My GOSH I loved this book SO SO much! Meet Michaela Turner, childhood television superstar, now in her late 20s struggling to figure out what move to make next. Feeling pressure to stay on the top partier list at the same time as an old flame wanders back into her life, nothing seems to go as planned.

While I'm no where near a celebrity, I found this book incredibly relatable - I think we've all been in Michaela's shoes at some point or another, questioning everything we've known while we try to figure out what we want for our futures...especially when it seems like everyone else has it all figured out. I LOVED all the 90s references in this one (I feel like this was a nod to Full House, but correct me if I'm wrong!) and I just loved Mick's character so much - she was messy, fun, lovable, and funny, making it easy to follow her story. The complicated relationship with her mother adds a complexity that lets us connect with her even more.

This was a quick, fun read that brought back a lot of memories from my college/mid-20s days. The ending felt a little rushed and a bit unfinished, but I loved how things ended up for Michaela (OK I wish she ended up with a certain someone, but that's besides the point) and was rooting her on the entire way. Thanks so much for the ARC!

As it says on the cover, Fame May fade, but drama is forever and Michaela Turner AKA Daisy Breyer, a childhood TV star, is certainly proof of that. Since she “retired” when she was a teen, she has been bouncing from club to club and man to man. Is it really her fault since her mother left her on her own at age 16?

Now she is starting to take a hard look at herself, but she still manages to fall for old lives along the way….

I wanted to love this book but could not get into it hopefully someone else find it interesting thank you

“Far From the A-List” is by Stephanie Burns. This book follows former child star Michaela Turner, known to many as Daisy due to the role she played on TV for a number of years. Michaela is very recognizable and while proud of her role, hasn’t done much since then. Her best friend is Josh, another former child star though he was part of a boy band. Michaela has an on-again/off-again relationship with Deacon, a member of what was a band and now he’s going solo. This book mainly focuses on Michaela - and her issues of “what am I going to be when I grow up, but how do I learn as a grown-up the things I should’ve learned when I was younger.” In very many ways, this reminded me of Taylor Swift’s song “You Belong To Me.” One of the people is always there, cheering her on, trying to be in her corner, and Michaela is aware of it but instead of realizing it, keeps self-destructing her relationships. For a while, Michaela dates a person with a stable job and who doesn’t know who she played and it seemed like she might have a mature grown-up steady relationship. You’ll have to read the book to find out what happened. In many ways, it was rather sad to see Michaela make the same mistakes again and again, but it was nice to see in the end that she got a clue-by-four and, hopefully, will continue in the positive direction she’s going … though maybe some help from someone will also help her. An enjoyable book overall.

Former child star Michaela Turner is stuck in a life she doesn't want. Famous for the role everyone seems to remember as the precocious young daughter in a sitcom that ended 15 years ago, Michaela just wants to be normal and not be noticed for everything she did before she hit her teens. As a 27-year-old woman, her life is stagnant and she is always fearful that people are recognizing her and saying mean things about how she turned out. Reading the tabloids and scouring the comments is bad for her peace-of-mind, but it's almost a compulsion for Michaela. Add to this a bad news ex who she still drops everything for no matter how many times he rips her heart out, and a mother who stopped caring when she was 16 and you have a recipe for a painful life.

The pacing in Far From the A-List was rather slow, and it was difficult to watch Michaela constantly undermine her own wellbeing at every turn, choosing the wrong person or choice over and over again. I found myself yelling at her multiple times throughout the story.

Having worked with former child stars in another life, I know that the road to and through adulthood can be very tough to navigate and author Stephanie Burns captures the angst of the journey for both Michaela and her bestie, former boy bander, Josh in a way that rings truthfully, especially during the tabloid era of the aughts. An interesting story that could have been 50 pages shorter. 3.5 stars.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.