Straight to the point: this is the second book I have read in the past four days where the premise is interesting, but the main character is annoying and impossible to get behind.
I liked the setting and I did get a good hit of juicy “behind-the-scenes” insight to Hollywood lifestyles. The author’s real-life experiences feed a good portion of that, and these parts of the story rang true, as I used to read all of the celebrity gossip magazines. A lot of what was described in the book felt familiar.
In that regard, I think the characters were accurate as well. The narcissism, the lack of compassion, the groupthink…all hallmarks of a stereotypical Hollywood type of person. I didn’t dislike the characters for that reason – their nature was reflective of their environment.
I think that type of personality does not curry favor with me (one reason I no longer read the gossip mags) and that is part of what I didn’t like about Agnes. She was one of “those people,” even though she proclaimed she wasn’t, and that made it hard to root for her.
I could relate to her on a theoretical basis, as I would with any middle-aged character: trying to be a good wife (with “good” being relative), raising kids, keeping the husband happy, etc. That part of her I didn’t mind. It was the Hollywood part of her that made her unsympathetic to me.
I also struggled with the writing style. It jumped all over the place and switched directions quickly. The narrative did not flow at all. It made me feel twitchy and unsettled because there wasn’t a groove to it. To be fair, others may not have a problem with this style at all, but it was difficult for me.
Overall, it was an okay book with a decent backstory and is a sharp satire on that lifestyle, but ultimately, the writing style and annoying main character made it a not so fun read for me. I would still recommend it, however, because others may have a completely different experience with it.
