Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. I enjoyed this novel for the multi cultural aspect but sometimes there were too many Persian food names. The premise was believable about a famous middle Eastern family that has a reality TV show. I loved Timmy and wished there were more Timmy crush scenes!!!!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4/5 stars.

It was definitely a slow start to get into this, but I loved how it combined Princess Diary elements with Reality TV and also discussions of grief and identity. I didn't really care for the subplot with Josie's best friend (or the crush on the guy....bleh) but overall it was good. I like how it taught both families things, plus it was a nice change of pace from typical YA plots. I wish there was more though, as I want to know what happens after the end!!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Candice Jalili, and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Josie is happy with her safe and predictable life. This is how she has been ever since her mom passed away. She will only hang out with her best friend Louise and her stepdad Matt. All she cares about is prepping for Stanford which she hopes to attend after her senior year. Plans change though when Josie finds out that her biological father was the head of the famous reality TV family, things quickly start to change for Josie.
Josie goes from quiet to having everything she could ever want. Could Josie now have whatever she wants.

I really enjoyed this book! It reminded me a great deal of Princess Diaries and I love it!! I loved Josie's character and the layout/timeline of this book.

Five stars!! Perfect for teens obsessed with reality tv, relatable for those who feel like that world is so far beyond them as to be unreachable! I love the love stories (all of them!) that are shared throughout the novel, and the discussions of different types of family are also amazing. Definitely adding to my classroom library!

This was such a fun read. A perfect summer escape, as Josie finds out that her biological father was actually the beloved Ali Mashad, whose family is not just reality tv stars but practically have an empire, ala the Kardashians.He passed away but left the caveat that Josie must join her half-sisters on the show to earn the trust fund he left her. This is a huge change from the one bedroom apartment she has been living in with her stepfather. Josie handles the change and sudden fame and riches about as well as any high school senior could, probably better than most. Highly recommended for grades 9 & up.

This was a fun book I think a lot of YA readers will enjoy. It’s not heavy, it’s quick and fun read.

TIMMY. I love him. Ugh just the best. Favorite character in the whole book.

I do feel like with Josie they tried to make her a little to “I am me change nothing” but I did really like her character. I just wish she had been so over the top for so much of the book.

And Matt 🥹

This is cute and fun and I think so many young people will relate with this one.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

Josie finds out via letter, on her 18th birthday, that her birth father was the patriarch of the world-famous Mashad family. The entrepreneurial Mashads are not only the owners of several wildly successful businesses, but for years have been the subject of a reality television show, Josie initially wants nothing to do with them, but the lure of money to fund her education and her stepfather's dreams lures her in. This light romance is semi-predictable, but a very enjoyable read. I would classify it as YA, but would recommend it for middle school and new adult readers as well. I see that this is listed as first in a series and am looking forward to seeing where the story goes.

I recieved a free eARC of this book. Thank you for the opportunity to read it!


Josie has a decent life. She's going to Stanford in the fall, has one best friend, Lou, a crush on her math partner, Isaac, and a great stepdad, Matt, who picked up the pieces with her after her mother's death. And also an arch-enemy, who dates Isaac...but a girl can't have it all.

That all changes when she turns 18 and finds out that her long unknown father was Ali Mashad. And that she stands to inherit a pretty large fortune..but that there's a catch, Her newly found stepmother wants her to join the family reality show for a year, get to know her three sisters, and become part of the family in order to inherit. That money would pay for college, get Matt his comedy club back and....well, it's got to be hard to turn down millions of dollars.

This is a fun book. Imagine the Princess Diaries, but with a Persian version of the Kardashians. It's kinder and gentler than a lot of YA. There is some drinking and sexual references, but nothing explict. There are many cultural references, which I quite enjoyed, which add extra flavor.

All the beats are expected, but yet they don't feel stale.

All told, I kind of think this one should be in the queue to become a DCOM or Disney movie. And I think it will be a well loved book for teen girls...and women who enjoy light, happy, romance.

This was a really interesting book about strong women living their lives in the spotlight. It reminded me a lot of Keeping Up With the Kardashians but at a more basic level. The author did a great job showing the perks and downsides of fame with quick glances of how life could be having your every move scrutinized. As well as showing what wealth can bring.
I would have loved to see, at any point, by any of the characters, questioning when "enough is enough". It seemed a bit ridiculous that they are constantly chasing the next endorsement, the next ratings boost, etc. It seemed a little sad to me - but then that's reality.
The relationships between the sisters and mother were very close, and it did take a little imagination to believe they would welcome a new sister with such open arms but it is a story after all.
Enjoy!

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC! This is probably 3.5 stars, but I can see my students giving it more stars. For any fans of shows like the Kardashians, this book will really appeal to them. You have the awkward, average girl who is struggling after the death of her mom and having a stepdad barely making ends meet who finds out she’s actually a half sibling to this rich and famous reality star family. She strikes a deal and becomes part of the show as she gets to know her new siblings. There’s some surprises for her along the way as she gets to see the connections and history of her past. It was a neat premise, and I enjoyed the connection to reality shows as those are pretty popular these days. It was also fairly clean (some profanity and descriptions of catching people in the act but nothing too graphic). I was annoyed by the main character as I struggle with females who aren’t very strong and bold (and can’t seem to just talk without blurting out goofy stuff or realize when someone is or isn’t into you), but she finds herself and her poise and strength as she goes along, so it had redeeming qualities. Some of the friends are great, though, and I liked the peek into a different culture. The ending was cute. Overall, I can’t say I loved it for myself, but I think teens will really enjoy it, and I’ll be recommending it to my students.

This was a fun one. I thought it was well written and sweet. I love the relationship between Jamie and her step dad. A must read for reality TV fans.

I did not expect to like this book as much as I did. It's been a while since I read anything YA... I've found them to be too cheesy or whiny or dramatic. The plot of this one, along with the writing style, sucked me in and kept me reading. It's a little cringy and a lot heartwarming. There are so many great relationships featured in this story: best friend, stepdad/stepdaughter, sisters... And some unique ones that are hard to explain.

Note- casual conversations about sex, drugs, and alcohol use, lots of kissing, lesbian characters, exploitation of family members, cheating

The Princess Diaries meets The Kardashians. What an incredibly fun YA novel that transplants an ordinary girl into reality TV with an ultra-wealthy family. She is awkward, but wears that with a badge of pride and doesn't let anyone change her. Will she fit in with her new family? Will her relationships change? All of these things are tackled.

Josie Lawrence is a high school senior getting ready to go to Stanford. While she has book smarts, she is a little behind in social/emotional intelligence. Her life is simple. She has 1 true friend, hangs out with her father (her mother died a few years earlier), and has a massive crush on a boy. Cue her 18th birthday when she finds out that her biological father is none other than Ali Mashad who has risen to fame as "the" reality TV family. He has set aside money for her (important with tuition costs) that she can only get if she spends 1 season on the TV show. But when news leaks of who she is, her life turns upside down.

I honestly don't pay attention to the Kardashians, so I don't know of all of the parallels, other than wealth, the TV show, and all of the branding that has come out of it. That is an important part of the story, but it isn't where the emotional depth is. The Mashad family is of Persian decent and the matriarch, Mary, has faced a lot of her own challenges and is trying to do the best to provide everything for her 3 daughters. All of the cultural references and choices in the book are wonderful. Josie has to navigate different personality styles, learning along the way that how people act is not straightforward and that love can be expressed in many ways. She also learns that motherhood is hard and that sometimes decisions that we think are the right way to go can hurt someone else.

This is a great book for the YA audience.

Firstly, thank you at the team at netgallery and the publishers for letting me have an early copy to read.
I loved it so much! Kardashians but in another universe.
Long lost sister who is the polar opposite to them in so many ways. But more they get to know eachother the more the 4 sisters get closer and become a real family

We follow Josie an eighteen year old Iranian American teen whose world is turned upside down when her mother's death brings to light a family secret she never knew existed— she’s the secret daughter of the famous Ali Mashad. The Mashad’s? Well they also just happen to be the most famous reality television family in the world. Suddenly, Josie’s living the Mashad lifestyle. She joins the reality show ‘Making Mashad’, while juggling her friendship with her friend Lou, going through the throes of young love, and building a bond with her new sisters.

I want to preface this by saying the author pulls inspiration from Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Shahs of Sunset but throw in the Princess Diaries. Josie has a makeover scene in the book that felt really early 2000’s!

Finding Famous is such a lovely coming of age story while also providing interesting commentary on reality television. The Mashad family mirrors the Kardashian family but also they are unapologetic of what they’ve accomplished. I love how we get to step into this new world with Josie and follow her journey. She’s on a path of growth and sisterhood.

I loved the matriarch Mary Mashad a shark, and comparable to the manager and entertainment industry curator Kris Jenner. She’s looking out for business interests all while protecting her family’s image, success, and finances. I also need to give a special shoutout because the inclusion of Persian food and Nowruz made me smile. Taking the time to discuss the food and painful memories of the past played such a beautiful part in this novel. Every immigrant has a story, and Mary Mashad’s story was impactful.

My favourite quote: “Trust in love. Let it fill the spaces between you and soften the inevitable blows. Because, at the end of the day, no human is ever going to love you perfectly. All you can really hope is that they care enough to try their best”.

Thank you NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for the ARC!

Thank you netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Finding Famous was definitely a easy, fun read. I was able to finish in a couple of days and I honestly didn't want to put it down. I enjoyed reading Josie's story and how complicated and messy family can be. The story definitely reminded me of my Kardashian obsession days and it really gives you a perspective of reality tv that you may not have considered before. The side characters were fun, although some came off as a bit one dimensional (hopefully, if the author continues this story as part of a series, will be able to flesh them out a bit more).

Overall, it was great and full of fabulousness and I hope that the author will write a sequel!

Reality TV novel meets YA. Read this and fall into beloved Josie's life grappling grief, high school, and a dash of drama. Jalili built six intricate characters for us to explore. I need a book two! Thanks to NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for an early read in exchange for my honest review.

Josie is a character for sure. I liked seeing her growth and change through the series. I saw some similarities to the Kardashians, but there were some really genuine characters throughout.
I think teens will like this book.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of Finding Famous. Honestly, I didn't expect to be as invested in Josie as I was. There are a few nitpicking kind of things that I could find issue with (how easily Josie is accepted by her sisters, how well Matt and Mary get along, how low key everyone at her school seemed about the news), but the overall sweetness of the story was enough to keep me going. This isn't a groundbreaking story, but it is fun. It'll be a perfect summer read for many of my students. 3.75 rounded up to 4

I just KNOW this one will be a hit once I add it to my classroom library! With TikTok and reality TV such a huge hit right now, any lover of said media will appreciate how Kardashian/Bachelor/influencer-esque this story is as they follow Josie's path to fame. I'll admit, I wasn't the target audience for this book and felt the character and plot development fell a little flat, but I know that my YA readers will eat this one up! I think it might be a bit much for younger middle grades readers, but I think it's perfectly fine for my 7th and 8th graders who want a little more of a challenge. Thanks for the ARC!