New York, 1900. At the dawn of a new century, the city’s streets teem with electricity, automobiles, a brash young President Teddy Roosevelt—and the It Girls. As artist’s muses and working models, these independent young women soar to stardom not because of their pedigrees or inherited wealth, but because of their talent, charisma, and irresistible beauty. Pop culture is born, and in a world alight with Mr. Edison’s new bulbs, no one shines brighter than America’s sweetheart, Evelyn Talbot.
But the journey to stardom was not simple or straight. As a young girl, a grieving Evelyn is forced to take care of her widowed mother and kid brother. While working as a shopgirl, she is recruited as a studio model, and soon catches the eye of the preeminent artists of her age. When Broadway comes calling, Evelyn solidifies her status as the first self-made American female celebrity, a “Gibson Girl,” the most sought-after face of her time. Enter a parade of powerful and power-hungry men, from world-famous architect Stanley Pierce, the visionary behind Manhattan’s mansions and iconic landmarks, to Hal Thorne, the shockingly wealthy railroad heir and premiere “playboy” of high society. Each man promises comfort, glamour, security—even love. But fame and fortune are cruel teachers.
When Evelyn finds herself at the center of a murder of passion declared “the Crime of the Century,” the sins of the men in her life are blamed on her. In the media frenzy that erupts, Evelyn realizes that—to survive—she will have to take charge of her own ending. But can this artists’ muse turned showgirl pull off the greatest act of her life?
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A story that will stay with you.
It didn’t take long for It Girl to engage me in the story of Evelyn Tablot. There was so much I loved about this story; I was intrigued by her, and every page had me craving more. I was curious to see what was next for Evelyn. It Girl was a beautifully written novel, but also heartbreaking at times, and yet, I couldn’t pull myself from the story. One more chapter would turn into five more. I liked that the story was told from Evelyn’s perspective; making you feel as if you are going on the journey along with Evelyn. I was always eager to see where she would end up next.
The story flowed well, starting with Evelyn as a young girl and her rise to fame. I can’t imagine rising to fame at such a young age, but I understood why she took that opportunity. Although I sometimes questioned the choices her mother made for her. Evelyn’s mother was one of the characters that I didn’t like from the start; to me, she didn’t treat Evelyn the way a mother should treat her daughter. As the story progressed, I disliked her even more. I wished Evelyn would stand up to her mother and make her own decisions, but I also understood why she couldn’t. I admired Evelyn; despite everything she endured, she didn’t give up on her dreams and kept on going.
I liked that each part of the book featured a different part of Evelyn’s story. There were times when my heart broke for Evelyn. It Girl is a story that will have you go through a range of emotions. I knew this book was loosely based on the life of Evelyn Nesbit, which I had never heard of. I loved reading the author’s note at the end, and did my own research afterwards because I was intrigued by the story. This was my second book by Allison Pataki, and I cannot wait to check out her others.
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