They're Not Your Friends

by Irene Zutell

Look Out for Falling Stars Charlotte Lottie Love has a thing for celebrity. Actually, it's more of an obsession. All her life she's lurked in the shadows of Hollywood, desperate to step into the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1400097584
• ISBN13: 9781400097586
• Release Date: June 2005
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press (CA)
• Length: 280 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

An up close look at the rich and famous, and the wannabes who investigate their lives...

Charlotte "Lottie" Love is a celebrity monger. Since she was a small child she has done nothing but lurk in the shadows of the rich and famous, dying for a taste of the good life. So when she lands a gig at Personality Magazine, she feels as if she's hit the big-time. After all, she spends her days and nights rubbing elbows with the rich and famous, and her hot-pink Rolodex is brimming with celebrity numbers. But she's heard the all-time famous saying, "They're not your friends," from Lem Brac, a British boozer who works for the magazine. Like he knows anything. Lem Brac, on the other hand, may be a boozehound, but he knows what he's talking about. After all, when he was Lottie's age, he, too, had fallen for a celebrity. One who made him want to sing out loud, but he soon discovered that "They're not your friends." Which is exactly what Lem tells the new boy at Personality Magazine, Mike Posner, when he turns up from Rochester. Mike acts like a hotshot reporter from New York City, but he's hiding some big secrets about his supposed "tabloid" career. Secrets that could cost him everything. And what does he care if "They're not your friends." He's not looking to make friends in this industry. It was evident from page one that Irene Zutell knows exactly what she's talking about, when she pinpoints the entertainment magazine market in THEY'RE NOT YOUR FRIENDS. From her descriptions of what reporters do to land a big story, to the various embellishments they lace around their stories, THEY'RE NOT YOUR FRIENDS uncovers it all. Zutell is a great writer, whose characters are intriguing, and very true-to-life, from their imperfections, to their cheats, even to their alcoholism. An up close look at the rich and famous, and the wannabes who investigate their lives. Erika Sorocco Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

A fantastic read!

This is one of those rare books that I couldn't put down until I was finished. And once I was finished, I missed the characters so much I was already craving a sequel! I found myself laughing outloud in spots and close to tears in others. I also found myself shocked by the way Zutell can weave plots and subplots together. Zutell can write and tell a story! Plus, she has her hand on the pulse of Hollywood like no other! This was the best book I've read this summer!

If you like "Entourage," you'll love this book.

My girlfriend devoured this book in a single rainy afternoon, so I felt compelled to check it out. This ain't chick lit. It's a cool read with characters so vivid, you'll hear their voices in your head (especially Lottie Love moaning, "you're number one!") Instead of the usual star perspective, the story unfolds through the eyes of 3 desperate journalists scavenging for gossip crumbs to feed the voracious appetite of a public screaming "I wanna know!" Goaded by a menacing editrix whose every dictum is redolent with threat and insult, they burn their youthful energy trying to reach stars as fake as dots on a planetarium ceiling. Zutell ties a knot of anxiety in your stomach as you race with Lottie (slammin', smart, vulnerable), Mike (ersatz reporter) and Lem (the pickled prophet) in pursuit of gossip's holy grail - a reclusive TV star. Then she loosens the knot with belly laughs - if you like dark humor. As the story zooms, the characters' egos, veneers and prides slough off like loose plaster until each stands naked - but beautifully sculpted and defined by truth. Lottie, perhaps the wisest of the bunch, realizes it's gonna be a tough career and uses her eye-popping charms to ensnare the TV star and maybe extract herself from the fray. But lookout, Lottie. With Tom & Katie, BradJolina and Ben & Jen the 2nd elbowing global conflagration from the headlines, this book is strangely relevant. Hollywood seems a snake pit and celeb "journalism" a tough gig. But not if you get to spend time on a stake-out with Lottie. Yum!

Irene Zutell knows Hollywood

This book was far better than most chick lit,funny,smart & you can tell Zutell understands Hollywood politics.Most books about LA are just so predictable this book kept me interested & there was more to it it than I expected. Definitly a step up from most books in this genre!!!!

fabulous satire

Valley girl Charlotte "Lottie" Love promises her dying mother that she will never become an actress. To keep her death bed vow, but taste Tinseltown, Lottie becomes a correspondent reporting on the misbehavior of the stars for Personality magazine. Her boss assumes Lottie is a bimbo wannabe so she plans to prove to him that she is a serious entertainment reporter by obtaining an interview with media reticent rising star Chris Mercer. She has two prime rivals. British journalistic has-been Lem Brac, who desperately misses the three martini lunch paid for by his "clients" hopes Mercer is his return ticket to the classy bars. The other adversary, the magazine brass' favorite son New Yorker Mike Posner, has reported numerous exclusives that he made up. As the trio struggles to be the feature gossip columnist, ethics is flushed down the commode. The key characters are stereotypes coming out of gossip magazine casting 101 starring in a shallow plot that readers will love and laugh. The office wars are cleverly handled with zingers and dirty tricks yet an interesting code is adhered to especially by the three competitors. The cosmetic surgery reminds this reviewer of two mercenaries in Swamp Thing comparing injuries. In other words nothing is sacred in THEY'RE NOT YOUR FRIENDS as Irene Zutell lampoons the ooze at the bottom of the LaLa Land food chain. Harriet Klausner