V Is for Victorine

Gr 3-7–In the follow-up to Daring Darleen, Queen of the Screen, it’s 1915, and Victorine “Vee” Berryman is living secretly as Bella Mae Goodwin with her best friend Darleen Darling to escape her former life as an heiress. Darleen is the star of various films through her family-run company, Matchless Photoplay. On their quest to reach Hollywood from New Jersey because Vee’s money gets cut off, the girls fall into various adventures and mishaps involving villains, stolen artifacts, and more. This story is captivating and fun; Nesbet imbues the exciting plot with history surrounding film, filmmaking, and old Hollywood. Readers will relate to Vee because she starts to see how movies and media affect the world around her. Tweens should start with the first in the series, as newbies may be confused by past plot references and current character ages. The author’s note is also worth the read with information on Lois Weber, Universal City, the Gishes, and more.