Zoë Kravitz: X-Men's Amazing Angel

By: Sandy Donovan
Publisher: Lerner Publications
Publication Date: January 2013
ISBN: 978-1467708852
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: February 2013

Zoë Kravitz is not paparazzi shy for the simple reason that she grew up with them in her life. As a child of famous parents, Lisa Bonet and Lenny Kravitz, she was “born into pop culture royalty.” Naturally when you grow up with the world’s eye on you, there’s not much that will surprise you. Zoë’s parents divorced when she was five, but her relationship with them was solid. Her mom “cut back on acting so she could have more time to spend with her daughter.” Later, when she was a ‘tweener, she spent more time with her father who was “a chart-topping star.” It was a pretty remarkable upbringing for Zoë, who is a “talented celebrity” in her own right.

When Zoë was in high school, she “had tons of friends,” enjoyed her time there, but was beginning to “explore acting.” Obviously she’d have connections that others wouldn’t have, but nevertheless, “she wanted to be a serious artist.” Zoë did head to auditions and even before she graduated from Rudolph Steiner High School in New York City, she was filming. Her commitment to becoming a serious actress wasn’t thrown out the window because she scored parts. She “enrolled in acting school at the State University of New York.” It looked like a career in acting was looming in her future.

Zoë was multi-talented and also tried her hand at singing and songwriting. She joined up with three musicians and they started “their own band called Elevator Fight.” In this book you’ll find out just what kind of music she likes and what influences her own style. With a couple of parents who were “fashion trendsetters” it was inevitable that she be one as well. Zoë even ended up as “the face for Vera Wang’s perfume called Princess in 2009.” In this book you’ll also learn about her time in Europe, her “secret love,” her award nominations, her siblings, you’ll get to take a peek at guys she’s connected with, her future plans, and you’ll learn many other interesting things about Zoë Kravitz, X-Men’s amazing angel.

This is a fun, interesting look at Zoë Kravitz, a pop culture icon. After Zoë starred as Angel Salvadore in X-Men: First Class, everyone wanted to know a lot more about her. This book gives a nice overview of her life, including a glimpse into her childhood and her famous parents. The layout of the book is bright and fun with numerous full-color photographs, including a two-page spread of “Zoë Pics.” There are numerous informative sidebars that add more interest to the text. For example, one entitled “BFFs” has a brief blurb about her friendship with Jay-Z and other besties. In the back of the book is an index, source notes, and additional recommended book and website resources to explore.

Quill says: If you love to take a peek into the lives of up and coming stars, the "Pop Culture Bios: Action Movie Stars" series is one you should add to your list!