sabrina Snow. She thinks everything will be fabulous, but it's so hard to work for someone like Sabrina, who can be demanding. Very demanding. Mixed up with all of Lily's mess-ups is a forbidden kind of romance, and the lesson of staying true to yourself. This book has morals in it, and it gives you a sneek peek into the life of the glamorous. I really enjoyed it. Hope to read more from Lizabeth Zindel soon.

an interesting, amusing peek at the rewards and challenges of working for a famous movie starlet

Lily is determined to become an intern for the summer, but her first job is cancelled --- which works out to her advantage when 16-year-old Hollywood movie star sensation Sabrina Snow needs someone to work for her. Lily is ecstatic to interview, even though getting the job would mean missing out on going to camp with her best friend and not seeing her crush, Max. The interview goes well, although Lily ends up selling her nude drawing of Max (created from imagination) to Sabrina at the star's insistence. Before committing to hiring her, Sabrina invites Lily to attend Sabrina's movie premiere, where she manages to fall down on the red carpet. Lily is in charge of dog-sitting Sabrina's little pooch, Mercedes --- who gets away from her and urinates on Sabrina's director. Sabrina is furious with Lily, but she's even angrier when she notices that Lily is dancing with Sabrina's hunky, funny and nice boyfriend, Bronson. Happily for Lily, Sabrina still hires her, although the star warns her in no uncertain terms to stay away from Bronson. One of Lily's jobs is sending form letter answers to those who write mail to Sabrina. One letter, in which the fan pleads for Sabrina's help dealing with cruel school bullies, haunts her. However, when Lily tries to get Sabrina involved, the young star simply scoffs. Meanwhile, Lily jeopardizes her job by letting someone not on the list into a press gathering, and the person makes trouble. Sabrina goes all out to make Lily look ridiculous in front of Bronson, who continues to befriend her. Meanwhile, Lily can't get the desperate fan letter writer out of her mind. What can she do? Lily realizes she's headed for trouble but can't seem to stop her life from careening out of control. GIRL OF THE MOMENT is an interesting, amusing peek at the rewards and challenges of working for a famous movie starlet. Although a few of the plot twists seem slightly far-fetched, and Sabrina and her friends are predictable stock characters, this was an enjoyable read with a surprising amount of substance beneath the froth. --- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon

Book of the Moment

I was apprehensive to start reading this book because I thought it would be too geared toward the younger teens. On the contrary, I found that it has a mature underlying theme and will spark discussion on the true happiness of the teen starlets we see in the headlines everyday. But don't let that fool you into thinking it has no edge. The characters are incredibly relatable to a teenage girl. I found myself recognizing some of the personalities of the characters as people I know. Not to mention it is always fun to speculate on who the starlet is supposed to be. It is a quick read (I read it in less than a day) and has a plot that reads more like a gossip column than a novel. Girl of the Moment captures your interest from the first sentence and doesn't let go until the last. I hope everyone can enjoy this book as much as I did.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Lily gave up her regular summer of soccer camp. Her final summer before her senior year. Why would she do that? Well, if she wanted to get into her college of choice, Brown University, she seriously needed an internship to make her stand out in her college applications. Lily has an internship lined up at a Manhattan art museum and it will look fabulous when she applies. Except it falls through. No soccer camp (which is where her best friend and potential boyfriend are) and no internship. No Brown University. Well, connections come through and she ends up being an intern for "Sabrina Snow." (She can't tell readers the real identity of this famous teenage star so we have to imagine her as someone like Lindsay Lohan or Paris Hilton). Lily's luck seems to be in her favor. She gets to hang out with this famous teenager, go to super parties, and shop at exclusive stores. But it isn't that easy. Sabrina's manager wants Lily to call him if Sabrina's behavior is negative, harmful, or questionable. Sabrina wants Lily to assist her with everything and to not get in her way. What's a girl to do? Lily learns a great deal about Sabrina, celebrity life, and herself. This is a fun book by new author, Lizabeth Zindel. It's full of dramedy, pop culture, and provides an insider look into a world that seems so glamorous. Or is the grass just greener? Read GIRL OF THE MOMENT to find out. Reviewed by: Dianna Geers