Book Review: Last Night at Chateau Marmont

By Melissa Amster

I first have to announce that I am a fan of the new "90210" series and have taken an interest in the storyline of Adriana's rise to fame and how her boyfriend, Navid, deals with it--and her--on a daily basis. I can definitely sympathize with Navid, and he isn't even followed by paparazzi the way Brooke Alter, Lauren Weisberger's latest heroine, is after her husband's similar rise to stardom.

"Last Night at Chateau Marmont" follows Brooke as she supports her husband Julian in his music career by taking on two jobs. His sudden rise to fame is exciting, but proves to be a nuisance once the paparazzi and gossip magazines get involved. Soon, Brooke finds her life turning upside down and she has to figure out what is most important to her.

When I read Ms. Weisberger's first novel, "The Devil Wears Prada," I couldn't put it down and didn't want it to end. I also thought that nothing she wrote would be able to compare. While her other two books were also fun and entertaining to read, I felt that "Last Night at Chateau Marmont" was a reminder of why I like Ms. Weisberger's writing style so much. She definitely made me never want to look at a tabloid or check out Perez Hilton's website again without feeling a stab of guilt. Brooke was a well drawn out character and very easy to sympathize with. It was impossible not to join her on her emotional roller coaster ride. The dialogue felt realistic and natural and the characters each stood out in their own way. She also used description in the way that it conveyed what she wanted her readers to see, but didn't take away from the story. I also enjoyed the Jewish references, but I'm biased that way.

I hope Ms. Weisberger continues to write novels like this one and I will make sure not to wait almost half a year before reading them next time.