I really wanted to like this book. The synopsis held so much promise, but the book failed to deliver as much as I hoped for from it. I enjoyed it well enough, but with a few tweaks it could have been an even more enjoyable read.

The early 90's Mickey Mouse Club is perhaps most famous for launching several superstars, including Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Keri Russell, and Ryan Gosling. Sarah Skilton's Fame Adjacent imagines what it would be like to have been the only actor on a children's TV show to NOT achieve super stardom after the program's end.

This engaging, reflective novel takes a fictional show - Diego and the Lion's Den - with a cast obviously inspired by the real-life Mickey Mouse Club stars, and follows a completely made-up cast member who did not later make it big - Holly Danner. Holly, the quirky comic relief of Diego and the Lion's Den, is now in her late 30s and is feeling resentful that she never became globally famous like her peers. When she learns that the cast is planning a 25 year reunion show and she has NOT been invited, she becomes obsessed with stalking them on the Internet ... to the point of landing herself in Internet rehab. Yes, apparently there is such a thing.

After befriending a cute patient (and future love interest), Thom, who is scheduled for release, she persuades him to let her join him on his road trip back home so that she can crash the reunion show. What Holly isn't bargaining for on this mission is that it will turn out to be as much a journey of self-discovery as it is a quest for retribution and affirmation to prove to her former castmates and the world that she still exists.

As a Millennial who came of age right when the former Mickey Mouse Club castmates exploded on the entertainment scene, Fame Adjacent was right up my alley. While I never watched the Mickey Mouse Club as a kid (this was back when the Disney Channel came at a premium), I was a fan of its former stars after they entered the young adult pop culture scene, which made reading a book inspired by their lives a lot of fun!

Holly Danner is definitely a flawed character, and she will be a hard pill to swallow for some with her harebrained ideas, desperate pleas for attention, and tendency to get stuck in the past. However, her character also makes a lot of sense. As much as the lives of celebrities are constantly shoved in our faces to envy over and aspire to, it is not unreasonable that someone who nearly had that moment in the spotlight but didn't, would feel resentful and become obsessed with her former "glory days" and what could have been.

While Fame Adjacent is steeped in fictional (and not so fictional) pop culture references, it is mostly a tale of a lost and flailing woman finding meaning and purpose in her life. What happens to former child stars if they don't continue on in the entertainment industry? I imagine some might feel that they dodged a bullet, getting to lead normal lives away from the glitz, glam, and glare. But others may feel a sense of loss, that they missed out on something big. The latter is what this book is about, and it's an entirely relatable story, even for the majority of us who did not grow up on a TV show. How many of us have suffered a quarter or mid-life crisis, looking back on the years and wondering what might have been had our lives taken a different path? A lot of us, likely, which makes Fame Adjacent an accessible, thought-provoking read for the 30 and 40-something crowd.

Very strange, but amazing?? We all know this is a thin disguise for the 90s Mickey Mouse Club and I'm totally here for that! An interesting exploration on celebrity and getting stuck in your own head so much that you don't let anyone else in.

I was game for 2/3 of this novel. Holly is a complicated character and her story is pretty memorable and distinct -- it just got to be so much to take to be on her side. The choices she makes and the way she reacts to other people became very distasteful. I had to DNF and move along. Not for me.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first time I've read Sarah Skilton's work and I was unsure if I would like it but I found myself really enjoying this book. The book opens with Holly in rehab for internet addiction, we learn that Holly was a part of a PBS show as a kid and that everyone else on the show went on to be mega famous. Holly meanwhile spent the last 10 years finishing school and serving as a nanny for her niece, While in rehab, Holly meet Thom who is also in rehab for internet addiction. Holly ends up leaving rehab early to crash the reunion show and has a road trip with Thom who is headed in the same direction.

I really liked this book! The writing was strong and the characters were super realistic, and the romance was super sweet.

I wanted to read this book because the concept sounded wonderful. The beginning was so slow that at times I found it difficult to want to pick back up. In my town, an actual original Mouseketeer was murdered so I put it down while I dealt with that grief in my town. I have yet to pick it back up since and not sure when I will.

At times hard to get through and the pace could be slow but overall it was a fun, enjoyable read! Looking forward to reading more from this author.

A new take on what the price of fame can be. How it affects not only you but the people around you. A sweet tail of second chance and love.

The execution didn't quite live up to the premise for me on this one. I expected a lot more humor and fun, but it was a pretty sobering/angsty story of a lost girl. The ending felt a bit anticlimactic and the very late justification of why Holly was stuck on the past didn't really work for me. In fact, I was sure there was going to be more to the story of Lainey, but there...was not. A fast read but not that satisfying overall.

I have been having this issue lately where the publuisher's blurb gets me SUPER excited for a book (which is the point, really, of the publisher's blurb after all) but once I start reading the book it just isn't anywhere near what I expected. I love the premise of this novel (I think looking at '90s child stars who did not stay famous and can't cope is FASCINATING and typically I am down for anything and everything '90s nostalgic) but the execution just wasn't there for me. The therapy aspect of the story could have been super strong and important (we still don't see many stories about characters in therapy) but I felt like it was sort of brushed aside. There were a couple of problematic scenes and references that I really didn't care for, and I honestly just did not find any of the characters particularly interesting or complex. I think someone with slightly different humor/needs from characterization/plot in their books from me might enjoy this one, but it wasn't my cup of tea.

Internet addict Holly Danner is not your ordinary Redditor. She is a master of trivia about the ‘90s PBS show “Diego and the Lion’s Den.” The show is famous not only for its cheesy, contrived situations (it’s about a group of orphans living at the San Diego Zoo while working on getting their band together) or for its use of animal trivia and outdated songs (they were in the public domain). It was also famous because every cast member except one became a megastar, either a member of a world-famous band, or an award-winning actor, or the star of their own television series.

That one cast member who never found fame after the show? Holly Danner.

The castmates are all getting back together for their 25th reunion, and Holly wasn’t invited. So she started stalking them online. She created an AMA on Reddit to answer questions about the show. And she got so obsessed with her internet obsession that she forgot about everything else. She lost her job and found herself at Prevail!, a new rehab center for internet addicts.

It’s at Prevail! that Holly meets Thom Parker, a snarky know-it-all who gets under Holly’s skin but shares her hatred for any flavor of Tato Skins other than the original. And when the reunion gets moved up and he is her only way to New York, where she can crash the party and find out why her friends neglected to invite her, then Holly has to swallow her pride and ask for Thom’s help to get across the country to confront her famous former friends.

Fame Adjacent is as much fun as stumbling over an old box of Tiger Beats and VHS tapes of the shows you watched as a kid. It has hearty helpings of fake pop culture that feel so real you think you could stumble across “Diego and the Lion’s Den” streaming on Hulu, or at least on YouTube.

While author Sarah Skilton does look at some important questions about how the internet can disrupt a life and what happens when you peak at 11 career-wise, otherwise the book doesn’t dig too deep into the human situation. It’s a charming, funny, cotton candy fueled trip back to middle school, and as long as you don’t expect it to be much more than that, you’re set for a very good ride. Entertaining and enchanting, Fame Adjacent would be a great bubblegum book for the beach or pool!

Galleys for Fame Adjacent were provided by Grand Central Publishing through NetGalley, with many thanks.

This was pretty funny. I don’t think Internet addiction gets enough attention since we’re all a little bit addicted - but digging into Holly’s reasons for getting where she is and watching her journey made for a really good, light, read. Thanks to Grand Central and Netgalley for the free book!

Holly Danner peaked at 11. Cast as the plucky, funny one on a Mickey Mouse Club-esque children’s show called Diego and the Lion’s Den (it was never explicitly stated whether or not the children actually lived at the zoo, but it was a theory fans clung to fiercely), Holly’s star shone brightly for those few precious years. After the show ended, things only seemed to get better for her co-stars: boyband fame, record deals, starring roles in television dramas. But for Holly? Well, she was almost in a tv show…until they recast her part one episode in.

Understandably Holly was a bit bitter. Especially because her house was where they would flock to hide from the rest of the world. Her family took each one in and allowed them to simply be themselves away from the prying eyes of cameras and millions of adoring fans. And now the Diego cast is back for a 20th reunion show – without Holly. It was bad enough to have her friends cut her off, but to not get an invite to the reunion show??

Holly is determined to get her revenge. First up: Holly hosts a Reddit AMA, dishing all the behind-the-scenes details and gossip. What Holly didn’t count on, however, was to become so addicted to the Internet – refreshing Reddit and her email, constantly checking her alerts for any word on the cast members – and it’s the opening chapters of Fame Adjacent that introduces the reader to Prevail!, a rehab facility where Holly is currently doing a 6-week stint.

I was born in 1988; I grew up in the midst of the 90s boyband craze, the start of the Internet turning teens into instant sensations, campy kid’s shows that somehow became cult classics. And to hear the story of someone who lived through the fame – and DIDN’T come out on top? Fame Adjacent practically screamed my name. While I did enjoy it and read it in a sitting, now that it’s over I’m not entirely sure I loved it. It certainly wasn’t as gossipy and fun as I anticipated.

I’ll be honest: I didn’t care about Holly. She was bitter, yes, but not in a snarky, witty way that drew me in. The center’s counselor was wildly unprofessional. The cast members were dull. Thom, the love interest, had his moments, but it was hard to root for a relationship to happen when Holly nearly assaulted him one night, all but forcing him to sleep with her despite his protests. I can’t help but think that, had Holly been the one saying no, readers would definitely NOT cheer at their happily ever after.

The entire novel hinged on Holly crashing the reunion. And when that moment finally happens, instead of a big, building climatic scene, it simply fizzles out. She had harbored such hurt and anger at her cast mates for the past twenty years, and when she finally lets them have it…it seemed like it was all for nothing. They seemed to all make up in a matter of minutes (a commercial break during the taping, if I’m remembering correctly), and that was that.

I will say though, that the one thing about Fame Adjacent I enjoyed was the format. Throughout the narrative are bits of the script from scenes of Diego and the Lion’s Den and Holly’s AMA. I really liked these bits and, honestly, would have rather read an entire book in this format instead.

Although Fame Adjacent was a speedy, easy read, I can’t say I truly liked it. It was entertaining while it lasted, but made no great impression – and it certainly not a book I would pick up again. There were moments where Holly’s character all but ruined the book and when her big moment arrives, it left me wanting far more. I appreciated the fun format though – the chapters of scripts and Holly’s AMA were a delight in an otherwise dull and disappointing read.

When I began this book, I thought I was going to like it. It sounded really interesting, and halfway through the first chapter, I was already laughing. But almost immediately after the first chapter ended, I lost my interest. There were some occasionally funny moments, but it was a rather boring book. There were a few times where I debated not finishing the book at all, but while it was a boring book, it wasn’t so unbearable that I was unable to finish it.

Broken up into four parts, Fame Adjacent is the story of Holly Danner. When Holly was eleven years old, she was the star of Deigo and the Lion’s Den, a successful kids’ show in the ’90s that ran for five seasons. The Lion’s Den cast is about to have a twenty-fifth reunion special. But there’s just one problem, Holly wasn’t invited. Being the only cast member who not only didn’t make it big after the end of The Lion’s Den but the only cast member who faded into oblivion, Holly was the only cast member not invited to the reunion. Fame Adjacent follows Holly’s story as she makes her escape from internet rehab, hits the road with a fellow internet rehab patient named Thom, and goes to crash the reunion.

Here’s what I did like about Fame Adjacent. First of all, I liked the way the story was broken up. In part one, Holly is stuck in internet rehab. During this part of the story, we get to see Holly’s original Reddit post telling the world that she was also a starring member of the Lion’s Den cast. We also get to see comments on the post, as well as a few blog posts regarding Deigo and the Lion’s Den. In part two, Holly and Thom are on their way to New York. We also get to see excerpts of scripts from Deigo and the Lion’s Den. In part three, Holly goes to the reunion, and we see a flashback to two months ago when Holly’s internet addiction began. We also see the immediate aftermath of the reunion. The fourth part takes place three years later and is only two pages. And that’s all I’m going to say about that part for spoiler-y reasons. I just want to say that I really did love the parts with the Reddit post and comments, the blog posts, and the excerpts of the Lion’s Den scripts. I feel like it added something a little extra to the story.

And now, for the issues I had with this book. Aside from the weird pacing (sometimes things moved really fast, other times they moved impossibly slow), there’s the issue of the way the characters behave. Mainly Holly. Holly was incredibly ableist toward Thom’s son. I know some people will be like, “No she wasn’t. She was nice to Sammy. She liked Sammy.” And yes, she was nice to him and she obviously liked him. But that’s not what ableism is about. From what I remember, she doesn’t ever say it directly to Thom, but she thinks something along the lines of, “He’s so strong/brave for taking care of and loving his son with health issues.” I know some people don’t understand why that’s ableist, so let me just put it this way, Holly thinking that is dehumanizing Sammy. And then there’s the mention of two of Holly’s former co-stars being in a girl group called Manchot. Manchot means penguin in French. The girl group is called Manchot because one of the girls is black and the other is white. Holly does mention that it is horrible that anyone thought that was ok, but even so, just the mention of it didn’t sit right with me. These two issues right here are what sensitivity readers are for. And then there’s the really creepy, almost rapey scene between Holly and Thom in Holly’s room at the rehab center. It’s later played off as something that wasn’t a big deal, but it was not ok. Holly ignores Thom when he says no, and tries to keep going. He leaves the room, and she spends a lot of the book afterward holding the fact that he didn’t want to have sex with her against him. Let’s be real, if the roles had been reversed, that scene probably wouldn’t have been a part of the book. And if it had been, we certainly wouldn’t spend the rest of the book rooting for Thom. Two other issues I had was the outcome of the reunion. I’m still not totally sure if Holly made up with her castmates and whether they’re on good terms now. When she tells them what they had done to upset her, they either brushed it off or argued with her over it. But then they invite her to the after-show, but she declines. It just wasn’t clear to me what the outcome of the whole thing was. Overall, this book left a lot to be desired. I felt kind of empty while reading it and afterward.

This was a weird, wonderful nostalgia-fest that I absolutely could not put down. All I want now is for Sarah Skilton to write books about all the other Diego cast members, because I'm officially a stan. And can we talk about that romance? Holy wow, was it pitch perfect. Thom felt like a character I've never met before, a truly one-of-a-kind romantic hero.

I have mixed feelings about this book. While I appreciate the fact that addiction and rehab are at the forefront of the story, Holly's treatment seems inconsequential to the story and, therefore, feels like a surface-level attempt at normalizing mental health care. This could have been a lot more impactful, but was instead a side bar.

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love a flawed female lead and wow, is Holly flawed. The best part of this book is how comfortable she is with her flaws and how she uses humor to get through life. She’s in rehab for an internet addiction (and don’t think that won’t make you think about your own internet use) and meets quite the cast of characters. This book is a kooky character treasure and a trip from rehab to an actual road trip to a moment in the spotlight. It was a fun journey with companions who made me smile. While not a traditional romance, there is a happy ending, as much for Holly as a person as for the couple. Really enjoyed this and can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this early copy

I struggled to get into this but it had an interesting concept. I will be checking out more from this author in the future. I recommend checking it out.

So once I figured out what Reddit is and how it worked (by asking my 19 year old son) I was able to figure out this book. I could have used a guide to terms like AMA (ask me anything for the other luddites reading this!). That said, the Reddit angle added an interesting twist to the plot of this novel, about a former child celebrity who never translated her fame into an adulthood career. Holly ends up in a new program for internet addicts where she meets Thom. Both have baggage-what good would a rom-com be without baggage? Desperate to attend a reunion of the show with her childhood friends now turned into full-fledged stars that she was not invited to, Holly checks herself out of the treatment center and she and Thom head out on a road trip to NYC. There are some genuinely funny scenes in this book, but I wish there had been more attention focused on the dangers of the internet addictions mentioned in the story instead of making them part of the comedy.

Sarah Skilton's Fame Adjacent has a neat premise - Holly Danner is a former child actress and the only one of her castmates who hasn't been catapulted to super stardom since the end of their PBS show in the 90s. Holly has maintained relationships, both platonic and romantic, with her castmates, but she herself has been forgotten. Her career never took off, she didn't finish college, her nannying gig is up, and she's at a crossroads. That's when she discovers that the show she starred on, Diego and the Lion's Den, is having a 25th anniversary celebration...and she wasn't invited. Holly begins Internet stalking her former friends, posting on Reddit, and spiraling into unhealthy obsession.

Holly enters Internet Addiction Rehab where she meets Thom Parker, a predictably gorgeous, smart, and funny online gambling addict. Holly ultimately leaves the program early to road trip to New York with Thom, hoping to crash the Diego anniversary party and confront her childhood friends. Plenty of hijinks ensue as Thom and Holly fall in love and their car falls apart.

Fame Adjacent is a quick and easy read. It's silly and funny with dashes of romance and drama. But it's very messy. Rehab acts as a plot device for Holly and Thom to meet, but otherwise doesn't play much of a role in the story. Diego and the Lion’s Den, while clearly different in its own premise, is meant to be a fictional Mickey Mouse Club and every single character is a thinly masked version of a real former MMC castmember. At first it’s fun to figure out that Melody is Britney Spears and Ethan is Ryan Gosling, but eventually I was exhausted with matching the fiction to the fact. About 95% of the book’s pop culture references are made up and there are a lot of pop culture references. It takes a bit of the fun away from readers who remember the real touchstones of 90s pop culture. Overall though, readers looking for something lighthearted and sweet will probably enjoy this.