Superstars? More supernova! Because this book was definitely explosive. It caught my attention from the very start.

‘Superstars’ reads like the hardcore nepo baby of ‘The L Word’ and ‘brat’, except it was originally published in French in 2000 and thus predates those pieces of media entirely. We don’t really follow a plot as much as experience the life of Louise, a DJ in her early 30s, as she drifts in a drug-fueled haze through the queer Parisian techno scene.

Louise is deeply unlikeable and at best completely delusional. At one point, she monologues about how she’s so mature and knows how act in relationships, but at the same time is in a secret situationship with her ex’s new girlfriend (who is 17, btw) and then cheats on said situationship with her current roommate and best friend (did I mention this is a book about lesbians? Lol).

The authentic 90s setting is really prominent and enjoyable. Louise is annoyed by Britney Spears and everyone’s baggy clothes (she’s clearly not like other girls) and she constantly watches MTV. The ravers also have a “standard survival kit” that consists of a TV, VCR, and stereo.

Louise struggles with a heroin addiction, which gets increasingly worse as she crashes-out more and more throughout the novel. In general, the hard drug-use that’s portrayed is pretty graphic and consistent, so be aware of triggers related to that before reading.

The writing and translation are both excellent; some moments in the novel are truly beautiful and made me pause. Overall, I enjoyed ‘Superstars’ and I’m excited that it’s finally being released in English!

This is apparently a queer French classic novel, so I'm glad that we're getting this in translation. We zoom in on a young woman who dabbles in electronic music, hard drugs, lesbians, and drama. Fantastic read over the winter here.

Superstars is an incredibly gritty telling of lesbian DJ rave culture in 1990s France. With unrelenting descriptions of drug use, messy relationships, betrayal, and some persistently terrible decision-making, we follow Louise as she struggles to navigate her life choices. Louise is a well-written and complex character - as our infuriating, unreliable narrator, you cannot help but root for her to come to terms with her identity.

I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of the music itself. The writing style impressively allows the reader to feel the sweaty, claustrophobic, drug-induced euphoria of a rave event. With raw descriptions, the reader is able to feel the bass pulsing, the needle entering their arm, the desperate yearning that drives Louise into chaos.

After reading this novel, I understand why Superstars is considered a French cult classic. It's tumultuous; it's queer; it's an addicting page-turner.

In this book, we follow Louise, a restless and complex young woman caught between ambition, desire, and self-destruction, as she navigates love, friendship, and creative freedom in Paris’s 1990s queer music scene. Superstars’s strength lies in its raw authenticity : the nightlife, the music, and the emotional intensity feel lived-in and urgent. Louise isn’t always easy to like, but her flaws make her compelling and real. I'd say this is a striking read for fans of character-driven fiction focused on identity genres.

gorgeously tender and effective book with some good plotting and impressive vibes. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.