Book Summary and Reviews of Off the Record by Camryn Garrett

Off the Record by Camryn Garrett

Off the Record

by Camryn Garrett

  • Critics' Consensus (2):
  • Published:
  • May 2021, 320 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

The behind-the-scenes access of Almost Famous meets the searing revelations of #metoo in this story of a teen journalist who uncovers the scandal of the decade.

Ever since seventeen-year-old Josie Wright can remember, writing has been her identity, the thing that grounds her when everything else is a garbage fire. So when she wins a contest to write a celebrity profile for Deep Focus magazine, she's equal parts excited and scared, but also ready. She's got this.

Soon Josie is jetting off on a multi-city tour, rubbing elbows with sparkly celebrities, frenetic handlers, stone-faced producers, and eccentric stylists. She even finds herself catching feelings for the subject of her profile, dazzling young newcomer Marius Canet. Josie's world is expanding so rapidly, she doesn't know whether she's flying or falling. But when a young actress lets her in on a terrible secret, the answer is clear: she's in over her head.

One woman's account leads to another and another. Josie wants to expose the man responsible, but she's reluctant to speak up, unsure if this is her story to tell. What if she lets down the women who have entrusted her with their stories? What if this ends her writing career before it even begins? There are so many reasons not to go ahead, but if Josie doesn't step up, who will?

From the author of Full Disclosure, this is a moving testament to the #MeToo movement, and all the ways women stand up for each other.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"This fresh, engrossing read will appeal to fans of Garrett's debut novel, Full Disclosure (2019), as well as those new to her fast-paced prose, wit, pitch-perfect dialogue, and memorable characters. An irresistible, unapologetically feminist story." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Expositional plot points gleaned through Josie's interviews can drag at times, but a side story offers a sweet romance, and Josie's largely internal journey remains a clear portrait of a young woman finding her voice while coming into her own." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A vulnerable and powerful pursuit of radical truth from a brave bold voice of this generation." - Kim Johnson, acclaimed author of This Is My America

"Thoughtful and incisive, Camryn Garrett's voice comes through in beautiful clarity." - Rory Power, New York Times Bestselling author of Wilder Girls

"As explosive as it is relatable, as complex as it is authentic, Camryn Garrett's Off the Record is a timely and powerful story about finding the courage to use your voice to break oppressive silences." - Randy Ribay, National Book Award finalist for Patron Saints of Nothing

This information about Off the Record was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

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Author Information

Camryn Garrett

Camryn Garrett grew up in New York and began her writing career at thirteen, when she was selected as a TIME for Kids reporter, interviewing celebrities like Warren Buffett and Kristen Bell. Since then, her writing has appeared on MTV and in the Huffington Post and Rookie magazine, and she was recently selected as one of Teen Vogue's "21 Under 21: Girls Who Are Changing the World." When she's not writing, she studies film at NYU, and she's a proud advocate for diverse stories and storytellers in any medium. Her first novel, Full Disclosure, received rave reviews from outlets such as EW, Glamour and SLJ, which said in its starred review, "Readers will fall in love." Off the Record is her second novel.

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