Abel can’t believe he’s finally in the City of Angels. He has landed a part in the relaunch of a hugely popular show on the Omni Channel – called Sunset High. This channel produces shows for children and teens and Sunset High has been their biggest hit yet. But it’s also famous for other reasons.

In previous years Sunset High was plagued with controversy including disappearances and a death, deemed an accident. But Abel knows it wasn’t an accident. It was his older brother Adam who plummeted from the roof of the hotel of the Sunset High stars, and Abel is in LA to prove it.  Teamed up with a journalist back in the UK, Abel begins to feed information and behind the scenes happenings to his UK contact, whilst hiding his true identity.

But it’s not long before he begins to regret this as he gets to know his fellow cast members. There is Lucky, who has been in the spotlight his whole life and is a pro at the celebrity world only aged in his late teens. It’s not hard for Abel to see that Lucky is still hurting with the loss of his mother. Lucky is drinking heavily and blames Omni for the accident that killed her.

The two female leads are Ryan and Ella, both dealing with their own personal dramas after being with Omni Channel for some time. They too seem to handle the roar of the crowds with ease wherever they go, whereas it’s a first for Abel. They smile and wave and give him tips on how to cope, but when away from the spotlight, reveal they struggle with it the more time passes, and their fame grows.

But they are all under contract and must do what Omni instructs. Their publicist pushes them this way and that, setting up fake dates, and anything that will keep the spotlight on the upcoming reboot of Sunset High, no matter the fallout, or damage between them.

Abel still wants to know the truth about his brother. The more he delves, the more that is revealed, and the more this teen cast get to know each other. Maybe it’s time to regain some control over their lives.

This was a fun read. More about the thrill factor than the actual show because there isn’t much acting portrayed. But the knives are constantly out and the twists kept coming. I only spotted one of these early, but it didn’t spoil the story.

Just like the public, I was constantly guessing who was with who, until the real relationships were revealed. The villain of the plot was a big wig in the Omni Corporation, at least he was until the twist at the end, suggesting there is even more to this story.

The more serious side of the story is the damage that fame can do to those in the spotlight. Their dream from young can be to be famous, but others with the power to deliver that dream can take advantage, control young stars with contracts so tight it consumes them. The fact that we as the public buy the magazines or the newspapers or follow social media for the juiciest gossip (without knowing or even caring whether it’s the truth or not), just feeds and ensures the control on these stars.

There has been more than one famous person in the past few years reveal the effect false social media has had on their lives, and the false portrayals purposefully fed to the media by people they trusted being incredibly damaging.

Something to think about, after a very entertaining read.

Author – Benjamin Dean

Age – 14+

(2024, Simon & Schuster, Famous, Fame, Celebrity, TV Stars, Teen Stars, Paparazzi, Photographers, Chased, Media Storm, Sunset High, Journalist, Curse, Breaking news, Podcasts, Lies, Secrets, Escape, Missing person, Crime, Murder, Mystery, Investigate, Learn the truth, Actors, Betrayal, Newsworthy, Manipulation, Contracts, Drinking Problem, Grief, Greed, Queer, LGBTQ+, Popularity, Revenge)