By the time I finished reading this book, I felt that Robin was one of
my best friends. She is very candid, hilarious, and paints a vivid picture with her words.
I hated for the book to end! I am giving it to my sister and recommending it to my real life friends! I can't wait for her next book.

Emily's parents have long hair and wear tie dye and don't exactly approve of their only daughter neglecting her Ivy League studies to strut down the catwalks of Milan. Another great tale of reverse rebellion!

I absolutely love Model Student. It's the best book of this type that I've read. So much better than Jane Green books, or even the "Devil Wears Prada". The writing and stories are much more realistic. There are no fluffs when brands and names are dropped. No exaggerated explanations of activities or products used. Robin Hazelwood really does just come out and say it like it is. The book itself and the subject matter is glamorous so it is refreshing that Hazelwood didn't litter it with boring remarks about fashion and empty glittering adjectives.
Hazelwood doesn't intend for this book to be a "how-to" for modeling, but I find that it is almost more effective in this way. She really is giving insider tips that are real truths about the modeling, glamour, and photography industry. She lists real colors, brands, and cosmetics that are still on the market today. I find it so interesting that she has chosen to do this instead of talking circles about an obvious product rather than listing the actual name like most fashion books. Sure, it can date a book to name a current product, but it makes Hazelwood's book all the more real and credible. Model Student is an absolutely delightful read, and anyone interested in modeling, fashion, or the beauty industry will benefit greatly from this book. I myself work within the industry with cosmetics and fashion, and Hazelwood is right on the money when she describes classic fashion/make-up tips. Some of them are even secret make-up tips that my co-workers and I know about but don't openly discuss. You can tell Hazelwood really knows what shes talking about-any real models out there will understand exactly what she means. Model Student is a great read, and you won't be disappointed. I only wish Hazelwood could take this realistic writing on to another book and future topics.

As the author (and former model) begins in the novel, this isn't the tale of celebrity and supermodel-dom but rather a model in the middle. The star of this novel is modeling enough to bank some cash, flirt on the brink of celebrity, world travel, & drugs. I found the behind the scenes look of a struggling model, the agencies, and the photoshoots captivating. What saved this book from being simply another model story was also the juggling act of balance out college. Yes, like the author, this is a model who is also smart which makes the character's inner thoughts and comments ever so much more snarky and amusing. A fun and smarter choice for a beach read!

Before I started reading this book, I was put off by the length, and wondering if a narrative about modeling that was so long could be interesting. Well, it was! I finished it the day after I started it.

Emily Woods is a great central character, who's down-to-earth about her great bone structure and has an appealing groundedness and common sense. Her Midwestern parents are hippies who make sweet potato cake on her birthday, but her agent's just told her to lose 10 lbs. 5'10" and 130 lbs is not thin enough (though her mother thinks it is).

Hazelwood, a former model herself, skillfully portrays the glamorous upside and seedy underbelly of modeling. There's a surprising amount of camaraderie as opposed to competition among the girls ("models are usually quite chatty at castings," she notes), but there are also a ton of rejections (models can be "optioned" by magazines and cast aside at the last minute), coke to keep the starving girls "up" and confident, bulimia to trim the waistline and skeevy men, particularly in Milan. Still, Emily clings to her dream of *being* Cindy and Claudia...until things go bottoms up.

I must confess I enjoyed the fluffy, heady parts of the novel more than the darker part toward the end. Overall, this was a compelling look at modeling from an intelligent, likeable person.