How to Die Famous

May 1, 2024
Grades 9-12 Upon leaving London and landing in Hollywood, Abel can't believe his luck: he's landed the coveted role in an upcoming teen drama. In addition to being a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the new role gives Abel a chance to investigate who murdered his brother. Years ago, Abel's brother worked on a previous rendition of the show before his untimely fall from a hotel roof. Something about the studio and his brother's death seems suspicious, and as Abel gets to know his co-stars, he learns that something is rotten in the land of glitz and glitter, and the reader realizes that if he doesn't stop poking around, another death may be connected to the ill-fated show. The latest from Dean (The King Is Dead, 2023) explores predatory contracts and the negative effect fame and pressure can have on young stars. The trials and tribulations of the four teen actors are compelling, but the novel's pacing and muddled focus make it difficult to enjoy the story at heart. Shocking and frustrating, Dean's work doesn't hold back when it comes to exploring child actor exploitation.

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May 6, 2024
Young actors expose a deadly scandal in this twisty, tantalizing thriller from Dean (The King Is Dead) that pits “a billion-dollar company against four teenagers.” Abel Miller, who is “mixed race,” seizes the chance to costar in the reboot of the hit teen dramedy Sunset High; mysterious disappearances and death blight the original production’s “cursed” history. But
he doesn’t accept the role simply to launch his career—a celebrity reporter approaches Abel to go undercover to investigate the off-set drama, to which Abel agrees for personal reasons: his older brother died in a “tragic accident” while working as a production assistant for the studio three years ago, and Abel suspects foul play. While befriending costars to untangle the truth (and his own romantic feelings for the leading man), Abel learns that Sunset High’s makers and players all harbor dangerous secrets that will prove deadly for one teen star. Multiple narrators deglamorize Hollywood’s every angle with searing social commentary
on stalkers, abusive guardians, alcohol dependency, racism, sexism, and homophobia, while soapy drama and plentiful pop culture references keep
this mystery compulsively readable. Characters are intersectionally diverse. Ages 14–up. Agent: Chloe Seager, Madeleine Milburn Literary.

May 15, 2024
A rising TV star vows to uncover the unsettling truth behind his older brother's death. British entertainment industry newcomer Abel Miller, a multiracial Black teen, has just landed a role on Omni Channel's Sunset High, a star-making teen drama with a controversial history. An actress from the original series experienced a mental breakdown, and in 2022 the reboot's junior assistant--Abel's 22-year-old brother, Adam--died after falling from the roof of a hotel and a young lead actor vanished during her evening run. When Abel joins the cast in 2024, he partners with a tabloid journalist to expose Omni's underbelly and shed light on the strange circumstances surrounding Adam's death. As Abel adjusts to the spotlight, he connects with his three teen co-stars, who are guarding career-ending secrets. Soon, Abel's mission is at war with his loyalties, and he realizes that Omni is much more dangerous than anyone could imagine. Told through first-person narration that alternates between Abel and white co-star Ella Winter, Dean's sophomore YA novel effectively combines pop-culture elements with the tension of a murder mystery. The author explores the exploitation of children in show business, from the selfish demands of stage parents to the insatiable greed of industry executives, with realism. Abel's unresolved grief is movingly depicted, and the ending, though a little too conveniently earned, leaves room for a sequel. A twisty whodunit that critiques the toxicity of celebrity while exploring bonds of friendship and brotherhood. (Thriller. 14-18)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 31, 2025

Gr 9 Up-Abel is on his way to Los Angeles to star in the upcoming reboot of the teen drama Sunset High, a show that is well-known for being cursed, with one of its previous stars still missing and a production assistant falling to his death from the roof of a hotel. However, it was not just any assistant, it was Abel's older brother, Adam. In a secret partnership with the tabloid publication The Daily Eye, Abel is determined to uncover the mystery of his brother's death and make sure those responsible are held accountable. The story is told from the perspective of four different characters hired to be the stars of Sunset High. Dean does excellently break up the narrative between characters, making it easy to switch from one to the other with each chapter. Additionally, the exploration of the dangers and predatory practices of child stardom is engaging and well-executed. Despite the smooth handling of alternating narrators, the story takes too long to build up to an otherwise enthralling storyline. The mystery ultimately relies too much on convenience and the ending feels rushed. Even a twist at the last minute is not enough to bring the story to a satisfying conclusion. Abel is Black while the remaining characters are coded as white. VERDICT An interesting idea and well-considered whodunit, this has issues, including a disappointingly rushed ending that makes it an additional purchase.-Zach Basler

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