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Three Girls and Their Brother: A Novel |  | Author: Theresa Rebeck
Publisher: Shaye Areheart Books
Category: Book
List Price: $23.95
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Seller: owlsbooks
Rating:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 692123
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Pages: 352
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.4
ISBN: 030739414X
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780307394149
ASIN: 030739414X
Publication Date: April 8, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Now that it’s all over, everybody is saying it was the picture–that stupid picture was behind every disaster. . . .
They may be the granddaughters of a famous literary critic, but what really starts it all is Daria, Polly, and Amelia Heller’s stunning red hair. Out of the blue one day, The New Yorker calls and says that they want to feature the girls in a glamorous spread shot by a world-famous photographer, and before long these three beautiful nobodies from Brooklyn have been proclaimed the new “It” girls.
But with no parental guidance–Mom’s a former beauty queen living vicariously through her daughters, and Dad is nowhere to be found–the three girls find themselves easy prey for the sharks and piranhas of show business. Posing in every hot fashion magazine, tangling with snarling fashonistas and soulless agents, skipping school and hitting A-list parties, the sisters are caught up in a whirlwind rise to fame that quickly spirals out of control.
When Amelia, the youngest of the three–who never really wanted to be a model in the first place–appears in an Off-Broadway play, the balance of power shifts, all the pent-up resentment and pressure comes to a head, and the girls’ quiet, neglected brother reaches a critical point of virtual breakdown. And against the odds, even as the struggle for fame threatens to tear the family apart, the Hellers begin to see that despite the jealousy, greed, and uncertainty that have come to define their relationships, in the celebrity world of viciousness and betrayal, all they really have is one another.
Narrated in four parts, from the perspective of each sibling, Three Girls and Their Brother is a sharp, perceptive, and brilliantly written debut novel from an acclaimed playwright.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 15
 I couldn't put it down July 9, 2008
StrangerW/Candy (East Bay, CA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I picked up this book on a whim and I'm really glad I did. The first night I read 88 pages and I finished it two nights later. Maybe it's because I do enjoy a bit of gossip (dlisted anyone?). It was interesting to see scandal from the other side, I guess I won't be so quick to judge from now on. I thought the author was really able to capture the voices of the 4 main characters so well, I got very attached to them. I was sad when the book ended and that hasn't happened to me in a long time. Thank you Ms. Rebeck, I needed that.
Great fun! June 14, 2008
Brooklyn Bookworm (Brooklyn, NY USA)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
This was such a fun book and so seemingly believable. If you ever indulge in any sort of celebrity watching, or wonder how pictures of the same "it girls" appear endlessly in magazine after magazine, you realize that there is a whole culture (sub-culture?) feeding our fascination with the famous and fabulous. The way the story is progressed through the points of view from youngest to oldest of the siblings adds a great insight to how family dynamics, ambitions and even birth order impacts how they see (or don't see) the same events. While I enjoyed the family drama and comedic aspects, even better were the inside New York/Hollywood media-gossip column-publicist-stylist-theater-and-modeling contexts, which seemed very "ripped from the headlines" and were thoroughly entertaining. From start to end, the story was incredibly absorbing; I was reading on the subway and even missed my stop, on two different occasions! Very highly recommended!
Fast and fun reading for the literary set. January 14, 2009
J.A.G. (Chicago, IL)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
If you like reading the New Yorker itself, you'll probably like this book. I loved it. But if you're looking for a sappy, feel-good book or a cheesy Jodi Picoult type of thriller, probably not for you.
 Such a family ... April 24, 2008
Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Noted playwright, Theresa Rebeck's tongue-in-cheek debut novel exposes the dark underbelly of all that fame does--and doesn't have to offer.
When three adolescent auburn-haired sisters gain notoriety for--well, not much of anything but their fiery hair and literary giant grandfather--their lives are turned upside down. There's Daria Heller, the oldest at 19, with an inflated sense of self and an aspiration to become an actress. Polly is the second child, who at 18 is precocious and wishy-washy. Then there's Amelia, the youngest and most rebellious at 14, who cares less about fame than her sisters.
The girls' father enters the picture sporadically and inconsistently. Their stage mother has a drinking problem and will stop at nothing to push her daughters into the public eye. Colette is the Heller sisters' overzealous agent and the driving force behind their mother. Then there's Phillip, the brother who helplessly stands by and gets caught up in everything as his sisters' drama unfolds.
Rebeck's book. Three Girls and Their Brother is refreshingly candid portrayal of sibling rivalry and showcases familial dysfunction at its finest. The novel takes us through the glitzy parties, champagne-soaked celebrity encounters, glamorous photo shoots and the pesky paparazzi who document everything they bump into along the way.
Three Girls and Their Brother is divided into four parts, told from the first-person perspectives of Phillip, Amelia, Polly and Daria. Rebeck has easily transitioned from playwright to novelist. It's clear, when reading the book, she's mastered the art of conversation, as conversation among the siblings will resonate with you.
The plot moves easily, and when reading, one is reminded of other poignant, existential character exhibits, such as J.D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey.
As the press, photo shoots and requests for the Heller sisters increase exponentially, the relationship dynamic among the sisters and Phillip sharply turns. Once a team, the sisters now try to outdo each other.
Will fame be the downfall of this already crumbling family? Will they be able to withstand being put under the microscope?
Armchair Interviews says: It's worth your while to find out.
entertaining fluff June 27, 2008
J.B. (Rye, NY USA)
I loved this book. It's totally lightweight fluff, yet there's enough fsmily dynamics in it to hold your interest. It reminded me of J.D. Salinger and also of early Jay McInerney.Bright Lights, Big City. I don't think you choose a book like this looking for deep psychological insights. It's just fun to see what's behind the glamorous photo spreads in the glossy magazines, and it does give a good idea of the mechanics and manipulations of the PR business. The author is a successul playwright; that explains the snappy dialog. I'd love to see one of her plays.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 15
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