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A Novel
by Stephanie Burns
In this fresh, propulsive take on fame in the tabloid era of the '00s, a former child star struggles to figure out who she is beyond the characters she's played—on television and in relationships.
Former child star Michaela Turner is ready for her next big role—she just doesn't know what it is yet. As someone whose days were once filled with bright lights, never-ending rehearsals, and adoring fans from around the world, Michaela now struggles to define herself beyond the glitz and glamour of her past.
She tries hard to stay out of the tabloids, but fading into the background isn't quite as easy as it sounds. Not when her manipulative momager, Caroline, is dead set on launching her daughter's big comeback, no matter how many old wounds it tears open. And especially not when Michaela's attempts at "normal" relationships fail spectacularly at every turn, from the toxic ex she can't seem to escape to the nice guy she wishes she could see a future with.
As her mother's demands grow more draining and her love life takes hit after hit, she learns a few hard truths about the significance of self-worth and the beauty of letting go. Now, with her ex-boyfriend-turned-best-friend Josh as her only support, Michaela is ready to rebuild herself, one misstep at a time. And maybe, if she's lucky, after all these years of pretending, she'll finally have the chance to discover who she really is.
"Fans of child stars, star-crossed lovers, and stage moms rejoice! Stephanie Burns has graced us with a witty, wise, and all-around wonderful debut that asks the big questions of adulthood: Who am I, and what do I really want? This is a soul-satisfying, all-the-feels debut from a standout new voice!" —Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times bestselling author of The Summer of Songbirds
"Get ready for a fresh new voice in fiction! In Far From the A List, Stephanie Burns gives us a celebrity story for the ages. What happens when a child star ages out of the spotlight only to fall under a microscope? When you grow up and nobody—even your mother—wants that? Stephanie Burns writes funny and sad with the best of them. This is a must read if you've ever asked the question: Are there second chances for everyone or only the people who don't make mistakes?" —Ann Garvin, USA Today bestselling author of There's No Coming Back From This
This information about Far from the A-List was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Stephanie Burns holds an MFA in Creative Writing and a BA in Theater Studies, both from Emerson College. When she's not dreaming up stories of her own, she is championing women authors as the COO of the award-winning Tall Poppy Writers. She lives on the south shore of Massachusetts where she plots by the ocean with her almost-famous beagle, Ollie Twist. Far from the A List is her debut novel.
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