I really liked this one. It was twisty and fast paced. The characters were well fleshed out and easy to connect with. Seeing everything they had to endure and how the story unfolds made it hard to put down. I didn’t expect for it to make me so invested but by the end I wanted more. I’d say that even though this book follows the formula of teen thrillers it felt like there was a deeper layer of intrigue. I can’t wait for another.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the arc.

This book had an interesting commentary about child actors/fame vs. privacy— and it’s an especially apt time considering the recent Nickelodeon documentary. It’s rife with teen characters who have differing levels of trauma and clear motivations on top of offering LGBTQ+ rep. I think the only thing keeping it from a full five stars for me is that the voices aren’t distinct enough from POV to POV. It at first, but the later in the book it got, I found myself flipping back to see who was talking—Lucky or Abel. Also, the evil mom just kind of vanishes halfway through on vacation, which I didn’t buy considering the contract being unsigned and how domineering she was.

I was not a fan of How to Die Famous. I couldn't finish the book. I felt like this was all over the place. I mean, I was intrigued by the idea of a murder, of the curse, etc. but as it goes back in time to tell the story, I just couldn't get in to it. The chapters dragged on and on, and I felt like they were never going to end. The author took way to long to get to the point. In this case, that's a bad thing because I got bored reading this.
If I had to give any type of feedback, I would say that the chapters need split up, the plot needs work so that it doesn't feel like a chore reading, and maybe there should be more thrills instead of bores.

I had so much fun reading this book. I loved every second and couldn’t put it down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Thank you Netgalley and Little Brown Books for Young Readers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"How to Die Famous" by Benjamin Dean is an interesting thriller/mystery that dives deep into the complexities of the entertainment industry while exploring themes of identity and relationships. The book really shows the dark side of the entertainment industry, like with stalkers as well as how contracts can exploit minors who feel like they have to accept any kind of terms/conditions in order to be “famous.” This was a really interesting book to read after watching the recent documentary about the exploitations within Nickelodeon, though this book seemed a bit unrealistic in some of the actions of the TV company. Still, I found that aspect of the book very interesting, and I wanted the book to focus more on that aspect rather than the possibility of a TV company killing their stars.

For me, the book took a little while to get started as Abel, one of the MCs in the book, is trying to find clues behind the dark past of the company. Once the plot starts to pick up though, the book becomes quite fast-paced with some interesting twists I wasn’t expecting. You also get to experience the POVs of other characters, which I appreciated as I got to learn more about their perspectives and see how the entertainment industry affected each actor individually. I especially liked Ryan’s POV as she offered the perspective of a Black actress being pushed out of the industry and being replaced by a white actress; this is a plot point that I think needed more development and focus as I really enjoyed it. The book also explored grief and alcoholism through Lucky’s POV.

Ultimately, "How to Die Famous" offers a captivating glimpse into the dark underbelly of Hollywood, with an interesting cast of characters as well as a well-thought-out mystery. I did think the main mystery was a bit predictable, but the ending was a bit open and suggests a sequel exploring a new mystery hinted at throughout this first book. I am definitely interested in reading a sequel if Dean publishes one.

How to Die Famous is a fun, if incredibly unrealistic, read. It's fast-paced and has a solid mystery, but you definitely have to be willing to roll with the zaniness of the plot. However, if you're game, it's an interesting (albeit dark) look into how child stars are manufactured and managed.

How to Die Famous dumps you into the plot from page 1. It seems there's been a fresh murder but we have no idea who's dead yet. Then we roll back in time two weeks to get the various POVs of the characters and find out about the events leading up to bloody opening scene. It's a little slow to start in these first chapters, I think because of establishing so many characters and background. That was my first issue - there were just too many characters to keep up with and it became hard to track all the different POVs. But the plot does pick up and begin to twist, so it's easy to fly through in one sitting.

Most of the plot is conveyed through dialogue and texts. Accurate to how teens communicate but also seemed to be written with a screen adaptation in mind. I could easily see it playing out as a movie in my mind without much change to what I was reading. I had similar feelings while reading One of Us is Lying, so if you like that style, you'll enjoy this as well.

If you've seen/read Famous in Love, it also reminds me of that, where you need a heavy dose of suspension of disbelief in order to get into the story. If you can just accept the basic premises as is (of course this nobody non-actor from another country will be perfectly cast in this hit TV show! He finds what he needs easily!), you'll have a better time with it.

Abel Miller is off to L.A. to be one of the stars of “Sunset High” on the OmniChannel, a reboot of a popular, but possibly cursed television show, but he has a secret. His brother, Adam, was a production assistant on the first iteration of “Sunset High” and died during the filming, but no one knows why. Abel is going to find out. When Angel meets show creator Lake Carter and his co-stars Lucky Tate, Ryan Hudson and Ella Winter he finds there are other secrets lurking. Secrets someone would kill for.

Lord, this is a mess. The writing isn’t bad, but it’s absolutely nonsensical, starting with the idea that Abel can just become the star of a TV show and then continuing on the pretty much every single plot point that occurs after that. I know this is a young adult book, but young adults do have some sort of working brain, correct? They deserve better.