Official Review: My Friend Marilyn by Christopher Lentz

Jgideon · Post by **Jgideon** » 21 Jun 2018, 08:06

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "My Friend Marilyn" by Christopher Lentz.]

4 out of 4 stars

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My Friend Marilyn is a novel by Christopher Lentz. It is one of his novels in The Great American Destination Series. It is a historical-fiction story with a dose of romance. The story revolves around the life of Marilyn Monroe in Hotel Coronado during the production of Some Like It Hot.

The book consists of 82 chapters. At the beginning of every chapter, the author gives details of where and when the events in the chapter happen. I liked this aspect of the book.

When I first saw the title of the book, I thought that Marilyn would be the main character of the story. However, the book proved otherwise. Penny Parker takes the lead in the story. She is a plus-size girl who got lucky and was chosen to be one of Marilyn Monroe’s assistants during the shooting of the film. Her encounter with the beautiful actress changed her life forever.

The author’s creativity kept me wanting to know more about the story. The introduction of new characters did not alter the flow of the story. Frankie, Penny’s favorite man, enables the reader to connect with her in a deeper manner. Both of them have been victims of bullying and dysfunctional families. Penny left her parents' home to escape the emotional wounds that come with a broken family. She finds a haven in Trudy’s house. It was while at Trudy’s that she was lucky to get an invitation to work for the famous actress. The events that happened after the invitation changed her life for the best.

I liked many aspects of the book. The author’s style of writing is simple and easy to understand. He has masterfully developed the characters. I loved how the author used real-life events to create a historical fiction piece that is nothing short of excellent. His ability to paint scenes and events with words made me feel like I was watching a movie. In some instances, the author goes poetic to deliver his message to the reader. In addition, the transitions between chapters are smooth.

My Friend Marilyn is really an absorbing piece. However, I felt that the author gave it a quick ending. I would have loved to know more about the lives of Frankie, Penny, and Chip, the new addition to their “family”. Nevertheless, it is a professionally written book with an incredible story and a brilliant plot. It deserves a perfect score. Thus, I give it 4 out of 4 stars. The few errors that I came across while reading the book did not distract me from enjoying the story. Therefore, I would not give it a lower rating. I recommend it to everyone who is interested in reading a good piece of historical fiction packed with a mild dose of mystery and romance.

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My Friend Marilyn
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stacie k · Post by **stacie k** » 22 Jun 2018, 00:39

Your review has me interested to read the book myself. I enjoy learning from historical fiction, especially when the characters are well drawn. Thanks for a great review!

strawberrysab · Post by **strawberrysab** » 22 Jun 2018, 01:50

For a moment (never trust a title) I was led to believe this was the umpteenth story of Marylin. Glad to be proven wrong and I absolutely love the alternative idea of her assistant taking the romantic lead in the story. I'm adding it to my reading list!

Riszell · Post by **Riszell** » 22 Jun 2018, 02:39

I thought it was a story centered to Marilyn Monroe. This will be something new to read as it was not the case.

Sahani Nimandra · Post by **Sahani Nimandra** » 22 Jun 2018, 03:08

82 chapters! That's big! I hope the story can maintain the attention of its readers. How many pages does the book have? Sounds happy-go story. Thank you for your review!

Post by **kandscreeley** » 22 Jun 2018, 07:54

I don't know a whole lot about Marilyn Monroe, so this book sounds quite interesting. I also love the fact that it's from Penny's perspective while she worked with Marilyn. Thanks for the great review. Sounds like a good book.

Cecilia_L · Post by **Cecilia_L** » 22 Jun 2018, 21:08

After reading your review, I'm really interested in this book. Finding out that the book's main character is the assistant makes it more appealing to me.

Marissa Michael · Post by **Marissa Michael** » 23 Jun 2018, 00:05

82 chapters! I wonder how many pages is that?

This book sounds interesting. I think the number of pages doesn't matter to me when a book sounds promising with an interesting plot. Thank you for your detailed review on this.

Jgideon · Post by **Jgideon** » 24 Jun 2018, 00:15

stacie k wrote: ↑22 Jun 2018, 00:39 Your review has me interested to read the book myself. I enjoy learning from historical fiction, especially when the characters are well drawn. Thanks for a great review!

It is a good book. You are much welcome

Jgideon · Post by **Jgideon** » 24 Jun 2018, 00:17

ParadoxicalWoman wrote: ↑23 Jun 2018, 00:05 82 chapters! I wonder how many pages is that?

This book sounds interesting. I think the number of pages doesn't matter to me when a book sounds promising with an interesting plot. Thank you for your detailed review on this.

You are right, "the number of pages doesn't matter to me when a book sounds promising...". Welcome

Jgideon · Post by **Jgideon** » 24 Jun 2018, 00:19

Cecilia_L wrote: ↑22 Jun 2018, 21:08 After reading your review, I'm really interested in this book. Finding out that the book's main character is the assistant makes it more appealing to me.

It is a lovely piece of creativity

Jgideon · Post by **Jgideon** » 24 Jun 2018, 00:20

kandscreeley wrote: ↑22 Jun 2018, 07:54 I don't know a whole lot about Marilyn Monroe, so this book sounds quite interesting. I also love the fact that it's from Penny's perspective while she worked with Marilyn. Thanks for the great review. Sounds like a good book.

You are much welcome. It is indeed a great book

Jgideon · Post by **Jgideon** » 24 Jun 2018, 00:22

Sahani Nimandra wrote: ↑22 Jun 2018, 03:08 82 chapters! That's big! I hope the story can maintain the attention of its readers. How many pages does the book have? Sounds happy-go story. Thank you for your review!

It is a long book. Someone just reminded me that, "the number of pages doesn't matter when a book sounds promising." Much welcome

Jgideon · Post by **Jgideon** » 24 Jun 2018, 00:23

Riszell wrote: ↑22 Jun 2018, 02:39 I thought it was a story centered to Marilyn Monroe. This will be something new to read as it was not the case.

Yes, Marilyn Monroe is not the star in this one.

Samantha Simoneau · Post by **Samantha Simoneau** » 26 Jun 2018, 09:44

I'm excited to read this one! The mix of historical fact and fiction is something I love in stories. The Hotel del Coronado and Marilyn Monroe have always interested me. Thanks for bringing this book to my attention through your engaging review!