Make Me Famous follows Cléo, a French-American pop star at the height of her fame, as she retreats to a remote island to write her fourth album and confront the fallout of a recent personal unraveling. Told through sharp prose and shifting timelines, the novel explores fame, obsession, and the costs of living under constant scrutiny.

What I liked:
Maud Ventura writes obsession with real intensity, and the psychological spiral Cléo undergoes is captivating. The commentary on celebrity culture, especially the parasocial relationships between fans and stars, felt both timely and biting. As a fan of artists like Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish, I recognized familiar pressures in Ventura’s portrayal of fame as a machine that both elevates and devours. The end of the book was intriguing, but I found myself wishing Ventura had taken more risks earlier on.

What I didn’t like:
Cléo is almost unbearably unlikeable vain, cruel, and deeply self-absorbed. While this may be the point, it made long sections of the book hard to engage with. The plot treads water for too long, and by the time things start to unravel, it feels too late to raise the stakes. The ending left me incredulous; a few plot threads felt too conveniently tied up. Though the novel aims for commentary on celebrity and fandom, it didn’t offer many insights that felt new.

TLDR:
A sharp, stylish novel with strong writing about fame and obsession, but bogged down by a meandering middle and a protagonist difficult to root for.

Rating: 3.5/5

A different (and younger) version of me might have loved this.

What kept me from loving it at this point in my life is that it felt a little too cheesy. I can appreciate that this is due to nothing being held back, in terms of exploring how a character willing to do anything to be famous might behave.

And I also think this is a cool character study in many ways! It just didn’t completely work for me, and I’m not sure I’d revisit it.

Thank you very much to the publisher for the opportunity and I so hope this finds its readers!

This was an incredible 5/5 look at fame and the pursuit of it. Cleo is convinced from a very young age that she will be famous. Not just famous but one of the most famous people in the world. And she does just that. We get a look at her entire life via her own memory as she’s sitting on what is basically a deserted island. It’s a new vacation spot for the most famous of people to get some privacy.

This was genuinely an incredible book from start to finish. Ventura created a character here that you will absolutely loathe but have to know more about it. Watching Cleo’s transformation and rise to the top is enthralling. It’s a story we’ve seen before but Ventura pulls you in through this characterization. Cleo is mean. She’s ruthless and she’s a psychopath. But I could not look away.

It’s a really timely look at fame too. It’s hard to include so many references and not be annoying about it but Ventura is able to do that cause she doesn’t rely on other people. She uses the references to make us feel a part of Cleo’s journey. It’s fantastic. One of my favorite reads of the year.

Make Me Famous by Maud Ventura is a sharp, intoxicating character study of ambition, obsession, and the isolating cost of fame. With echoes of Daisy Jones and Highsmith-style psychological tension, Ventura peels back the glitter to reveal a fiercely driven, deeply unraveling protagonist. Stylish, smart, and unsettling in all the right ways.

Maud Ventura really said: Taylor Swift, but make her a narcissistic sociopath. And I was here for it.

Meet Cléo Louvent, the French-American daughter of two academics. From a very young age, Cléo knew she was destined to become a world-famous pop star, and she worked relentlessly until she manifested her dreams. Now 33 years old, she’s a global superstar with fans all over the world, millions of dollars, and an impeccable public image. After a difficult period in her life and career, Cléo is taking a well-deserved vacation on an exclusive private island. She’s there to decompress and write her fourth album, but she can’t help but reflect on the course of her grand career…and she can’t stop thinking about how it all went wrong.

It took me more than a week to read Make Me Famous, which is a testament to Maud Ventura’s skill at immersing me in the mind of a narcissist. Cléo is, in a word, exhausting. Her lack of empathy and humility became slightly overwhelming throughout the course of her soliloquy, and honestly it made her kind of uninteresting after a while. There weren’t many shades of gray to her character, but Ventura brilliantly juxtaposes Cléo’s true nature with her calculated public image. So yes, being inside Cléo’s head was sometimes taxing, but it allowed Ventura to make so many fascinating observations about the price of fame – and to wonder about who our most beloved pop idols really are in their most private hearts. After all, as Cléo muses at one point: “Fame makes you crazy – and you have to be crazy to chase fame … Well-adjusted people don’t need to feed on love to such an extreme.”

There are several fun Easter eggs for fans of modern female artists, and it was fun to try to determine which parts of Cléo were inspired by which singers: Taylor, Billie, Olivia, Selena… And then there was that ending, which was executed so perfectly and was so thoroughly satisfying. Honestly, that Epilogue brought my rating up an entire star.

Darkly funny, ambitious, and startlingly honest, Make Me Famous is a fantastic sophomore effort from Maud Ventura. Thank you to HarperVia for the early reading opportunity.

As long as Maud Ventura writes it, I'll continue to read it.

Her debut, My Husband, was a hit on my side of BookTok. This will be no exception. (Hated the ending, sorry).

I enjoy her writing style. I like the way she wrote our FMC and how we could get inside her head.

This will be a hit amongst the "weird girl fiction" lovers.

I love this author's work so much!! Mrs.Maud is able to write such unreliable narrators with heart, and honestly makes you fee for them and their unhinged ways. As always, perfect writing and substance to make you forget you are even reading. Need to get a physical copy asap!!

Make Me Famous was a highly anticipated read for me and I was excited to dive into it after loving My Husband. Maud Ventura's writing continues to shine—sharp, witty, and dry in the best way. She has a talent for creating unhinged, delusional female protagonists, and Cleo is no exception. It’s fun being in her head for a while, watching her spirals and self-importance play out with dark humor.

However, as the story progresses, it starts to feel a bit repetitive. The internal monologue that was entertaining at first begins to loop, and I found myself thinking, “Okay girl, you’re not that important.” The pacing could’ve benefitted from a tighter structure. That said, the twist at the end was a nice touch, and there are genuinely funny, biting moments sprinkled throughout.

Overall, it’s a solid read with a memorable voice

thank you harpervia for the e-arc!!!!

Maud Ventura is a very confident author. Her novels sparkle with urgency and gumption. Even though I preferred her debut novel better, this is still a good book. Usually I don’t like reading about a fictional celebrity, but I still felt like the protagonist had something important to say. This book perfectly describes how celebrities get caught up in their own fame. A fun romp but with substance and spunk.

Maud Ventura's newest novel echoes the skill Ventura showcased in "My Husband". Her newest novel is a character study of a woman whose only dream is to be famous. She gets what she wants over and over--until what she wants isn't satiating her desires anymore. In the same vein of Ottessa Moshfegh's characters, Ventura carefully crafts a narrator that is such an unlikeable person that you can't help but read on.

Admittedly, there were some slow parts of the novel. The last few chapters were strong and we really got a sense of who Cleo really is. If you're a reader who enjoys character-driven novels and stories about the road to fame (and some of the realities of it), I'd definitely recommend you check this out.

What does it take to become famous? A big dose of sociopathy and narcissism, the confidence of knowing you will become the biggest pop star in the world, and insane talent, of course. At least that’s what worked for Cléo Louvent.

"The answer was that my success didn’t have a single origin but ten thousand–all of which converged at one point: me.”

What does it take to become famous? A big dose of sociopathy and narcissism, the confidence of knowing you will become the biggest pop star in the world, and insane talent, of course. At least that’s what worked for Cléo Louvent.

"The answer was that my success didn’t have a single origin but ten thousand–all of which converged at one point: me.”

At a three-week isolated retreat on a remote island, Cléo looks back on her thirty-three years of life and her career as one of the biggest pop stars the world has ever seen: sold-out arena tours, multiple Grammys, brand deals, three albums, her name on everyone's lips. Slowly, we learn how, at the peak of her career, she ends up far away from everything and everyone, surrounded by blue waters, sandy beaches, and sleepless nights. As she puts it herself: "No one isolates themself on a desert island voluntarily if they don’t have serious issues to work out.”

The second I saw Maud Ventura had a new release, I knew I had to get my hands on it. I read My Husband last year and still think about it. Luckily, Make Me Famous did not disappoint. As someone who loves reading about unlikeable female characters, Ventura always hits the nail on the head. Cléo is not nice: she is obsessive, narcissistic, self-centered, mean. And yet, I found myself rooting for her (I also found myself being eternally grateful for not being a celebrity).

The key to making an unlikeable character work, in my opinion, is the writing. Ventura’s writing is witty, sharp, funny, and sarcastic. You can tell she puts a lot of thought into even the most simple of sentences—I laughed out loud multiple times (favorite quote: “And the miracle that would change everything: bangs”) Huge shout-out to the translator as well, Gretchen Schmid, for masterfully bringing Ventura’s unique voice into English.

Read this book if: you pretended to be a pop star during family gatherings; went to the Eras Tour and left wondering how having your name chanted at you by thousands of people changes you as a person; thought Ed, Ed, and Eddy was unchic.

Thank you to HarperCollins for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Yay!

I love an unhinged woman and Cleo certainly delivers. Her tale is captivating and difficult to put down at times. her frank tone really works and this book has some vapid moments, serious moments, and honestly funny moments. I did not expect the ending at all but it was so clever and left my jaw hanging open.

So very French.

A French pop-star, who is obsessed with fame and herself, writes basically a memoir, from a remote island on her first real vacation in years. Without the distractions of her usual life, she finally has time to think about her past.

I don't know. It's just so....French that you can almost smell the cigarettes and judgement.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Maud Ventura’s debut My Husband was phenomenal, but Make Me Famous? Absolutely iconic. This is the kind of sharp, addictive, and delightfully unhinged novel I want to force into everyone’s hands.

The story follows Cléo, a world-famous pop star who’s supposed to be relaxing on a remote island, working on her next album. Instead, she’s spiraling—mentally, emotionally, and fabulously. Her inner monologue is chaotic, narcissistic, deeply self-aware (and also... not at all), and completely entertaining. I couldn’t stop reading.

Ventura writes with biting wit and a keen understanding of obsession, fame, and the twisted logic of someone who lives entirely in their own head. I highlighted SO many lines—I already know I need a physical copy just to go wild with sticky tabs.

This book was smart, satirical, and wickedly fun. Cléo is one of the most compelling, ridiculous, and unforgettable narrators I’ve read in a long time.

Huge thanks to @NetGalley and @HarperVia for the digital ARC! I devoured this and already can’t wait to see what Maud Ventura does next.

Definitely devoured this in just a couple of sittings! If you liked the author’s debut, My Husband, this will probably be right up your alley. If you didn’t, I don’t know that you will have a better experience here. The bones are the same, just a different setting.

Our main character is obsessed with fame - becoming famous, rising her star, staying on top. Her mental state from the start is questionable and just continues to deteriorate. She begins treating those around her badly, self-harms, etc. I was weirdly fascinated by her inner monologue and the justifications she came up with for her behavior.

Just like with her debut, Ventura slaps us in the face with the closing paragraphs. In a good way (for my taste at least).

I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperVia for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 stars
Unfortunately, I just could not make myself finish this book, even though I got well over halfway in. There is a possibility that I may go back and try to finish it. We are following Cleo, a French-American singer, as she reflects back on her obsession with fame and the lengths she went to to achieve her dreams. I do not need a likable character, but I do need a compelling one, and I felt like I was reading about the same shallow and narcissistic behaviors over and over again, which I found quite boring. Unfortunately, this was not a win for me.

Inspired by songs, films, literature, philosophy—and life. This book offers an intimate, yet distant glimpse into the life of a famous artist. As I read, parallels with icons like Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, and Taylor Swift (with a notable quote, “It was still snowing on the beach”) crossed my mind. Having thoroughly enjoyed Maud’s debut, "The Wife," my expectations were high for this novel. However, "Make Me Famous" felt somewhat flat, almost as if I was observing the protagonist's life from afar, which now has me wondering, was the distance on purpose? Perhaps it reflects the very nature of fame—how despite public visibility, true understanding remains elusive.

Admittedly, I’m confused AF by the ending though…

Maybe a spoiler….

Was she on drugs? Was this a Britney Spears episode?

While it didn’t fully meet my expectations, it sparked meaningful reflections on the perception and reality of celebrity lives.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. “Make Me Famous” is available next week!

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperVia for the eARC.

Maud Ventura is wild. This book was outrageous. The FMC was unhinged and hard to stomach. What wild ride.

Maud Ventura returns with a cheeky and absorbing sophomore novel that is equally funny and cruel. Gretchen Schmid’s translation is perfectly nuanced and Maud’s attention to detail is chef’s kiss. Most importantly, the conclusion is breathtaking and everything that I hoped for (especially after My Husband iykyk). I highly recommend Make Me Famous!

Another banger from Ventura—seriously, no one does obsession and unraveling quite like her. This book dives headfirst into the mind of Cléo, a rising singer who’s completely, terrifyingly obsessed with herself. It’s all glitz and ego and slow-burn psychosis, and I was hooked from the first page.

Cléo isn’t just a character, she’s a full-on experience—glamorous, delusional, magnetic in the worst (and best) way. Ventura’s writing is sharp and addictive, pulling you deeper into Cléo’s inward-spiral until you’re just as wrapped up in her as she is. I couldn’t stop reading—it’s one of those books where you keep telling yourself “just one more chapter” until you're sunburnt sitting on a pool cabana (not speaking from experience, or anything).

If you like stories about fame, ego, and watching a beautiful mess unfold in real time, this one’s for you. Completely unputdownable.