So two quick things....

1. What the heck happened at the end?
2. How obsessed is Rutkin with Miley Cyrus?

Honestly, I've been painting this little picture in my head of Kyle Rutkin staying up late into night with cold coffee rings surrounding his computer obsessively googling Miley. Like I wish I could get my hands on his internet search history because I would keel over with joy I'm sure. I don't know why I find this scenario so entertaining but I really do. But joking aside, I really picked up on some Best of Both World vibes in this book with just a dash of Britney.

If you are a tabloid junky or a celebrity gossip, this is going to be the book for you.

There were a few things that I did enjoy about the novel. This story reads like a trashy tabloid. Rutkin took an interesting and fun approach that let us into the story little by little. In that way, I found the story was hard to put down. Another element that I enjoyed was the inside view to a celebrity's life. Viewers or common people mostly see what celebrities want us to see. We see poses, perfection and a fantastical life. But this story is a reminder that the beautiful and rich are still people. Mental illness, addiction and trauma don't discriminate.

Back to question 1. I want to discuss the ending. I love an unreliable narrator. Any day give me a narrator that I can't trust, I am here for it. But....don't give me a last line that has me scratching my damn head. This is not some great literature where the ending can be internalized and viewed subjectively. This is a purposefully trashy novel that really has no business leaving on a line like that. Come on, Rutkin!

Okay, I did a little research on that last line. It appears that Rutkin answered a question on Goodreads indicating that there will be a sequel. My feelings on this are ambiguous. I don't really think this needs another installment but I won't judge a book without the cover....

There are a few points I'd like to briefly discuss. Not only does this story have a Miley Cyrus' vibe it has a Caroline Knepnes You vibe. Like our narrator and Joe Goldberg could be the best of friends. They are almost hard to differentiate even down to the writing/reading interest. I'd be curious if Rutkin has ever dabbled in Kepnes books or television series. I'm thinking he has.

Thriller writers are talented and crazy. They put these enticing lines about the mystery that has yet to unfold that makes you squeal with delight. They add these menacing lines about the big secret that has you dying to get to the reveal. The author carefully crafts these tempting lines that leave the readers thinking "oh shit" what is going to pop off. Then you finish the book. And you find yourself feeling a little played. You were lead astray. The build was better than the break.

And that is why I am rating this book with 3.5 stars rounding down to 3.

Thank you NetGalley and Greater Path LLC for a copy of She Died Famous. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't going to check out the second installment.

This book had me hooked the entire time I was reading it. I was never quite sure what was going on and could not predict how it was going to end. A great thriller!

From the outset I was unsure of this book. Trust me, I really tried. I even started from the beginning again. I am afraid it didn’t improve. The subject matter was all about self-indulgent people and I found myself quite desperate to unburden myself from the whole sorry lot. I despised each and every one of them. Strong words I know, but I finished the book with a sigh of relief that I didn’t have to read another word about these horrible characters. I am not usually so harsh with my reviews but…

With apologies to the author – just not my thing apparently.

Thank you to the author publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

A really great storyline played out as if the reader was seeing and hearing the whole story in real life. Tv, media, online, it was all so realistic...or as realistic as a Hollywood crime can get. Kyle Rutkin gives us a suspect who feels as if his life is out of control and he doesn't know where it began. This book screams READ ME!

I really just loved the way this book was presented. We had magazine articles, direct interviews with friends, Kelly's own interviews, the blog of Kaleb. It was so interesting to read it from so many angles and it was written the same way that a murder show is produced on television. I really liked that.

What a great book. I love murder mysteries and this book was such a rollercoaster. I didn't know what to expect from this book but I was shocked at how intriguing it was. Definitely a good read.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Everything I heard about this book screamed a 5 star read for me. Celebrity murder mystery, sign me up! However, this story didn't sit with me like I thought it would. I'd like to blame my super busy work schedule for not allowing me the time to read, so when I did I wasn't as immersed in the story as I usually would be. Also, while I usually enjoy books with unique formats, such as this one (interviews, blog posts, news articles), I don't think it worked in this book's favor. It made the story kind of choppy and I was looking for more from it. The ending was a bit of a let down and not what I was expecting from the build up. I may give this book another chance in the future but as it currently stands I give it 3 stars. It had so much promise but it fell short for me.

What a ride.

She Died Famous still has me trying to figure out truly, who really killed Kelly Trozzo?

This book was a roller coaster of a book for me, it kept me hooked though, the way Kyle Rutkin constructed this book was fabulous. I love the blog posts, the police interviews, the book excerpts, the tabloids and the interviews. It made the pacing absolutely wonderful, which is something that is really important for me personally because if I get too bored, I can put the book down and never pick it back up.

I loved all these different stories twisted into one, it was so fun to try to piece them together and try to solve it.

Also, what a refreshing read from my normal mystery/thriller theme with a Hollywood setting, something about it really felt like fantasy and it was a really great setting in my opinion.



Thanks so much, Netgalley and Greater Path LLC for sharing this copy with me!

Kyle Rutkin is a new author to me and I had no expectations before I started reading She Died Famous. I have no interest in celebrities or pop stars but something about the description drew me to this book. I loved this book. I loved the story unfolding and not knowing where it would end. It reminds me of early Chuck Palahniuk. It is a very dark story, dealing with all the aspects of human nature that we don’t often talk about. Thank you to NetGalley, Kyle Rutkin and the publisher for my copy of this five star read

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to.

This book is not your typical chapter after chapter storyline.It evolves through a blog,newspaper articles etc.Ill admit...it took some getting used to.
I would describe it as a dark thriller which grips your attention.It is a tragic behind the scenes story of a Hollywood star.
Thankyou Netgalley and Greater Path llc for this ARC.

She Died Famous is a dark and twisted novel of fame, addiction, obsession, inner demons and so much more.

After reading his book, Kelly Trozzo, a young Hollywood star, solicits Kaleb to write her life story. Very quickly they form an unhealthy and dependent relationship of sex, drugs and alcohol abuse. When Kelly is murdered, Kaleb naturally becomes the prime suspect. Through out this book it was impossible to determine what was actually real and I had no idea who killed Kelly or why.

Told through interviews, news articles and a blog, we are sucked into the dark side of the Hollywood lifestyle and fame. I honestly felt like I was watching this train wreck on the big screen.

#Netgalley #shediedfamous #kylerutkin #booksofinstagram #books📚 #bookstagram this book is a thriller of sorts. It is filled with articles, interviews, and a blog post from a man on drugs and alcohol. While it wasn't a horrible book it left me with more questions than answers. It was a quick, interesting read. I'd say 3/5 stars. #imconfused #whatjusthappened #cansomeoneexplain😂

Kyle Rutkin came up with a genius plot idea but sadly the execution left me wanting a hell of a lot more.

Two words to describe this book: Disorienting and tedious.

So we have a lot of alcohol and drugs. Like bucket loads. We have a cast of unreliable narrators that all seem to suffer mental illness. We have a story within a story being told only adding to the confusion. We also have Greek mythology making appearances through out. Hence, disorienting. Every chapter is like an LSD trip of epic proportions but this wasn't a good trip folks. Nope, not at all. And it went on forever. Every chapter is the same fucking thing. Our two main narrators: Kelly Trozzo the famous singer and Kaleb Reed the author she hires to write her biography they both have their heads stuck so far up their own selfish asses that I'm surprised they can even walk upright. I mean if I could tell two people to shut the fuck up it would be these two. The both of them are just wretched human beings.

Actually every single character in this book is horrible, horrible, horrible. And what about Kelly's fans the KTroops? Y'all are a little frightening to us sane people. No one and I mean NO ONE should ever follow and obsess over a celebrity like this.

I'll admit I had to skim through some of the drug addled scenes and Kaleb's nightmare visions because who gives a shit, right? Not me. Still though I fought my way to the end even though I didn't give a shit who killed Kelly because good riddance as far as I'm concerned and guess what: The ending sucked! 2 stars for a genius idea (this could have been great!) and for compelling me to the end even though I hated it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Greater Path LLC for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A thrill ride on the dark side. Every aspect of this book is unique, poignant and an utter train wreck that the reader just cannot walk away from. Kyle Rutkin was able to step into the mind of a seriously disillusioned individual and deliver a fantastic story with a conclusion that will have your head spinning. Absolute must read. 5 stars.

Thank you to #NetGalley for this copy of #SheDiedFamous, which I read and reviewed voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

All I can say or think, is wow! I’m obsessed with this book, these character’s, everything. This story was completely captivating. Thrilling, erotic, and mysterious, the author did an amazing job of capturing the multiple storylines and trying everything together in one tantalizing package. The story of an author with a sordid past who meets a child-star, infatuated with his book, are drawn together through a shared love of drugs and an agreement to write her final story. I read this book in 1 day and couldn’t put it down until the end. This was an incredible journey into the dark side of stardom and I would definitely recommend reading it.

I loved the unique format of this book and how well it worked for the story. The book weaves together news stories, police interviews, blog posts and social media postings. This was an entertaining read, and kept me guessing to find out who the murder was. It’s perfect if you love a good, exciting thriller. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

This book has been described as, “𝑨 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝑩𝒐𝒓𝒏 𝒎𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒔 𝑮𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝑮𝒊𝒓𝒍, in this dark and twisted love story with an unforgettable conclusion.”

Hollywood Superstar Kelly Trozzo is found dead outside of her mansion alongside her manager Barry Monroe. An author, Kaleb Reed becomes the prime suspect due to his obsessive relationship with Kelly. As Kaleb explains his involvement with Kelly, pieces of the puzzle come together to show just how twisted their relationship was.

This story is told through blog posts from Kaleb, celebrity gossip sites, newspaper articles and interviews with Kelly’s closest friends. The cover initially pulled me in, but Kyle Rutkin’s writing style is brilliant. The format of this story made it fast paced and unique as we heard from different characters throughout.

This story was every bit as dark as I hoped it would be and I know I was kept guessing until the very end! Kyle Rutkin gives us a look into the price one pays for fame- and how sometimes our inner demons win.

Thank you Netgalley and Greater Path LLC for sending a copy of this my way. This book was published on 7/30/19.