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Our society is obsessed with celebrity—following the everyday lives of the people who star in our favorite movies (or even the people who get paid ridiculous amounts of money to let a bunch of TV cameras film them being spoiled and self-centered). We follow their tweets, read about them in our favorite gossip magazines, and discuss their day-to-day lives as if they were our good friends. But in her fictional celebrity memoir, Movie Star by Lizzie Pepper, author and celebrity ghostwriter Hilary Liftin goes beyond the gossip mags to offer readers an entertaining yet thought-provoking look at the life of a Hollywood superstar.
The story goes inside one of Hollywood’s most fabulous (fictional) marriages, as told by a young woman who found herself in over her head. Lizzie Pepper was an up-and-coming young actress when she met mega-star Rob Mars at a strange audition. Before she knew it, they had begun a wild and crazy courtship, followed by the perfect proposal, a storybook wedding, and the birth of two adorable twin boys. But as Lizzie explains in her tell-all, she soon discovered that her dream relationship wasn’t what it seemed.
Hilary Liftin may not be an A-list celebrity—but, having ghostwritten more than a dozen celebrity memoirs (for everyone from Tori Spelling to Miley Cyrus), she clearly knows a thing or two about the pressures of life in the public eye. This fictional Hollywood memoir feels perfectly plausible. Lizzie’s accounts of aggressive reporters, scripted appearances, and studio politics are sure to give you a new perspective on the lives of your favorite stars. And, at the same time, the all-too-obvious similarities to a certain couch-jumping Scientologist and his haunted young bride make it all the more entertaining—in the juiciest of ways.
But while it may start out as light and fun and romantic—a whirlwind of fabulous parties and glamorous getaways—this is much more than just a fluffy story about the sensational lifestyles of Hollywood’s biggest stars. As readers get attached to this bright young actress and caught up in her new, fairy-tale life, her story takes a dark turn—and she begins to understand the harsh reality of the life that her younger, more naive self made for herself and her children. They may be rich and famous, but they aren’t free. They’re stalked by the press and betrayed by anyone who gets close to them, and their every move is under careful surveillance by a shady organization that seeks to control their every move. In order to live the life she wants, she’s forced to learn the game and to use it for her own benefit, digging dirt and planting stories to blackmail and distract as needed. It’s certainly a cynical take on the celebrity life, but it’s an entertaining one, too.
With Movie Star, Liftin has managed to tell a story that’s light and dishy but also surprisingly thoughtful. If you love catching up on the latest celebrity gossip, it’s a must-read.
Listen to the review on Shelf Discovery:
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