This one by dean atta was back to him at his best. I really enjoyed this one and thought the storyline was great

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% my own.

How to die famous explores follows four teenagers cast in a ‘cursed’ show. The book follows all four main characters POVs and their secrets and scandals, with a mystery element as we’re told in the first chapter that someone is dead.

The twists and suspense keep you hooked into this book and the messy lives of the main characters add extra interest.

I’ve been really excited to read this book. Y’all know I love anything to do with celebrities and I was intrigued by the mystery aspect of the book. I was ready to dive in and see what this book was all about.

The book is set around the supposedly ✨cursed✨ television show Sunset High, which is gearing up for another reboot. The protagonist is an actor who lands a role on the new reboot. He also has a secret. He’s a journalist scheming to uncover the truth behind the show. I loved this premise and really enjoyed how the intrigue and mystery aspects were set up from the first chapters. I was gripped by the history behind the show and the previous actress, Penelope, who disappeared into thin air. There was a lot of drama to uncover and I really enjoyed how everything began to unravel.

The main cast were all distinct and had different characteristics. I loved how, despite their differences, the plot forced them together and aligned their interests. This really helped move the story along and build towards the climax of the book. The ending was shocking and I think might be setting up a second book so I’ll be waiting to get my hands on that one!

I could have used more of the celebrity aspect and felt we didn’t really need some of the secondary characters POVs, but appreciated why they were used.

This was a really quick read and is perfect for young, queer YA readers who love mystery and suspense.

LOVED THIS BOOK. I JUST FINISHED IT AND IM SCREAMING. Although the mystery element started off slow and for the first 100 pages it didn’t feel like a mystery i still enjoyed the scandals and gossip going on. The romance was so cute and it made me kick my feet and giggle. As for the twist at the end all i have to say is i hope there is book 2😈

Perfect for fans of Karen McManus, this page-turning novel gives a searing insight into finding TV fame and the personal costs involved. Abel Miller's brother is dead and, convinced the industry is to blame, he resolves to uncover the dark secrets behind his death and make those responsible pay.
This is a glitzy, glamourous, dark and chilling thriller that follows four main characters and the secrets they are hiding. Benjamin Dean - whose MG novels I have really enjoyed - writes with supreme confidence, delivering a novel that has twists and turns and everything a reader could want in a thriller. It definitely feels 'of the moment' and the hook drew me in immediately. Definitely not one to be missed. I couldn't put it down.

One sentence synopsis: the closeted queer cast of an upcoming Hollywood reboot try and unmask a villainous production company that will stop at no lengths - lies, corruption, murder - to keeping the truth under wraps.

This was such a fun read! It had me hooked from the beginning - absolutely love when a story starts in medias res - and I finished it in one sitting. The story is a bit heavy at times but well written, and I loved the dynamics between our main quartet.

Minor complaints that didn't really take away from my experience but worth mentioning anyway:

- I would have liked to see more relationship development between Abel and Lucky.
- I really didn't like the epilogue. It's either setting up a sequel, which I personally don't feel is necessary for this book, or it's included for the hell of it/surprise factor, which again I don't feel is necessary.

That being said, I greatly enjoyed this book and would recommend if you're in the mood for a suspenseful look into Hollywood at its worst extreme with a likeable bunch of queer protagonists. Scooby Doo meets Gossip Girl vibes. This is my first Benjamin Dean book (I somehow missed The King Is Dead last year) and I will definitely be checking out his others.

How to explain a plot which constantly surprises you with every twist and turn with people who are not what they seem?
Four actors in a series who want to act and live their lives but find their biggest acting roles are off screen. A controlling film company intent on managing their brand, playing lip service to the welfare of their young actors and a director who appears benevolent until crossed.
This book starts with what appears to be a shocking murder with all protagonists in on the plot, then flashes back with each character having their viewpoint voiced, most of which conflicts with the opinion you have just formed from another’s portrayal. It has celebrities, glamour, intrigue, romance and murder and will keep the reader guessing until the end.

As much as I enjoyed the premise of this book I feel like it was too long, for me I have to be hooked in the first 20% but there was far too much build up to only be given little hints in that time. Plus there was far too many pov’s to follow as well there could have been 2 and the story could have been just as good. Apart from those 2 points I did enjoy the book and would recommend to others if what I mentioned didn’t bother them.

Absolute stunner of a book! I raced through it in 2 days, desperate to find out what happened next. It’s very easy to get involved with the characters via their multi narratives and you soon get hooked into the ways that they are being manipulated by Omni. A brutal insight into fame and the lengths to which a production company will hold actors to a contract and control their every move, all in the name of promoting their product. Everyone lies, faking their identities and love lives. Enter Abel, desperate to discover why his brother died and solve the mystery of the tv shows' curse. Gripping, savage and brutal, I loved it!

Thrilling, pacy, and addictive.
How to Die Famous peels back the veneer of celebrity and fame and asks what is the real cost of being a famous young person. Fabulous queer representation and four distinct POVs, HTDF keeps the reader guessing the whole time, layering mysteries on mysteries and asking how far would this Disney Channel-esque company go to control their stars. The epilogue had me gasping and cursing that I didn't work out the twist sooner. Exceptional.

Between How to Die Famous and The King is Dead, Benjamin Dean has established himself as the one to watch for YA contemporary narratives with glitz, glamour, backstabbing and plenty of blood. Yet again, this is a tense and twisty peek behind the velvet curtain of privilege and power to expose its underbelly of exploitation and pretence.

Dean excels in writing such complicated, yet charismatic characters. I fell in love with everyone here so quickly and loved seeing how they moved from their pigeonholed stereotypes as celebrities. They have all been moulded to fit those archetypes, but humans are so much more nuanced than that. One of my favourite things here was seeing the contrast between the constructed reality of fame and the messy authenticity beneath. It is all about optics and aesthetics. The resulting power imbalance was fascinating and gut-churning at the same time. I also have to shout out the representation here. Basically, I was not expecting the book to be as queer as it was and that made me so happy. Dean has proven that representation is something key to his writing. For me, that makes you an instant favourite in my heart.

The actual storyline is scandalous, salacious and sinister. Dean rips aspects from the headlines and presumably some of his own experience to concoct a story that slides under your skin. This is a story that does not let up. There are so many fantastic twists, including a jaw-dropping sting in the tale that I did not see coming. The very first chapter ensures that you will not be going anywhere. From there, the stakes only rise higher and the acts get more and more despicable. I was racing through the pages, caught up in this tumultuous storm. That invasion of privacy and lack of identity, aside from the one prescribed to you, is sickening and because you are aware of the reality, it makes it that much more horrifying.

How to Die Famous is a breakout star of summer YA releases and cements Dean as an instant-buy author for me.

This was a really good read. The story moved at just the right pace to keep you interested, nothing was too dragged out which is something I enjoy about YA books. You felt something for each character, whether you felt sorry for them, loved them or hated them (all of which are feelings you definitely experience in reading this). You wanted the four main characters to get justice for how they've been treated, and for the people that had controlled them for so long to get what was coming to them. It definitely gives a bit of insight into the life of celebrity and how really in that lifestyle you don't always have control of your own life. It makes you consider your own perception and attitude towards people like this. I also liked that there was a little bit of a twist at the end, and that there was more than one person behind the events that transpired and never one you would have suspected. A really good read.

Benjamin's first book. The King is Dead, focused on the experiences of the first Black heir to the British crown. We've moved to America this time around and the characters are media darlings, not royalty in the same sense, but they're very much in the same sphere; that weird place where so many people know who you are they think they own you.

Celebrity nowadays is very much a two edged sword and this book shows it brilliantly. On the face of it, our characters have everything they want ... they're rich, talented, adored by millions. But it comes with a complete lack of privacy or control over their lives; they're dolls for teh studio to move around as they want.

This is a completely fictional studio, of course, but it has a whiff of Nickelodeon or the Disney Channel about it...young stars moving from project to project within the same studio until they get to be too old. The studio head is deeply creepy and I loved watching the stars slowly figure out what was going on, everyone contributing one piece of the puzzle.

The only thing I didn't like was how quickly the girls turned on each other...it felt like the old 'bitchy girls catfighting' trope...but they were both under a lot of strain and they did talk things out later, so it does make a kind of sense.

This is a murder mystery thriller social media contemporary with some romance and I couldn't put it down! I'm really looking forward to Benjamin's next piece.

I love a thriller based around fame and celebrity so this was right up my street. I have had Benjamin's other novel The King Is Dead on my kindle for quite a while and I will bump it up my tbr after enjoying this so much.

It's based around a 'cursed' TV show which is going back into production. The main character Abel is a newbie to the industry and working undercover as a journalist to find out the real truths of what went on on set previously. He's thrust straight into the spotlight with the other cast members; Lucky, Ella and Ryan who we get chapters from too. They make a great core four.

Just when you think this is wrapped up nicely at the end there's an epilogue which leaves the door open for a potential sequel which I would definitely be interested in reading.

This was an easy enough read but I found it quite slow and there were too many POV characters for the depth of the story/world. I loved the premise.

I would definitely recommend this book to people older than the children I work with. It is amazing, but the language is a little too much for them. First, I couldn't put this book down, and now I've finished it, I keep wanting to read more. It is really well written and so full of intrigue and mystery. It's a brilliant example of starting a story in the middle and then using flash backs and it kept me guessing all the way through. I feel that this is a book that we may see on our screens at some point. I loved Benjamin Dean's first book and this one is just as good. And the best part... was there a hint of a potential sequel at the end? I really hope so!

A second reboot of a show that is reportedly cursed finds four actors hiding secrets. The protagonist is purportedly Abel, a London actor, who has signed on to the project with an ulterior motive - to find out what happened to his brother, who was part of the first reboot and died mysteriously. I found though that while Abel had the most chapters proportionally, the other three actors also had chapters in their perspectives. I’m not sure I found these as effective, especially since Abel was the only one really investigating. I also found this more about the dark side of Hollywood more than a thriller. I was missing the suspense and twists I wanted from a thriller. Because of this, it often felt slow, especially if it wasn’t Abel, or maybe Ryan’s, chapter. It had promise, but for me, it didn’t deliver.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

How To Die Famous is a multi point of view book centred around the Gen Z cast of Sunset High. Omni Channel’s flagship show has suffered in past seasons from an ominous “curse”. A star mysteriously disappeared, a cast member fell to his death from the roof… are any of them safe?
Someone on set is determined to get to the bottom of what’s happened, but will they succeed?

I enjoyed the twists and turns in this, especially the epilogue! I didn’t see that coming AT ALL!
Believable Hollywood drama, glitz and glam with a sprinkling of queer romance and teen troubles.

A fun young adult read, but if you’re used to your thrillers a little more fast paced, this might be a little slow for you.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy.

How to Die Famous is a YA thriller that follows that lives of modern day young movie stars, and the dark side of fame in a 24/7 social media world.

A lot of the experiences of the young stars felt authentic; the judgment, harrassment and pressure they were under. The difference in experiences based on race, sexuality and gender, the need to live up to expectations, the people in power turning from supportive to manipulative, all that was interesting and felt very real. Whilst I found these 'behind the scenes of fame' parts interesting, the rest of it just didn't thrill me. The mystery/murder aspects of the plot often felt unbelievable to me, and I didn't buy the ending. I do seem to be in the minority in this, looking at other reviews, so clearly there is a lot to love if you get hooked into the drama of it all.

This is a pacy, fun read, recommended for fans of YA thrillers.

A compelling and page turning read for anyone loves sticking their teeth into YA thrillers.

The balance between mystery and the characters' lives was perfect for me and I'm dying to see if there's gonna be a sequel. That epilogue? GAGGED.