Book Review : Diva by Carrie Duffy

Title : Diva

Author : Carrie Duffy

Publication Date : July 2012

Publisher : Harper

Source : Sent by Carrie herself!  (Thanks, Carrie! xx) 

Overall : 5/5

Stunning and sultry, Dionne Summers is a girl who speaks her mind.

Brought up on the mean streets of Detroit, she is determined that nothing will stop her from becoming the world's next supermodel.

Beautiful and innocent, Alyson McIntyre is desperate to escape her upbringing. She decides it is time to take hold of her life and follow her dreams.

Heading to the chic streets of Paris, the girls move in with a maverick young designer, Cece Bouvier. Born to a life of luxury, Cece is determined to stand by her own two feet and take the fashion world by storm.

The girls vow to make it to the top, but their friendship is about to be tested to the limits when deception, betrayal and tragedy are played out in the glare of the paparazzi flashbulbs.

Can the three girls overcome the ghosts of the past - or will the catwalk consume them?

Firstly, I would love to thank the lovely author - Carrie for sending me this book though I didn't win the competition. THANK YOU! When Carrie told me she's sending me a copy, I jumped with delight! I can't wait for the book to arrive. I waited for two weeks or so and the book came on a lovely Friday afternoon. Absolutely love the cover and the gorgeous colour combination. 

When I started reading this book, I was certain that I won't be able to put it down. True enough! This book is about three young, pretty girls' determination to make it to the top.  Sounds pretty much like reality shows, those 'leave your hometown for some big cities to chase your dreams' kind of thing but this is way better than reality shows! Why? This book was set in PARIS (I'd die to go there!), one of the most beautiful cities in the world (in my opinion)! Setting aside, Diva is a very fashionable read, perfect for fashion-lovers. I really love fashion, so this book was more than perfect for me. I felt as though I live in Paris when I read this book! Really amazing feeling.

This book is about Dionne,  Alyson and Cece, three of them desperate for a better life. Three of them shared an apartment in Paris and built a strong friendship. Dionne's a gorgeous black model, very confident that she will be the world's next supermodel. On the other hand, Alyson, the girl that wanted to escape her sad upbringing, is naive, shy, smart and aspired to be someone successful in business but who knows, she has what it takes to be the a model. There's Cece, the fashion designer that hoped to be well known for her designs like the late Coco Chanel. It's not easy for the trio to climb their way up and it's really enjoyable to read their stories as I immersed myself into the world of fashion.  Absolutely loved Cece's fashion show and the way they described everything (Aah, pretty clothes, the glam and the fashion!). Those descriptions gave me an insight of how the fashion industry would be like. Three girls, thrusted into the limelight, who would survive? Much more important is how long will that strong friendship last? This book has unexpected turns, like a roller coaster! 

To me, the title, Diva is definitely the best word to describe Dionne. I personally don't like her as much as I like Alyson because I think she's filled with jealousy and would do anything to be successful. Alyson is my favorite character as she's innocent, polite and humble. Unlike other Chick Lit books, the characters in this book were portrayed as independent, strong and ambitious. I like it somehow.

In short, I loved this book. It's fashionable with a bit of romance. Diva, for me, was a fun and addictive read! Without a doubt, I'll definitely read this again. Feel free to tweet the lovely author Carrie Duffy (@cazduffy). I highly recommend this book to all Chick Lit lovers!