No Ordinary Life

No Ordinary Life by Suzanne Redfearn is about a child's life in the motion picture industry and how it affects a whole family. Faye is applying for a job on the boardwalk in Santa Monica and she had to bring her children, Molly (4), Emily (12), and Tom (8) with her. Her husband, Sean is a truck driver. He disappeared five months prior and has not returned (or called). Molly, a precocious child, does an impromptu routine with a dancer (which people capture on their phones) and soon the video is a hit on-line. Faye soon gets a call from Monique Braxton of the Braxton Talent Agency. Molly is wanted for a Gap commercial. Faye sees this as a way out of their financial troubles (and an answer to her prayers). Molly does great in the commercial which quickly turns into a hit. Molly is then asked to audition for a popular show and gets the part. This is the beginning of a new life for all of them. But things are not rosy for the family. Emily is not happy. Because of the financial troubles, Faye moved the family in with her mother (in a small condo). Emily misses her friends and her old school. Then Sean comes crawling out of the woodwork (smells money) and starts making demands. What Faye thought was an answer to her prayers is turning into a nightmare. Will Faye make the right choices?

No Ordinary Life gives you a peak at what life is like for families when one child is a star. The long hours, the lines, publicity, stalkers, etc. You may make good money, but it comes at a price. The authors writing style makes No Ordinary Life easy to read, but the content is extremely frustrating (not a relaxing book to read). I wanted to make Faye stop and think about her choices (as she kept making wrong choices). One thing about Faye that was annoying was she kept thinking about sex (a lot). Did she look sexy? Was she appealing to this person? Did they want to sleep with her? This went on through the whole book (and was really not needed). I started skimming (my word for speed reading) through these sections. I give No Ordinary Life 3 out of 5 stars. It was okay, but not great (she my personal feelings). I thought it was predictable (about life in Hollywood, the husband coming back for money, and the ending). I wish the author had been a little more creative.

I received a complimentary copy of No Ordinary Life from NetGalley in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel.