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kbranfield's review
4.0
4.5 stars.
Absolutely True Lies by Rachel Stuhler is a highly entertaining behind the scenes look into the life of a popular teen actress. When out of work Holly Gracin is hired to ghostwrite teen star Daisy Mae Dixson's memoir, she is ill-prepared for the utter craziness that lies ahead.
For someone who has been living and working in L.A. since she graduated from college, Holly is somewhat naive and completely lack in guile. She also has NO idea what she is getting herself into when she signs on to write Daisy's biography. Holly is in full blown panic mode for about the first half of the novel as she tries to navigate the unfamiliar waters of both her job and Daisy's over the top lifestyle. Things go from bad to worse when she refuses to stand up for herself after Daisy's manager begins to take advantage of her. Holly is also struggling to get the information she needs to write the novel and when she does finally hit her stride, Daisy's outrageous antics result in a very public scandal that could destroy her wildly successful career.
At first, Daisy appears to be just as presented: wholesome, vapid and superficial. But then Holly gets a few glimpses of the spoiled and demanding starlet who cannot be bothered to remember the crew member's names or show up on time to the set. Daisy lets everyone else make decisions for her and she is woefully out of touch with the real world. When Holly travels to Italy with Daisy and her entourage to film an episode of her TV show, Daisy completely falls apart and she quickly goes from media darling to tabloid fodder.
Absolutely True Lies by Rachel Stuhler is mostly a light-hearted, fun read but there is also a surprising amount of depth to the storyline. It is a well-written book with an interesting cast of characters, a charming plot and an unexpected romance. A delightfully unique novel that I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend.
Absolutely True Lies by Rachel Stuhler is a highly entertaining behind the scenes look into the life of a popular teen actress. When out of work Holly Gracin is hired to ghostwrite teen star Daisy Mae Dixson's memoir, she is ill-prepared for the utter craziness that lies ahead.
For someone who has been living and working in L.A. since she graduated from college, Holly is somewhat naive and completely lack in guile. She also has NO idea what she is getting herself into when she signs on to write Daisy's biography. Holly is in full blown panic mode for about the first half of the novel as she tries to navigate the unfamiliar waters of both her job and Daisy's over the top lifestyle. Things go from bad to worse when she refuses to stand up for herself after Daisy's manager begins to take advantage of her. Holly is also struggling to get the information she needs to write the novel and when she does finally hit her stride, Daisy's outrageous antics result in a very public scandal that could destroy her wildly successful career.
At first, Daisy appears to be just as presented: wholesome, vapid and superficial. But then Holly gets a few glimpses of the spoiled and demanding starlet who cannot be bothered to remember the crew member's names or show up on time to the set. Daisy lets everyone else make decisions for her and she is woefully out of touch with the real world. When Holly travels to Italy with Daisy and her entourage to film an episode of her TV show, Daisy completely falls apart and she quickly goes from media darling to tabloid fodder.
Absolutely True Lies by Rachel Stuhler is mostly a light-hearted, fun read but there is also a surprising amount of depth to the storyline. It is a well-written book with an interesting cast of characters, a charming plot and an unexpected romance. A delightfully unique novel that I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend.
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