Unscripted Joss Byrd by Lygia Day Peñaflor (review)

Ten-year-old Joss Byrd has been a “Bessie,” a cash cow, for both her mother and for movie directors since she landed her first film role at six years old. She doesn’t do movies that kids are allowed to watch, however, so most of her classmates don’t know that she’s critically acclaimed and starring in her fourth film. What her directors don’t know, and can’t find out, is that she’s dyslexic, so she and her mother have to figure out ways for her to learn her lines, especially when there are last-minute script revisions. Joss is mostly okay with supporting the family, even when her mother makes bad decisions and empties her bank account, but when Joss is asked to do a scene that forces her to move beyond her contract parameters and her comfort zone, she realizes how trapped and exploited she really is. It’s a turning point for Joss, forcing a grim early recognition of compromises that are probably only going to get worse. Readers who dream of starring in movies will have some illusions shattered here; this is a reality check that such a career involves shame along with glory and lots of tapping into unsettling emotions. Joss is a credible, down-to-earth guide who is clear-sighted about the fact that she is doing a really hard job for people who care more about their profits than her well-being. Her takeaway is pragmatic as well—don’t expect people to be perfect, accept what they can give you, take a stand when you need to, and learn to act out your own happiness in the midst of a sometimes disappointing reality.