“Hollywood” is a theme in books I tend to gravitate towards and when I read the synopsis for Where Are You, Echo Blue? My interest was immediately piqued.

I went audio route for this one and really enjoyed it. Dual narrators made Echo (famous child star of the 90s) & Goldie (a young journalist) come to life… it felt like listening to a podcast on my fav celeb. I thought for another Hollywood Story this one gave a unique and fresh perspective to the niche genre. The ending was very satisfying IMO which made up for some of the parts that may have dragged a bit through the middle.

This one would make for a great Bookclub pick… discussions about celebrity worship, women in a male dominated industry and the pressure to always be ON for your fans.

Thank you PRH Audio & Dutton
Releases 7/16

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Where Are You, Echo Blue? is a stunning and intricate look into the life of child stars. I loved the way Hayley Krischer was able to weave a story together between child star and journalist in a way that felt so real and trusting.

The story begins when we learn of Echo's disappearance and her impact on the world through the eyes of a super fan turned journalist named Goldie. The immediate intrigue of wanting to know what happened to Echo now makes much more sense as aren't we all a little enthralled by the idea of a missing celebrity?

This novel is brilliantly written as it continues to draw you in as it switches between the real-life of Echo Blue and the surface-level story the rest of the world believes to be true about her life. It might seem like a stereotypical, "Well duh, child stars lives aren't as easy as they seem," but when have we truly put that thought into practice? Where Are You, Echo Blue? takes place during the '90s and yet we continue to treat child stars like animals. Like they are grown adults that we can devour and surround with fame and paparazzi. There is something so beautiful and honest about this book that I have not found in many past celebrity fiction novels. As the past of Echo is revealed and we continue to solve the mystery alongside Goldie, it will be hard for readers to not connect the two in some way. Although they have never met, their stories feel familiar with each other as they both struggle with a father who ruins their mental stability, and are trying to find their true callings.

Goldie is a powerful character as she learns through her search for Echo that she is part of the problem and I think that is a hard thing to admit to yourself. As civilians, we cannot possibly understand the constant pressure of the world when every move you make is public, especially when you are young and in the spotlight. Overall, this is a beautiful and raw look into the world of being celebrity-obsessed, It shows what it does to the celebrity and what it does to the mind of those who create false realities of who these celebrities are and how they fit into our lives.

TW: Domestic Violence, Abusive Parents, Death, grief

A very interesting concept for a story as someone who grew up with celebrities like Lindsay Lohan, Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears in the limelight. I appreciated the non-linear timeline, the idea of following an obsessed journalist, set in the 2000s/but also late 90s, the mystery, and the desire to publish a big, career-breaking story. This story definitely is reminiscent of the vibe of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Daisy Jones and the Six, and yet the author makes it her own. The only thing I really didn’t like was the Goldie sex scenes. I think they could’ve been cut and the story would’ve still been the same.

I felt like Goldie was a somewhat unreliable narrator, which is interesting as she is a journalist - definitely flirting with the moral dilemma of ethics while hunting down sources. As a journalist, it was kind of hard to read and not judge her, but I don’t think she’s meant to be a super likable cheater for most of the book.

I had read Hayley Krisher’s YA What Happened to Ali Greenleaf and I see similarities in her writing she carried from her YA to adult debut. Definitely an author to watch!

Thank you to the author, Dutton and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

What is the balance between obsession, celebrity culture, feeling like we know them and simple admiration?

We explore this in Where Are You, Echo Blue. What a totally addicting story!

"A smart, juicy, and page-turning novel about celebrity, fandom, and the price of ambition following a journalist's obsessive search for a missing Hollywood starlet.

When Echo Blue, the most famous child star of the nineties, disappears ahead of a highly publicized television appearance on the eve of the millennium, the salacious theories instantly start swirling. Mostly, people assume Echo has gotten herself in trouble after a reckless New Year's Eve. But Goldie Klein, an ambitious young journalist who also happens to be Echo's biggest fan, knows there must be more to the story. Why, on the eve of her big comeback, would Echo just go missing without a trace?

After a year of covering dreary local stories for Manhattan Eye, Goldie is sure this will be her big break. Who better to find Echo Blue, and tell her story the right way, than her? And so, Goldie heads to L.A. to begin a wild search that takes her deep into Echo's complicated life in which parental strife, friend break ups, rehab stints, and bad romances abound. But the further into Echo's world Goldie gets, the more she questions her own complicity in the young star's demise...yet she cannot tear herself away from this story, which has now consumed her entirely. Meanwhile, we also hear Echo's side of things from the beginning, showing a young woman who was chewed up and spit out by Hollywood as so many are, and who may have had to pay the ultimate price.

As these young women's poignant and unexpected journeys unfold, and eventually meet, Where Are You, Echo Blue? interrogates celebrity culture, the thin line between admiration and obsession, and what it means to tell other peoples' stories, all while ushering us on an unruly ride to find out what did become of Echo Blue."

A fictional yet all to realistic look into what celebrity did to female stars at the turn of the century.

i think this was a really intriguing examination of parasocial relationships and how we as a society view the rich and famous. i liked it but it felt like it was missing something. i just needed a little more intimacy with goldie and echo as characters.

thank you to netgalley for an arc of this in exchange for my honest review!

This was such a fun, nostalgic feeling story. The where is she missing 90s/2000s child actor, very Face on the Milk Carton vibes, Carson Daily. I loved the little bit of mystery and solving along with the main character about what happened to Echo Blue.

Everyone is obsessed with celebrities. We all read People while sitting in a doctor's office. We all take a gander at Page Six during our lunch break. We have to know what Paris, Kim, or Lindsay did today. It's part of the culture. We obsess over these people, we put them on a pedestal, holding them to an unreasonable standard.

Where Are You, Echo Blue by Hayley Krischer is the story of one woman's obsession with Echo Blue, a child star, with celebrity parents. Echo was famous from the day she was born. She started acting at 11, and immediately was a star. She won a Oscar before she even turned 18.

Goldie is a journalist at the turn of the millennium. She's loved Echo Blue for most of her life. In fact, she loved her so much that her parents sent to her to a doctor as her obsession was worrisome.

New Years Eve 1999, Echo is scheduled to appear with Carson Daly. She no-shows and thus restarts Goldie's obsession. She wants to know where Echo is and will not stop until she finds her.
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Hayley Krischer has written a story of obsession and redemption. Both women are in transitional periods in their life and both need to grow up. They need each other more than they know.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Where Are You, Echo Blue? is almost equal parts entertaining and unsettling. This is not your standard child star goes bad story, there’s more to it than that. I found Goldie’s obsessive search for Echo really interesting but also sad and strange. Was she supposed to be sympathetic or was she supposed to be stalker-lite? Was she trustworthy or crazed? When I finished the book, I wondered about the ending, whether it was actually fair to Echo or not, if it was actually still exploitative. This was well-written and well-paced. I enjoyed it very much and it really made me think. Highly recommend!

My thanks to NetGalley and Dutton Books for an advance reader’s copy.

I was intrigued by the idea here. The whole "whatever happened to them?" pop-up genre in fiction has offered some surprisingly entertaining titles (my personal favorite being The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard). Unfortunately, this wasn't one of them for me. I had a difficult time engaging with the characters - particularly Goldie, whose obsession from an early age simply didn't resonate with me. I couldn't relate and couldn't understand what the draw was, so couldn't really buy into her ongoing interest in the disappearance... The writing was fine but didn't draw me in. All in all this just wasn't a good fit for me...

Another absolutely fascinating look into the dangers of social media and what it's like to be a child star.

A little different from similar books because the main characters switch back and forth from the famous actor Echo Blue to Goldie Klein, an intrepid journalist in NYC.

There were some parts that went from plausible to totally unhinged that made it hard to route for Goldie to succeed, but if you suspense disbelief and just enjoy the wild ride you'll be sucked in,!

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book before publication! The review will be live on my blog on 7/1/24. I will also feature the review on Instagram that same day and post my review to Goodreads, The Storygraph, Fable, and retail sites.

Review:

With Britney Spears's recent memoir and several documentaries about the horrors some young actors faced on set in the '80s and '90s, there's no shortage of content on the dark underbelly of Hollywood. Hayley Kirscher's "Where Are You, Echo Blue?" is a fictional but riveting look at the struggles faced by child actors and what female celebrities have to go through (especially young ones) while also highlighting the thin line between being a fan and being obsessed.

The book starts in January of 2000, introducing us to Goldie Klein, a journalist with grand aspirations and an even grander fascination with Echo Blue, the enigmatic former child star who vanished without a trace while filming MTV's New Year's Eve celebration. Driven to make a name for herself, Goldie heads to L.A. to investigate Echo's disappearance. What unfolds is a spellbinding narrative of fame, ambition, and the hazy boundaries between reality and obsession.

What makes this so interesting is that Goldie isn't just a journalist looking for a celebrity. Echo is someone that Goldie has been obsessed with since she was a teenager. Goldie was so "Echo-focused" that her parents sent her to a therapist for counseling to deal with it. This ups the novel's stakes and forces the reader to wonder about Goldie's intentions. We soon realize that Goldie may be fooling herself just as much as she fools her parents when she tells them that her obsession with Echo ended as a teenager.

Krischer's writing is sharp and utterly addictive. The story alternates between Goldie's perspective and Echo's, allowing us to see both sides of the story and understand the complexities of fame and fortune. The characters are richly drawn and flawed, making them all the more captivating. Even the side characters are compelling.

Both Echo and Goldie have daddy issues but for very different reasons. Echo's parents divorced when she was young, and her mother - a former child star herself - has become a recluse. On the other hand, Echo's father is a larger-than-life actor chasing the next great part. Echo starts acting, hoping to get closer to him, but as her success takes off, her father's fragile ego stands between the close relationship she'd hoped to forge with him. Goldie's father is a professor and has always pushed Goldie to be better. She feels constantly judged by him, and she, too, longs for acceptance but for different reasons than Echo.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the book is its exploration of the dark side of celebrity culture, both for the celebrity and their fans. Krischer doesn't shy away from showing the ugly truths of fame and the toll it can take on those in the spotlight. She also raises significant questions about celebrity fandoms and their influence on celebrities, both positive and negative, making the book a relevant and insightful read.

But beyond the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, this book is ultimately a story about identity and self-discovery. Goldie's journey to uncover Echo's fate leads her to confront her own personal demons and question her own motives, making for a compelling narrative. I really enjoyed both character's stories, but I found Echo's to be the more captivating and often heartbreaking of the two.

Overall, this is a riveting read that will appeal to mystery, pop culture, and contemporary fiction fans. The characters are realistic, flawed, and, at times, questionable (which I always love), and the plot is engaging. I loved how it closely examined young celebrities' struggles while highlighting how being a "huge fan" isn't always healthy. This is the perfect beach read for the summer.

This book was not for me. I was just interesting enough to keep me turning the page, but it ultimately felt cheesy and just, off.

I had no idea where this book was going to go which in turns made me intrigued, frustrated and confused. I’d call reading this a thrilling ride yet at the same time I’m not sure it would be a ride I’d recommend to others.

Told on alternating timelines, we follow journalist Goldie who has had an obsession about Echo Blue since childhood. Celebrity actress, Echo Blue has disappeared at the turn of the century. We follow Echo’s perspective from childhood as well as Goldie’s perception of her to present day. Goldie pitches an idea to track down Echo Blue for a story- fulfilling her childhood dreams of meeting her as well as advancing her career. Through this journey, Goldie finds that things are not always what they appear in the media. The book explores the exploitation of women in celebrity culture and their perception versus men.

Truthfully, I had a hard time getting into this book because I could not identify with the main character’s (Goldie) obsession with a celebrity. I think the moral of the story was good and I’m glad that it ended with Goldie examining her own behavior and contribution to society’s obsession with celebrity culture.

I rated this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to the author and publishing company for allowing me to review this book in exchange for a honest review.

Famous 90s child star, Echo Blue, poised to return to the limelight after a stay in rehab, has suddenly disappeared. Goldie Klein, a young and ambitious journalist (who may or may not love Echo more than life) thinks there’s something fishy about the situation.

I was excited for this book. Anything set in the 90s is a sure bet for me to want to read it immediately! I was not expecting to run in to the emotions that I did, ranging from sadness and in to irritation and small bits of happiness sprinkled in. These two characters were infuriating for me to read and move through the story with..but at the same time I found myself feeling sorry for them at certain points. This book puts on display the sad reality of what Hollywood does not only to women, but to child stars. Overall a great read that will have you wondering, where is Echo? The whole way through.

I'm tired of things not similar to Daisy Jones and the Six getting comped to DJATS because it is related to famous people...saying that this book was fairly comped to DJATS. Now that I've said that, there are a lot of differences and I loved the way the story was told. Alternating between Goldie and Echo was an amazing choice. I could not stop myself from reading this book until I got to the end. I was really scared that there wasn't going to be a satisfying ending and without spoiling anything, the ending was exactly what I would want.

Goldie is obsessed with child actor Echo Blue. But she wouldn’t call herself “obsessed” A childhood fixation or maybe idolization, but not obsessed.

When Echo goes missing, Goldie uses her skills as a reporter to try and track her down. She gets turned around and hung up and the more dismal side of Hollywood and ends up finding a story she didn’t know she was looking for.

Having also read Falling Girls by this author, she does such a good job writing codependence and longing. There is also a palpable desperation making the characters feel real. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. There were just a few times that Goldie’s motivation seemed forced.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group!
Although I ended up enjoying this book as a whole, I did struggle with how unlikeable every single character was. Goldie, as the reporter telling the tale, was a hot mess from beginning to end, and a hot mess that I just couldn’t find myself sympathizing with. I felt bad for Echo to an extent, as she was surrounded by narcissists on all sides, but once again-those were some champagne problems.

Disclaimer: Thank you Netgalley & Dutton Publishing for an eARC

A solid 3.5 stars and a delightful read!!!

Through dual perspectives, Hayley Krischer show us the dangers of celebrity culture from both the fan’s obsessive perspective, and the stars that live under fame’s scrutiny.

Taking place in the year 2000 from Goldie’s POV and the 90s from Echo’s POV, I loved the pop culture references and callbacks.

I loved Echo’s POV, story, and character development. Goldie, on the other hand, was a bit stick and cringy in a few areas - specifically her awkward sex scenes.

Overall, a refreshing book that makes us examine society’s obsession with celebrity culture and its psychological effects.

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