Snyder, Chris. Hunting with Barracudas: My Life in Hollywood with the Legendary Iris Burton. 2009. 314p. Herman Graf Book/Skyhorse Publishing, $22.95. (978-1-60239-662-3). Gr. 11-12.

What happens when a young gay guy moves from a small upstate New York town to the glitzy world of a children’s talent agency? Snyder traces over a decade of personal angst in a cutthroat world of fame-obsessed wannabe actors and an unyielding, control-freak boss. The author openly discusses not only his struggles with clients, including River Phoenix, but also his attempt to personally deal with his gay sexuality and his difficulty in finding intimacy beyond sexual experiences. Throughout the book runs a common theme expressed by one of his statements: “I didn’t even accept me so how could I expect anyone else to accept me?” His entertaining experiences in both Hollywood and in Greece, where he operates a bed & breakfast on an isolated island for a few months, are shown in a frank and frequently humorous manner. -Nel Ward