I grabbed this one on a whim at the library last week, solely because if its title and fun font. A Hollywood take-down using a David Bowie song as a title? I am so there. I expected gossip and fun Hollywood snark.
And now, having finished it, and still not quite sure about why the Bowie song was referenced, I’m actually kind of depressed about the book. Yes, there was plenty of gossip and snarky but also, there was a terribly dysfunctional mother-daughter relationship that really just made me sad.
Jess is a 29 year-old barista in Santa Monica. She’s divorced, pretty much broke, rides a bike instead of a car, and estranged from her mother (her only living family). She has a gorgeous, actress roommate; a head-banging, roller derby-ish best friend; and just landed a job as assistant to an Oscar winner. This leads to an assistant job for a B+ list actress, and then things get out of control.
We get lots of delicious gossip about how God-awful it must be to work with celebrities, and yet, how attracted people are to the possibility of just being near someone famous. We see Jess take so much crap from people who think they are better than her, just because they are on tv or wrote the soundtrack to a movie. And Jess — who knows she should be treated better than she is — accepts it, because she’s simply star-struck.
I get it. I have a friend who is really quite famous. And now that he’s “on top”, he doesn’t talk to his old friends that much, but when he does, we all jump to respond to him. I don’t like that I do it, but I can’t help it. He sure isn’t treating us as poorly as Jess’ boss does, but still, sometimes I wonder if we should just shut the door on the friendship, as it might be healthier for all of us.
My major complaint with this book — because, even though it wasn’t all fun and games, there really was some drama here — was the incredibly abrupt ending. Vague and sudden really seemed like an odd choice, it made me think it that sudden “black screen” in the Sopranos finale. Just a bit off.
I’ll just leave you with Mr. Bowie. He makes everything better.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgQHZjAafo4&w=420&h=315]
