How to Die Famous

Gr 9 Up–Abel is on his way to Los Angeles to star in the upcoming reboot of the teen drama Sunset High, a show that is well-known for being cursed, with one of its previous stars still missing and a production assistant falling to his death from the roof of a hotel. However, it was not just any assistant—it was Abel’s older brother, Adam. In a secret partnership with the tabloid publication The Daily Eye, Abel is determined to uncover the mystery of his brother’s death and make sure those responsible are held accountable. The story is told from the perspective of four different characters hired to be the stars of Sunset High. Dean does an excellently breaks up the narrative between characters, making it easy to switch from one to the other with each chapter. Additionally, the exploration of the dangers and predatory practices of child stardom is engaging and well-executed. Despite the smooth handling of alternating narrators, the story takes too long to build up to an otherwise enthralling storyline. The mystery ultimately relies too much on convenience and the ending feels rushed. Even a twist at the last minute is not enough to bring the story to a satisfying conclusion. Abel is Black while the remaining characters are coded as white.