Katy Keene - Restless Hearts (a Prequel Novel of the CW TV Show)

I was never a "Katy Keen" fan before the CW television show.  I knew she was an Archie comics character, and I knew that she was involved with the fashion world - but that was literally all I knew about her.  I was never into romance comics, so "fashion" comics held very little interest for me.  And after watching just the first episode of Riverdale (the CW show based on the Archie characters), I never watched another episode of that show.  So, for reasons still unknown to me today, I did watch the first episode of Katy Keene on the CW back in February 2020 just to see what it was like.  And you know what?  I loved it!  So much so, that I watched that entire first season and was totally disappointed when it did not get picked up for a second season.  However, I did pick up the prequel novel written by Stephanie Kate Strohm when it was published in 2020 - and I just know finally got around to reading it.  I'm so glad that I saved it, because it was a thrill to re-enter the world of Katy Keene, even if it was for only this one book...

Restless Hearts was the only CW tie-in novel written in connection with the TV show, and it is a prequel novel that gives some background on the four main characters leading up to that first episode.  Strohm provides readers with alternating points of view, the chapters rotating between the four characters - Katy, Jorge, Pepper, and Josie; then back to Katie again for the rotation to repeat.  Had I not gotten so used to these rotating points of view with the Hardy Boys books over the past decade (has it really been that long?), it might have bothered me here.  As it is, I was able to enjoy it for what it was and not let the changes in points-of-view bother me so much.  Besides, it allowed Strohm to really delve into some of the characterization that the TV show did not have sufficient time to reveal.

Katy's story picks up after her mother's death, as she tries to cope with living alone.  She gets the chance of a lifetime, however, when Veronica Lodge (Archie cameo number one!) manages to finagle her a spot in a fashion show being held at Lacy's, sponsored by none other than fashion icon Rex London!  Katy is excited at first, but as the time draws closer and she can't seem to find her groove with a design that will actually be worth showing, she finds herself more and more lost without her mother...

Jorge, meanwhile, is dreaming of making it on Broadway!  He's been faithfully taking dance classes, and when an open casting call for a new show comes up, he waits in the long line of hopefuls to get his chance at stardom.  In that line, he meets up with Kevin Keller (Archie cameo number two!), who is also hoping to land a spot in the show.  Jorge's chances seem to get better when he gets called back not just once, but twice!  The only problem is, in order to clinch his place in the show, he will have to man-up and be something that he's not.  Just how much is Jorge willing to give up for his chance to be on Broadway?

Pepper's tale is about her arrival into New York City.  While Katy and Jorge are already friends, Pepper has not yet come into their lives.  Instead, her arrival is met with pomp and circumstance by all of the social media glitz, as everyone seems to want to know what is next for this shining social media celebrity's life.  But Pepper herself is not seven sure of that, as she goes from fling to fling, idea to idea, hoping to find something that will put her on the right course...

Finally, Josie is on the road with her father, singing alongside him for the experience of what it is like to be a traveling musician.  But his rules are strict, his criticism harsh, and his over protectiveness smothering.  When she meets a country singer who is on his own tour, and she gets the chance to sing away from her father, Josie finds that perhaps she really can make it on her own, away from her father, and be the star she always knew she could be.

 

Needless to say, KO is in the book, always supporting Katy (when he's not at the gym boxing alongside Jinx - Archie cameo number three!); Jorge's parents are in the book, trying to find their place in his life now that he is back home after being kicked out when he came out; Molly's Crisis is the bar to be for Katy and Jorge to sort out their problems; and Gloria Grandbilt makes her appearance before the story is over, ready to offer Katy the chance she has been waiting for.  Strohm provides readers with the perfect introduction to these characters, while giving fans a beautiful way to remember the cast from the show.  As I was reading the book, I could not only see each of the actors in their roles once again, but I could literally hear their voices speak each line and picture the settings of each spot - from Jorge's apartment to KO's gym to Lacy's store to Molly's Crisis.  It was almost like being transported right back onto the CW show once again!

Before I sign off for this post, I do have to give Strohm double kudos for managing to sneak in a Nancy Drew reference on page 90 when Jorge is talking to his mother about the way she sneaks him audition notices so his father won't see:  "You leave me secret audition notices like we're in some kind of Nancy Drew mystery..."  Gotta give props to any author who manages to put a reference to my favorite female detective!  Just a shame that this is my last time I'll get to enjoy the CW cast of Katy Keene...

RATING:  10 squashed bouquets of roses out of 10 for giving me one final chance to enjoy some time with Katy and her friends as they were brought to life so perfectly by the CW!

Fashion in Action - the Collected Edition

Back in the 1980s, a number of independent comic book companies hit the market, flooding the direct market with hundreds of titles. Going to The Great Escape in Louisville, I found myself enamored by a number of indy titles: Ms. Tree, DNAgents, Evangeline, Grim Jack, Whisper, and quite a few others. One title I can remember seeing on the shelf, but not picking up, was the Fashion in Action Summer Special. The art looked kind of cool, and I have always been a fan of female-led titles. But, at the time, I was more focused on on-going series, so a one-issue special just wasn’t on my radar, and I passed it up.

Now, here it is, some thirty-plus years later, and I come across the collected Fashion in Action, featuring all of the back-up stories along with the two specials in one trade paperback. Nostalgia instantly set in, so I ordered it. This was a title I never read back in the day, and to be honest, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. But as the introduction by John Ostrander states, this book was unlike any other of its time, and even today, it stands out as not only unique, but well-written, beautifully drawn, and just plain good to read!

The comic tells the story of Frances Knight, a patch-wearing woman who specializes, along with her all-female team, in providing bodyguard services for celebrities of all kind in the not-so-distant future. The first issue opens with the New Year’s celebration of 2087, and the FIA team is on the job when a pulp character suddenly comes to live as Dr. Cruel kidnaps the man they are supposed to be protecting from right under their noses! The case becomes personal when Frances learns that Dr. Cruel’s cohort, known only as Roxanne, has a personal score to settle with her.  Plenty of action, plenty of fashion, and plenty of twists abound in the first seven-part story that was originally published as a back-up in Eclipse Comics’ Scout title.

Snyder followed-up his initial back-up run with two one-shot specials – the Fashion in Action Summer Special and the Fashion in Action Winter Special. Each special was a done-in-one story, the first focused on the girls’ hunt for a designer who has been stealing and profiting from other designers’ creations, while the second provided a flashback story that gave readers some insight into Frances Knight and why she is who she is (side-by-side with a present day story involving Dr. Cruel and Roxanne once again).

The series clearly focused on its main protagonist, but readers did get a glimpse into the other women who made up FIA. They were varied in size, color, and nationality, as well as skills – ranging from psychics to demolition experts.  Plus, Snyder gives them a base of operations in the Statue of Liberty!  How cool is that?!?!

It is interesting that back in the mid-to-late ‘80s that a male creator wrote and drew a comic dedicated to an all-female team that showcased strong, independent women in stories that would normally be written for male heroes. Perhaps the female readership just wasn’t large enough back then, or perhaps the male readers simply didn’t appreciate the appeal of this female team, but after the Winter Special, the FIA team disappeared from the comic scene.  Reading these stories now, I can see a bit a similarity between FIA and Dakota North, a fashion-centered character who held her own five-issue series at Marvel around the same time.  (Coincidentally, Martha Thomases, who created and wrote the Dakota North Investigations series, also writes an Afterward in the FIA trade paperback!)

Another interesting tidbit of which I was unaware was that Snyder created paper dolls of the characters, with fashions and a bit of character info that was placed on the back of each issue of Scout, as well as the two Specials. The paper doll pages are also reprinted in this collected edition, along with in-house ads from Eclipse Comics, original concept sketches for the characters, and even a "runway gallery," featuring various artists' interpretations of the characters from the series.

I wish Snyder was in a position to revive the series and give fans a continuation of Frances Knight’s saga.  I have a feeling he had plenty more stories waiting to be told, and in today’s independent market, a series of Fashion in Action mini-series would certainly be a hit!

RATING:  9 mystical life-giving gasses out of 10 for giving the comic world an all-female team of fashion-conscious bodyguards that are well worth the read!

Model Undercover, Book 3 - London, Deadly by Design

While directing an upcoming play has eaten into my free time, it hasn't stopped me from reading completely - particularly when I have the third book in the superbly written series Model Undercover series.  This is definitely one of my favorite series.  Author Carina Axelsson has created a smart, lovable detective in Axelle, the wanna-be detective who is thrust into the world of modeling, where she manages to find mysteries galore to solve!

After Paris and New York, Axelsson brings her young detective back home to London in Deadly by Design.  And while her previous mysteries involved a kidnapping and stolen property, Axelle finds herself looking into a decades old murder when a friend of one of her model friends comes to her asking for help.  It seems this woman's brother was attacked and is now in a coma, and Axelle's friend, Ellie, referred the woman to her for help.  Having had no mystery to solve since her adventure in New York City, Axelle jumps at the opportunity.

The only clue she has to work with is a thumbdrive with the young man's last photo shoot - numerous "day in the life" shots of famed fashion designer Johnny Vane, as well as one very out of place photo of a picture with two young boys who appear to be twins.  Axelle knows the clue must be somewhere in that extra photo, but she doesn't know what.  With the help of her very own "Watson," the always faithful boyfriend, Sebastian, Axelle sets out to discover just what that photograph has to do with the attack on the young man, and how Johnny Vane and the tragic death of his mother and brother fit into it.

Weighing in at 349 pages, there is never a dull moment in this book.  Axelsson maintains a steady pace with her storytelling, providing a great build-up to the huge reveal at the end.  Yes, any true fan of mystery series books will figure out at least part of the solution to this mystery pretty early on, but seeing how Axelle and Sebastian get there is half the fun.  Plus, Axelsson provides a pretty good twist with the actual identity of the culprit, and the big reveal at the end when Axelle pulls all of her suspects into the same room before confronting them is sure to bring a smile to your face - it did mine!

And, of course, no good mystery series book about a young girl detective would be complete without a reference or two to Nancy Drew, the original girl sleuth:

"...all I wanted to do was solve mysteries--and I'd always felt that way.  Well, ever since my granny started spoon-feeding me detective stories:  Nancy Drew before I could read..." (p. 2)

"That, Nancy Drew, is on a need-to-know basis." (p. 31)

"All right, Nancy Drew, then what else do I have on my mind?"  (p. 342)

If only the Nancy Drew books of today were written as well as the Model Undercover books, then Simon & Schuster might actually have a best-selling series once again.  For now, though, I have the MU books to satisfy my well-written girl sleuth mystery series - and thankfully, there is a fourth book on its way (set in Milan, as the ending of this book hints).  It is already published overseas, so I can only hope it will eventually makes it way for sale here in the States this year.

RATING:  10 mudlarking adventures out of 10 for mingling the fashion world with the mystery genre in such a way as to make them both interesting!

The Time-Traveling Fashionista, Book 3 - And Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile

I finally took the plunge and took one last trip into the world of Louise Lambert, the time-traveling fashionista.  This book came out in 2013, and there is no news nor listing of any other book in this series, so I can only assume that this is the final book (which is a shame, since it is a rather unique series).

This final entry into the series picks up right where the previous book left off, with young Louise Lambert shocked to discover that her own mother could very well have been a time-traveling fashionista in her youth.  She is unable to get her mother to admit to anything, so when Marla and Glenda send her another invitation, Louise is determined to pull the truth from them.  Instead, she finds herself tossed back in time once again.  Cleopatra, starring Elizabeth Taylor.  She has taken on the role of an assistant to the costumer designer - but instead of living out a dream job, Louise picks up a pearl necklace that sends her further back in time, where she ultimately lands in a very real ancient Egypt as a servant and confidante to the very real Cleopatra!

Louise wakes up to find herself in ancient Egypt - or rather, what she thinks is ancient Egypt.  Instead, it tuns out to be a movie set, and Louise is thrilled to find she is on the set of

The double time-shift is a new twist in this book, as previously the author, Bianca Turetsky, had only sent her protagonist on a single trip back in time.  The author has a bit of freedom in her storytelling this time around, as she admits in the afterward at the end of the book, since there is so little known about the early years of Cleopatra's life.  Turetsky's fashionista finds herself not only struggling as a servant (truly, a slave!), but also a witness to two vicious murders that no one in Cleopatra's time even blinks an eye.  And while Turetsky actually creates some growth within Louise's character in this book through her experiences with Cleopatra, at the same time, she leaves unresolved the dilemma regarding her feelings for Todd and Peter.

The book closes with Louise finally making contact with her fellow fashionista, Stella (whom she met in the previous book) and, at the time time, realizing she has received no more invitations to Glenda and Marla's vintage clothing sales.  Perhaps this was the harbinger of things to come (or not to come, as the case may be) - Louise never received another invite, and readers never received another book in this series.

Once again, the book has some beautifully painted color internal illustrations that, for the most part, highlight the fashions in the book - although, there are two 2-page spreads that showcase the movie set for Cleopatra and, later, the great city of Alexandria.  This is something that I will admit I miss from so many of children's mystery series these days - the internal illustrations.  For me, these illustrations always added something special to the books.  That is one positive thing about this series that lends it a more favorable light.

RATING:  6 poisonous asps out of 10 for providing some character development, as well as that double time-travel twist to shake things up a bit.

Model Undercover, Book 2 - New York: Stolen with Style

The current ghostwriters for the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series should take a cue from Carina Axelsson, because this woman knows how to write a well-developed, character-driven, good ol' fashioned mystery for young adults.

Model Undercover is a mystery series about detective-wannabe Axelle (rhymes with "excel") Anderson who inadvertently gets suckered into a modeling career in order to pursue her real passion - solving mysteries.  In the first book, London: A Crime of Fashion, Axelle not only walks her first runway, but she solves her first mystery when she has to find a missing fashion designer.  When she successfully solves the case, she is suddenly thrust into the limelight, not only as a detective, but also as the hottest new model to walk the carpet.

Now, in this second book of the series, Axelsson, who is a former model herself, brings her protagonist to America and the Big Apple to find out what happened to the Black Amelia, the world's most famous black diamond.  The priceless jewel was stolen from Cazzie Kinlan, the editor-in-chief for Chic magazine during a closed-set photo shoot, and Axelle only has a week within which to find the stolen diamond.  When Cazzie begins getting cryptic blackmail texts with riddles to solve, the clock begins ticking.  With only a handful of suspects, including four models, a photographer, and a digitech (as well as Cazzie herself), Axelle has to once again go undercover as a model to infiltrate the industry and integrate herself into the lives of the people she suspects.

Axelsson brings back Axelle's model friend Ellie, who happens to be in New York for the fashion week events, as well as Axelle's love interest, Sebastian, who Axelle believes is actually spying on her for her mother, to makes sure she really is modeling and not solving another mystery.  And with over 300 pages of story, Axelsson has plenty of space to develop an intricate plot complete with great red herrings (although a couple of them are pretty obvious) and lots of fashionista flourish.  The reader comes to know all of the characters quite well, and the author manages to keep the identity of the thief pretty well hidden until the final climax - and once revealed, the reader will realize the clues were there, just not so in-your-face as to make it obvious.  Which, ultimately, makes for a very satisfying read.

This series is yet another British series being reprinted here in America.  No curse words, no violence - just good ol' mystery-enjoying fun.  And not one, not even two, but three references to Nancy Drew (although, granted, each instance is Axelle mocking Ellie by saying, "Thanks, Nancy Drew" or "Very funny, Nancy Drew").  Clearly, the iconic teenage sleuth is a reference that no mystery can do without.

While I am by no means a fan of fashion (anyone can tell you I dress comfortably and with what I like, never worrying about whether something is the latest fashion or fad), I thoroughly enjoy this series and would recommend it highly to anyone that reads and enjoys young adult mysteries.

10 tear sheets out of 10 for showing the world what a young adult mystery should be!

The Time-Traveling Fashionista, Book 2 - At the Palace of Marie Antoinette

Bianca Turetsky's second book in this series about 12-year old Louise Lambert's unique trips in time holds up just about as well as the first one.  I picked up the three books in this series because it was a unique twist on the time-travel story - - in this series, Louise gets sent back in time when she dons vintage clothes being sold by two mysterious women, Glenda and Marla, at their traveling vintage clothing store.  In the first book, Louise travels back in time and takes over the body of a woman on board the Titanic (a woman who turns out to be her very own ancestor!).  This book picks up a few weeks after that first fateful trip, as Louise is preparing herself for her best friend's big 13th birthday celebration.  This time, Louise tries on a dress from the 18th century and finds herself transported back in time to France and the palace of Marie Antionette.

What I find interesting is that the books are being sold in the young adult section, along with other teen series, such as the Maze Runner and Twilight and the like; yet, the books are written at a much younger reading level.  In fact, I would venture to say the reading level is pretty much on par with early Nancy Drew books.  I can't imagine too many teens enjoying a series about a 12-year old girl (although, I'm an adult reading the books, so who am I to say?).

While the first book focused more on Louise's trip to the Titanic, this second book spends less time in the past and gives the readers more of the angst in Louise's life.  Will she get to go on the school trip to Paris, now that her father lost his job?  Will the boy she has taking a liking to at school return her feelings?  Will she and her best friend drift apart now that one is a teenager and the other is not?  Can she figure out a way to keep her time-traveling fashionista status a secret from her best friend?  Who are Glenda and Marla?  Did she really travel in time, or was it all in her head?

Watching Louise deal with her problems certain opens the door for character growth, it greatly took away from the time she spend in the past.  The author seemed to rush through Louise's time in 18th century France, which had a world of possibilities to explore, especially when she meets another Time-Traveling Fashionista in the very same place and time!  The author had hinted in the first book there were more TTFs out there, now that Louise has met one, it confirms it.  That, if nothing else, truly opens the door for some interesting trips and events in future books (if any new ones come out after the third).

And yes, before I forget, there was a bit of a cliffhanger ending, when Louise stumbles upon something that gives her a clue as to why she has this "ability" to travel through time via vintage clothes.

Would I recommend this series?  Probably not.  They are okay reading, and if you are really into time-traveling and pre-teen angst, then yes, you might enjoy them.  Otherwise, they are just quick and easy reads.  Oh, and yes, they do have color internal illustrations that pretty much focus on the fashions, both of the clothes the girls wear, as well as the decor in the various places Louise visits.

RATING:  5 out of 10 vintage dresses for providing a new take on the time-travel tale and creating some likable, realistic characters.