How to Die Famous by Benjamin Dean (The King Is Dead) is a heart-palpitating thriller that effectively unveils the dangers of celebrity and fame.
Abel Miller, a teenaged, mixed-race, Black-presenting British actor, has landed the role of a lifetime playing a character in the latest reboot of "one of the most cursed TV shows in Hollywood history," known for its scandalous past filled with mental breakdowns, disappearances, and deaths. What the TV executives who hired him don't know is that Abel is working with a tabloid to take down Omnificent, the show's production company, from the inside. Two years ago, his brother mysteriously died while working as a junior assistant on the show's last reboot. Omni called it a tragic accident, but Abel is convinced something more sinister happened. Abel investigates his brother's death and is soon confronted with a "web of lies that Omnificent have hidden in the dark behind a glittering disguise."
Benjamin Dean successfully uses a compelling, twisty narrative in How to Die Famous to reveal the gritty reality hiding behind the "golden sparkle" of celebrity. Strategically placed reveals and unreliable narration (alternating between Abel and his three castmates) help drive this riveting story, while vivid language makes tense scenes palpable--"the flashes from the cameras, the scream of fans... feels like water sweeping me up and then yanking me under the surface." Dean meshes these elements skillfully with examples of exploitation, unfair power dynamics, and rampant sexism, racism, and homophobia in the entertainment industry. A scintillating thriller that pulls back the curtain on Hollywood. --Lana Barnes, freelance reviewer and proofreader