I was absolutely champing at the bit to read the debut novel from one of my favorite writers, Daniel D'Addario. I've followed his work online for many years and know he is very aware of the ins and outs of the film industry. This book charmingly covers a subject matter I find fascinating but didn't know a ton about - how actresses campaign for their films and roles during awards season.

I ended up enjoying much of this book and felt really interested in the outcome of the awards race (and also wanting to see the films!). I think D'Addario was able to really demonstrate how the backstories of the actresses lead them to make decisions and play the game they need to play.

The thing that didn't really click with me was I think format-based. Each chapter is from an actress' perspective, and because there were 5 women we follow, it led to lot of side characters, names, and framing of the characters that was a bit unclear. If I would have read this in one day, I likely would have remembered a lot more of the side characters, but as it was, I read this over many days and had a hard time with it.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to those who like reading about how women interact, especially famous ones.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was not what I expected it to be, it had the basis for a gossipy and juicy Hollywood romp but the execution was highly lacking. Nothing really happened it was a lot of rambling and I was just bored.

I’ve loved the Oscars for as long as I can remember, and best actress is the most important category obvs (cc: the amazing @andtherunnerupis podcast!!), so I was super excited for this one. It was really fun to read this during the current awards season, where best actress happens to be one of the most up in the air races! I thought the tone of this was going to be more fluffy and funny, but it’s more cynical and wry (and also still hopeful)…it was definitely a reminder how every public facing moment with an actor is likely a performance to some degree. The author, as someone who works in the industry, did a great job of capturing all the awards season campaign shenanigans and balancing the five leading ladies between being their own original characters and taking inspiration from their real-life analogs.

In The Talent, Daniel D'Addario takes readers behind the scenes of Hollywood’s most glamorous night, where five actresses are each fighting for a chance to claim the top prize. But what seems like a competition for the most coveted award soon becomes a window into the lives of these women, showing us their inner struggles, ambitions, and fears. With a mix of humor and sharp insight, D'Addario crafts a story that’s as much about the price of fame as it is about the complex, often messy relationships these women share with themselves and each other.

The novel introduces us to a diverse cast of characters, each representing a different stage of a career in an unforgiving industry. There's Adria, the established grand dame of cinema, determined to secure her legacy. Bitty, on the edge of a breakdown, battles a alcohol addiction while searching for genuine connections. Contessa, former beloved child star, fights for respect, while Davina, a serious London stage actress, navigates the superficiality of Hollywood's spotlight. Finally, Jenny, the perennial underdog and recluse, sees this season as her opportunity for redemption.

Through each character, D'Addario, who is the Chief Correspondent at Variety, deftly explores themes of ambition, legacy, and personal sacrifice. These women are constantly being watched, molded by the public’s perception of them, yet what we see on the surface is only a fraction of their stories. The tension between their public personas and private selves drives the narrative forward.

With humor and wit, The Talent skillfully explores the intricacies of female relationships in a highly competitive environment. D'Addario forces readers to question the very nature of success and how women in the public eye are often asked to balance their personal desires with societal expectations. What is the cost of ambition? Should these women push their careers forward at the expense of their personal lives and relationships? The novel raises poignant questions about the choices these actresses must make and the emotional labor they endure.This is a must-read for anyone who enjoys sharp social commentary wrapped in a gripping, character-driven story.
#gallerybooks #thetalent #danieldaddario

Much like Moira Rose, my favorite season is awards! The fashion, the drama, the gossip. So of course I was looking forward to this one. The story follows six leading ladies vying for five nominations during awards season leading up to the big one.

It’s a peek behind the Hollywood curtain, but it’s definitely more heavy than I expected it to be. I wanted more gossip, but instead got a subdued story that doesn’t really go anywhere. Yes, actors are human too, but a balance of gossip with hardship would’ve livened things up a bit. Following the six ladies’ POVs was difficult to keep track and their stories seemed to end abruptly with no resolution aside from the outcome of the awards. I will say the second half was better, as the story picked up a bit and things got into a groove.

Thank you to Gallery Books and Simon & Schuster for the ARC! This is officially out 2/25.

Daniel D’Addario’s The Talent follows five actresses during a ‘turbulent’ awards season. Each are unique and it is apparent the author knows the industry, painting a picture easily confused as real. I won’t guess what real life actresses inspired these gals, but I may know one…

I’m disappointed, though, given the drama was fairly ho-hum, I’m a SUCKER for fictional Hollywood stories (Evelyn Hugo is one of my favorites), so my expectations were high for this one, but I may have flown too close to the Hollywood sign. When I wasn’t struggling with the “so what,” I was having to slow down and re-read entire pages as to not get these ladies mixed up. Seriously, I can’t be the only one, can I? The five share some similarities and when some share chapters togethers, I almost had to pull out the notebook or sticky note to properly track them.

I know that D’Addario understands Hollywood given his background and career at Variety, which makes this even harder to write but I didn’t love this as much as I know he wanted his readers to. Despite this, if the description interested you, please give it a read when it’s released this February — just in time for awards season!

The Talent is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at awards season, packed with all the juicy drama you’d expect. I found it a bit challenging to keep track of all the characters. While we follow Adria, Bitty, Contessa, Davina, and Jenny, there are also a number of secondary characters in their circle, each with their own backstories. The constant mingling between these characters left me a bit confused and made it hard to follow.

I think a lot of readers will really enjoy this one. It's light, entertaining, and definitely not meant to be taken too seriously. You can tell the author has a real insider’s perspective on awards season, which adds to the fun. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This had such a great premise and potential but eventually the plot ran away from itself and with all the different characters it became difficult to keep up. This book could benefit form a great edit.

I enjoyed this novel of modern-day Hollywood. I’ve been an awards season junkie for years, and have always been interested in “behind the scenes” of the entertainment industry. I’m not someone who has worked in the business, but to me it seemed very realistic. I did struggle to keep the five primary characters straight and to keep track of their individual stories, however. Those with an interest in the movie making business will enjoy this one. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book and share my thoughts about the book. It was interesting in going behind the scenes of an awards season. It had all the drama that you could ask for. What took me out of it was the amount of people we were following. Yes it was Adria, Bitty, Contessa, Davina, and Jenny, but it was also who they were all close too and whenever they intermingled with each other. It left me confused and hard to keep track of each storyline clear in my head. It was alright, which is sad because I was really looking forward to this book a lot.

If you’re an Oscar or movie buff, I’d recommend this book. I think I’ll revisit this closer to the Oscar ceremony and the release date in February. It will feel even more relevant, especially with the different character POVs and article write ups.

Two stars.

Contessa: “…it felt thrilling to be able to live in the moment. Like an actress, or a woman.”

Here five actresses nominated for Best Actress look at their careers during one turbulent awards season.

ADRIA BENEDICT - she’s in her late 60s and she’s won three times. She’s the grand dame, trying to cement her legacy.

BITTY HARBOR - she’s trying to hide her alcoholism and a nervous breakdown.

CONTESSA LYLE - a former child star attempting to make the world see her as a serious actress.

DAVINA SCHWARTZ - a London stage actress trying to find her place in the insanity of Hollywood.

JENNY VAN MEER - always a bridesmaid, always behind Adria, always trying to make up for missed opportunities and mistakes.

I LOVE award shows and trying to guess who is who in books like this, but I expected this to be far more salacious and gossipy, especially since written by a “Variety” chief correspondent. Instead, it was pretty subdued, a little dull. Disappointing.

Five actresses are competing for the industry’s top prize: the Best Actress Oscar. Each of the women are at a different stage of their career. One, Adria, has been nominated many times and is determined to win once more to secure her legacy. Another, Jenny, is a contemporary of Adria and always been in her shadow. Jenny is hoping this will finally be the year when her talent will be recognized. A third is a theater star in London and on a popular American television show, but is new to the world of prestige movies. The fourth is a former child star looking for respect from her costar and the industry. And the fifth is struggling with alcohol addiction and and a sense that she does not really fit in with her fellow actresses.

Although fictional, this novel seems to capture well the dynamics facing actresses in the modern day — as the movie industry is changing and the expectations for them continues to evolve, often with little notice. Some of the most interesting parts of the book are the way it explores the tensions between both actresses of different and the same generations, and what is driving those tensions.

Highly recommended.

Daniel D'Addario's "The Talent" takes readers behind the scenes of awards season, and into the minds of five actresses competing for the trophy. The novel opens at a certain film festival in the mountains and while switching viewpoints with each chapter, progresses all the way to the big night. Our leading ladies range in age from a former child star attempting to break into more serious roles, to the seasoned vet who is a shoe-in to win. Through the course of the novel, we come to understand each woman intimately - their triumphs, their pitfalls, their fears - and it's anyone's guess who will take home the prize.

This book is about five actresses that are competing for an award. It is the behind the scenes look at Hollywood and the lives of actresses. I loved that the book was told from each of the actresses view point and they each had a distinct voice. There is a dark side and a pretend side to Hollywood and you see that in this book. I liked the competition, friendship and all the emotions of the actresses off the screen. If you like movies, tv, and actresses this book is for you.

Talent

The race for best actress is on resulting in a range of emotions from the women nominated for the silver screen’s biggest prize. This book examines each actor in the time period leading up to the Academy Awards.

Told from alternating viewpoints, the psyches and emotions that come from these five actors are thoroughly examined, with self aggrandizement and insecurity coming through loud and clear. For the most part, each of the women go through a myriad of internal emotions, from doubt to extreme excitement, as they have their feelings seeming broadcast for all of the public to see. It’s only on the outside that they remain staid and silent.

I found this book alternatively interesting and confounding. The constant worrying about who would win was sometimes frustrating even as each woman was filled with a sense of intense purpose that allowed her to build up her confidence to the level that she felt she actually deserved to be feted by the academy.

Having worked in the entertainment industry, the events of this book certainly seemed realistic. All that glitters is not gold and there is so much more that lies behind the curtains than the audience is ever aware. While Hollywood looks glamorous from the outside, there is an often dark side that affects those that work there, leaving them to lead less than perfect lives—even though things look rosy from the outside. It was definitely uncomfortable at times but ultimately an interesting read. Two stars.

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

If you're an awards junkie who spent high school in the aughts reading The Film Experience in the library and trolling the Gold Derby forums, this is the book for you. If you like Anne Helen Petersen's writing on celebrity and female stars, this is the book for you. If you listen to The Big Picture and The Town religiously, this is the book for you. As a person who does all of those things, this was definitely the book for me. I love the Oscars, I love movies, and I love stars and what it means to be a star - and this look at the business, emotions, strategy, and role the awards season plays in Hollywood was a lot of fun. There's a few if you know, you know mentions - Telluride, Hollywood Reporter/Variety features, and various precursor awards come to mind - but even if you don't know, it would still be a lot of fun. I thought the way the actresses were each treated was very well done, and the competition between them was enjoyable to watch, as was the discomfort of the entire process. Definitely recommend to oscar buffs and movie fans!

This was incredibly compelling and you could definitely see the author's depth of expertise here in the characterization. I like how each character belied simple 1:1 comparisons to potential real-life counterparts. I did expect a bit more character evolution for some -- we spent a lot of time with Bitty, but I don't feel like we saw her change. Jenny, by contrast, felt like she was barely a character. But I really enjoyed reading this and would read anything else from this author.