Angel Leya

Wow! This is an emotional book.

Estelle Knight appears to have it all. She's young, she's beautiful, she's famous, and she's on everybody's favorite sitcom with her childhood crush, fellow actor Colvin Meters. But when one night she gives herself to him, all the pain she's been covering up comes crashing in. He's upset when he learns she's only 15 (almost 16), and he pushes her away, not wanting to go to jail and ruin his career.

She comes up with a positive pregnancy test, and it sends her world spiraling further and further out of control. Every decision is fueled by a broken and battered past that is dredged up by every awful decision.

I imagine this was an emotionally draining book to write. The author has captured the perfect imperfection of celebrity, the absolute out of control lives that I imagine many teen stars live. And Estelle is so broken to begin with. As the drama unfolds, we're pulled into her dysfunctional world rooting for her to claw her way back out. And she sort of does.

The ending is bittersweet, as Estelle makes a few more bad choices in order to save herself. Not my usual kind of read, but a good reminder that celebrities are people too, and should be treated as such, rather than idolized, scrutinized, and torn down.