Dead Stars

By: Bruce Wagner

Narrated by: Bruce Wagner

New York Times best-selling author Bruce Wagner is also a PEN/Faulkner Award finalist and a notable contributor to the New Yorker and Vanity Fair. With Dead Stars, Wagner delivers uproarious and sharply critical views on the sex- and money-obsessed world of Hollywood through the story of Telma, a 13-year-old girl who’s also the world’s youngest breast cancer survivor. A regular at pink-tie charity events and private lunches, Telma has come to enjoy her fame—so she’s not pleased to learn another young girl is about to break her record.

©2012 Bruce Wagner (P)2012 Recorded Books

kind of funny, but mostly boring

basically the author is just ranting. it's kind of funny, but there is nothing to tie it together.

Finished Dead Stars-great writing style

I love the writing style, but at some point the Hollyeood theme and making fun of its own genre can be a bit taxing. Writing on this taxing topic is very tight. Author is very skilled. He would be skilled in less repetitive and terrifying genres also.

Controversial, Heartbreaking, & Thought Provoking

First, this book is not for everybody...maybe not even for me although I did appreciate it for what it was. It is a raw, realistic look about people who live for celebrity. The story is set in Hollywood, as it should be, yet the characters easily relate as human beings striving for recognition everywhere, I think. Lots of characters here and everyone has a story...sometimes their stories intersect.

This novel has so many elements to it: it's shocking, crude, violent...definitely for adults only...nothing is taboo in it...but it is also heart wrenching and thought provoking.

Narration is done by the author, Bruce Wagner, which I was wary of at first but I think he did a fine job overall.

Word is that this book has been adapted [by the author] into a movie called 'Maps to the Stars' which will be made later this year. I would think that many things would be changed for the movie--characters and stories will be thinned out or combined, for example. This will make a very interesting movie.

Make sure you know what you're getting into!

As other readers have said, this book is NOT for everyone. HEAVY focus on popular culture, dripping with sickly sweet sex, as described by adolescence. I understand that's what the author was shooting for... but it made me feel dirty and annoyed.
Had hoped it would be more like what the screenplay/adaptation has been described as, but not so much.