Chloe by Design: Making the Cut by Margaret Gurevich

Pages: 380
Intended Audience: Tweens and up
Genre: Real life / Fashion
Notes for Parents: I found nothing for parents to be concerned about.

The Back Cover

For fans of Project Runway comes a series that puts fashion at the forefront. Sixteen-year-old Chloe Montgomery has always loved everything to do with fashion. Clothes, accessories, designing—she knows it all. And when she finds out a new reality series for aspiring teenage designers is holding auditions in her town, she’s desperate to win a spot on the show. She knows this is her chance to finally get her designs noticed. But before Chloe can realize her dreams, she has to survive the competition.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

I’m a bit confused. It appears that Making the Cut was originally released as four separate books (Design Diva, The First Cut, Unraveling, Design Destiny) and that the sequel, Balancing Act, due out in September, may also be first released as four smaller books (Intern Ambition, Design Disaster, Runway Rundown, Fashion Week Finale). I couldn’t find any real clarification on the subject.

What’s good?

A steady pace, a loveable main character, and fabulous illustrations make this follow-your-dreams adventure a fun and easy read. The competition is exciting and I couldn’t wait to see what the next design challenge would be so I could see what the designers came up with. Chloe is a strong protagonist with realistic levels of both confidence and self-doubt. The supporting characters are positive role-models who prove success is often a team effort. The romance is light and adds nicely to the story.
Best Part: Brooke Hagel's illustrations!

What isn’t good?

I don’t believe I’m going to say this, but it could have used more drama. I was expecting more competition, backstabbing, and thicker tension. Nina, the supposed villain, was weak and barely provided enough conflict to sustain the story. I also think the pacing struggled a bit when too much time was spent on long explanations of sewing and design techniques. In all, the plot was fairly predictable.
Worst part: The end came too quickly and easily.

Recommendation þþþþo

I loved this book – and that shocks me. I have no interest in fashion or competition, yet this was tons of fun and very engaging. I wonder, however, if I would have enjoyed it as much if it didn’t have the illustrations. Sadly, I think not. It lacked depth and could have used a little more edginess, but was nonetheless entertaining. Recommended.

Gurevich, Margaret. Chloe by Design: Making the Cut. North Mankato, MN: Capstone Young Readers, 2015. (Hardcover)