Catwalk (The Trilogy)

By: Deborah Gregory
Publisher: Laurel-Leaf Books
Publication Date: September 2011
ISBN: 978-0-385-73930-6
Reviewed by: Amy Lignor 
Review Date: October 2011

Deborah Gregory is the outstanding novelist who brings teen readers The Cheetah Girls, and introduced this series that dove head-first into the fashion world. This truly fun and entertaining new book offers the novels of Catwalk; Strike a Pose; and the brand new third and final book in the series - Rip The Runway!

This trilogy has been ‘gifted’ to readers so that they know - from beginning to end - how the lives of Pashmina, Felinez, Angora, and Aphro - the four best friends at Manhattan’s Fashion International High School - ended up, when they entered the contest that could make them into fashion superstars. Every year at the posh school, students go into their selected groups (their Fashion Houses), and work their proverbial tails off to design, produce, and ‘show’ their new fashion line. The competition is grueling, but with the win comes the ability to be seen, heard and known throughout the land as the next ‘big stars’ of the dog-eat-dog fashion world.

In Catwalk, which was the beginning of this super-fun ride, we were all introduced to these charming characters who each brought style, class and their own set of skills and egos to their team. These four friends threw themselves headfirst into a fierce fashion frenzy where they could’ve been eaten alive. Goodness knows that the fashion world is no game!

Then came, Strike a Pose, where the four friends continued on with their dream, even though there was a slew of people wanting and waiting for them to fail. Here, their design house struggled to get that fashion line together, and tension and stress nearly pulled the four friends apart, as the runway called out to them and the all-expense-paid trip to Florence hung in the balance.

Now this fabulous writer has brought the four friends and their extreme journey to a close with the last of the trilogy titled, Rip The Runway. Here is where the four friends show it all, and where the fans will learn whether the fashionable quartet they’ve been falling in love with all this time, actually win that grand prize!

All in all, this was a wonderful trilogy; for anyone who is interested in fashion, it was even more so. At times it was Project Runway, while other times it was the Dynasty witches come back from the dead, as this group had to learn friendship, solidarity, loyalty, and courage. Without these traits, not only would their fashion line have been done long ago, but so would have the friendship and camaraderie that made them bestsellers in the first place! This is a truly wild ride that would make everyone from Lauren to Vanderbilt proud!

Quill Says: A great way to say goodbye to the runway!