I loved this book!!! The main character reminds the reader of Taylor Swift, both in her musical journey and her lyrics. This is a fun book to read. It’s told in dual timeline but I would have like to see a header separating the timelines as it was a little when the timeline suddenly switched. It didn’t prevent me from enjoying the book but it would be nice to have.

Once More From the Top tells the story of Dylan Read, a Taylor Swiftesque musician. Her present day story begins when the body of her teenage best friend, Kelsey, is found 15 years after Kelsey’s disappearance. This story is intertwined with the history of Dylan’s rise to fame and also her tragic friendship with Kelsey. Both timelines are equally fascinating and sad.
This books moves very quickly and expertly combines a really interesting behind the scenes look at fame as well as a beautiful and tragic coming of age story. I really, really liked this book. Emily Layden writes the inner world of girls so beautifully and is definitely a writer to watch. I’ve seen absolutely no hype about this book at all but it definitely deserves to be on all the best books of the fall lists.
Thank you to Netgalley and Mariner Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Everyone knows country turned pop star, Dylan Read, and her fanatics called Readers. What they don’t know is about her childhood best friend who vanished before Dylan’s fame, and influenced her music and life.

A great music fiction that honestly really reads like a memoir. It has a missing person backstory that comes more into play in the latter half. The story is in first person narration, leading to the memoir feel, but also giving a genuine look at celebrity life and how it is to feel like just a normal person, but to be idealized as more. I especially loved the poetry and lyrics, which fans often read into way more than the writer did.

“I had gotten so good at playing by the rules that I couldn’t even break them when I tried.”

Once More from the Top comes out 9/10.

I could not put ONCE MORE FROM THE TOP down! I already know that it will end up being one of my favorite books of the year. Emily Layden's debut, ALL GIRLS, is another fave of mine—I still think about it often, even though it's been a few years since I read it—so I was especially excited to receive an ARC of her latest! Meet Dylan Read, an award-winning pop star who has a knack for storytelling, whether it's crafting the lyrics for her latest hit song, or creating a narrative about herself, her life, and her career that will satisfy her fans, her team, and the public eye. Everyone thinks that they know absolutely everything about Dylan Read, but they're about to be proven wrong—because what they don't know is that Dylan's childhood best friend, Kelsey, disappeared the year before Dylan rose to fame. Now, 15 years later, as Dylan's career reaches new heights, Kelsey's body is found at the bottom of their hometown lake. As Dylan seeks to unravel the mystery of Kelsey's death, she's also forced to face the past they shared, the influence Kelsey had on her music and career, and the secrets the duo kept—from everyone else, from each other, and maybe even from themselves.

This was such a beautifully written, insightful, and gripping story! Emily Layden has such a talent for characterization and really immersing readers in Dylan's world. While Dylan is clearly inspired by some musical legends (Taylor Swift comes to mind), she still feels like her own unique figure, with so much depth and complexity to her. While the mystery aspect of the narrative was so fascinating and well-done, I especially loved how character-driven the story was—it had this quiet, introspective quality to it that had me invested throughout. Another definite highlight was the care and effort Layden takes in developing Dylan's career and her journey as a musician, even in the seemingly smaller details, like her song lyrics. Sometimes in books, fictional lyrics can feel almost cliche or sort of shoehorned into the story, but that wasn't the case here—the snippets of the songs were really well-crafted, and also super believable. It was easy to understand why Dylan's music resonated with so many fans! I honestly wished I could listen to the music described in the story, too, from the songs Dylan and Kelsey worked on together, to the albums Dylan created. ONCE MORE FROM THE TOP also tackles some interesting themes—the influence others might have on your art, the distance you can feel from someone who's supposed to be your best friend, the price of fame, the ways in which guilt can affect a person's life—and they all blend together in such a satisfying, engaging way over the course of the story. Needless to say, I would highly recommend this one! I think so many different types of readers will find something to enjoy in it. I can't wait to see what Emily Layden writes next! Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the ARC.

I enjoyed reading Once More from the Top by Emily Layden. Dylan Reed is a musician who quickly rises in fame. The novel's chapters alternate between the present and her past, which is more complicated than she'd led those around her to believe. This book was full of secrets Dylan kept buried inside her, trying always to keep her friends and family from finding out her past. When the body of her high school best friend, Kelsey, is found years after she disappeared, Dylan returns to her hometown for the funeral and faces all the memories she's fought to forget, as well as the people she left behind. The mystery of what happened to Kelsey kept me turning the pages.
Dylan's character reminds me of Taylor Swift, something I've noticed from other people who've also reviewed this book. I'm not a big fan of Taylor, but I think you might enjoy the story even if you're like me. I did find all the music references that Emily Layden put in the book added to my reading experience, and I'd love to listen to a playlist based on the book. I also enjoyed learning about the music industry.
Thanks to Mariner Books and Cindy Burnett's Thoughts From a Page Early Reads Program for the advanced copy of this book!

It was not a bad book, don't get me wrong. I enjoyed many parts and was very curious as to what would happen and how things would be uncovered. It had the tension building the way that you want a novel to. My biggest issue is that there were just as many times where I was tired of the explanation of a song or album. Detail is, of course, important in a novel, but telling me too much takes away the images I get to create in my mind. If there is time before release, I would absolutely cut this book down a bit. I bet you could cut 50ish pages out of over-explanations.

Would still recommend to read, especially if you're curious to look inside the world of a musical celebrity.

I love books that give us a look at the lived experiences of celebrities - these behind-the-scenes peek at what it's really like to be a pop musician or a movie star will always land on my TBR. However, when it's obvious that the book is inspired by one specific celebrity, it pulls me out of the story, and unfortunately that's what happened here.

Dylan Read is a global superstar, with her roots in country music but who made the jump to mainstream pop. Sound familiar? It's obvious that her career trajectory is heavily informed by Taylor Swift's biography, and as a big Swiftie, it made it hard for me to concentrate on the plot, because I was constantly taken out of the story. I really wish that the author had been slightly less obvious, or had done more of an amalgamation of famous musicians' experiences.

That being said, the book is an interesting premise. The novel opens with the discovery of a body, 15 years after a teenage girl disappeared. We learn that this girl was a close friend of Dylan's, and that she was instrumental to getting Dylan started as a songwriter and performer. Dylan pursues a career in music after her friend's disappearance, and the novel shifts between Dylan's career trajectory and her high school years, giving us perspective on her origin story. You can tell fairly early on that there are hidden truths waiting to be uncovered, but the book doesn't reveal the full picture until the very end.

If you're not a dedicated Swiftie, you will probably enjoy this story. However, the career touchpoints are simply too clearly rooted in real life for me to ever lose myself in the plot, and I struggled to enjoy myself as a result.

4 stars

I loved this book! The switching from past and present was done well and I was really into the story the whole time.

I think there is a lot of Taylor Swift inspiration for Dylan Reed and any Swifitie would enjoy finding those details/similarities.

It’s a light read and fast paced, and does give Daisy Jones and the Six vibes. I enjoyed going through Dylan’s past throughout the book, not only her developing friendship with Kelsey into high school but her also her music career from the beginning.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dylan Read has reached the level of superstar-stardom where her every move is breathlessly reported by the media and weighed for its intent. So when it is reported that someone from her past was not just missing for the past 15 years, she was indeed dead, Dylan must carefully consider how to react. That the missing girl was her childhood best friend has impacted Dylan’s life and her music profoundly.

Once More From the Top by Emily Layden tracks Dylan’s swift rise to the top of the country and billboard music charts and into a megastar while also examining the past relationships that got her there. There is a melancholy tone to the novel, a mournfulness that is especially present as Dylan imagines Kelsey’s reactions to many of her thoughts, mentally dialoguing their interactions.

This really wasn’t the book for me. The writing was solid and the character of Dylan was well executed, but the dissection of all of her songs and the long descriptions were not really of interest for me. I do think if you are really a big music fan, this story would be right up your alley.

I received this free advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

This book was so propulsive - I absolutely tore through it. I thought it was overall well rounded and didn’t reduce its characters to stereotypes, but the glaring similarities to Taylor Swift took me out of the story at times. I think it would have been more successful if it had been less obviously based on her career.

I loved this. Well-crafted fiction about the life, love life, and career of Taylor Swift, plus insightful commentary on fame, particularly as it is experienced by women. Much food for thought (and discussion) here.

This is a great story! Very insightful, coming of age, soulful, with a few twists along the way. Dylan Read returns home for the funeral of her childhood best friend, Kelsey, who went missing years ago. She was found drowned in the town lake which is a huge shock to the community who believed she had run off to follow her dreams. After Kelsey disappeared, Dylan pursued a music career in Nashville which propelled her into pop stardom. In spite of all her success, Dylan could never quite shake the feeling that she had stolen Kelsey’s music dreams. She wonders if the talent she is thriving on is her own or Kelsey’s. But the funeral and the answers about her best friend’s disappearance forces Dylan to confront the ghosts from the past and uncover truths she has been ignoring for the past 15 years. This story is being likened to Swiftie fan fiction and definitely carries vibes of Daisy Jones and the Six. So for those readers who enjoy Taylor Jenkins Reid, this book is for you! Thank you Netgalley, Mariner Books and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on September 10, 2024

Though musician Dylan Reed has reached Taylor Swift-level fame, no one knows that her best friend, Kelsey, disappeared when they were teenagers. Now, after Kelsey's body is discovered a decade later, we follow Dylan as she grapples with her feelings about their friendship and her rise to stardom - a rise that began in the immediate aftermath of Kelsey's disappearance. While we spend a bit of time with present-day Dylan, most of the story is told through two other alternating storylines: Dylan as a teenager and Dylan’s career biography.

While I did ultimately like the mash-up of genres, it did take me a bit of time to get fully grounded in the structure. The first chapter is so vividly written and sets the tone for a mystery or thriller, so I was little thrown to jump from there into the biography-style music pop star story.  But by the end, I did enjoy how the two worlds worked together to create the full story. 

My favorite parts of the writing were definitely the chapters in the past; Layden does a great job with the dark imagery as well as the complicated emotions of teenagers. I enjoyed those aspects of the writing so much that I just started reading her debut novel, "All Girls".

🎤🎤🎤.5

I would like to thank NetGalley and Mariner Books for providing me with an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. Look for it in your local and online bookstores and libraries on September 10, 2024.

Dylan Read has morphed from teenaged country ingénue to pop star icon. (So, if you’re wondering, yes, Dylan is 100% modeled after Taylor Swift. 🎯😂) She has learned how to manage her stardom and keep herself relevant throughout her 15 year career. When the body of her best friend, who went missing when Dylan was in high school, is found, Dylan returns to her hometown and must face her past.

This one is for fans of Taylor Swift and Daisy Jones and the Six. I enjoyed a lot about the way this was written, but Layden’s prose won’t be for everyone. There is a lot in here about writing music and lyrics which will be a little monotonous for some readers.

“Country music is about relatability. Just three chords and the truth, as the saying goes. Pop, on the other hand, traffics in fantasy.”
— Emily Layden, Once More from the Top

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for giving me an advanced readers copy of this book for my honest review.
This is my first time to read a book by Emily Layden and while I did enjoy this story I sometimes found her writing style confusing at times.
The main character, Dylan Read, who is a legendary pop star has been keeping a secret for 15 years about her best friends disappearance. This is definitely a page turner with some twists that I didn’t see coming. I also loved the Taylor Swift vide as Dylan grows up in the public eye while writing and performing her music. This is a great story of growing up, friendship and the cost of keeping secrets.

I should have known!

The blurb for this book from Emily Layden mentioned its good for fans of Daisy Jones and The Six. I have talked about this for years - but I hate that book. Once More from the Top has similar vibes, with everyone being terrible.

Dylan Read has been famous since high school. Since releasing her first album, she's spent the last 15 years living in public. She's the ideal star, she has created the crack-proof narrative that keeps her on the good side of everyone. She's done this so well, that anything that threatens her success and image must be taken care of.

What the public DOESN'T know about Dylan is that her childhood best friend Kelsey vanished the year prior to Dylan's rise to fame. Now, 15 years, Kelsey's remains have been found and Dylan now has to reckon with the truth, the truth about everything.
---
Look, it's fine. It's a fine story and people will enjoy it. There's a mystery, there's a celebrity, there's a secret.

It's just not for me.

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

I was excited to receive an ARC of Layden's second novel. I loved All Girls and the premise of Once More From the Top sounded intriguing. She did not disappoint! The story follows Dylan Read, a global pop star, who returns to her hometown for the funeral of a friend. The friend has been missing for fifteen years, but her body has just been found in a local lake. The story is told by switching between present day and flashbacks to the months leading up to the friend's disappearance.

What I love about Layden's books is her spot on take of girlhood. She captures the slightly obsessive friendships of adolescence and how you can feel so close to someone, but not really know them at the same time. This book is perfect for people who are obsessed with a pop star, have been a teen girl, or love a mystery set in a small town. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

I received a free copy of, Once More from the Top, by Emily Layden, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Dylan Reed is an American singer who lost her best friend as a teenager. A decade an a half later Kelseys remains are found. I did not care for this book, the men in this book are vulgar and crass, not nice people.

3.5. Dylan Read has achieved incredible success in the music world. When a small-time news outlet runs an article connecting Dylan with the cold case of a missing high school student, they have no idea that the student is Kelsey, Dylan’s former best friend and the secret behind all her accolades. Kelsey’s body has been found at the bottom of a lake, forcing Dylan to search for answers while reliving her rise to fame. Imagine reading the diaries of a Taylor Swift-like popstar to solve a drama-filled mystery, and you have the feel of author Emily Layden’s new novel.

As an adult, I found this to be a moving story of self discovery and of a deep friendship and how that and guilts informs our lives. A little slow at times but deep and insightful and sometimes the transitions between the three timeframes were not clear. Some of my more creative students will like this as it explores a lot of the process of writing songs and the music industry. For a specific group, I can see them really liking it but many of my students don't have the patience for this yet