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.

Superstars is a sharp, stylish novel that dives into the world of fame, creativity, and self‑destruction. Ann Scott writes with a cool, observant tone, capturing the rush and the emptiness that come with chasing success in the music and art scenes.

The story follows characters who are talented, flawed, and often caught between ambition and vulnerability. Scott does a strong job showing how intoxicating—and isolating—the pursuit of stardom can be. The pacing is smooth, and the narrative blends emotional depth with a gritty, realistic look at the pressures of artistic life.

What stands out most is Scott’s ability to balance glamour with honesty. The book doesn’t romanticize fame; instead, it explores the cost of constantly performing, reinventing, and trying to stay relevant. The relationships feel real, messy, and human, grounding the story even when the characters are living in high‑intensity worlds.

Superstars is an engaging, thoughtful read that offers both style and substance. It’s a great pick for readers who enjoy character‑driven stories set against the backdrop of music, art, and the complicated pursuit of success.

t’s a gritty, swaggering, beautifully chaotic portrait of 90s queer Paris, as it immerses you in a scene: the drugs, the music, the heartbreak, the ego, the yearning.

Louise, after recently turning 30, lands a dream of a record contract as a techno artist in the late 90s. This accomplishment is accompanied by a shift in her queer friend group as Louise has recently broken up with her girlfriend who immediately began to date… I sigh as I say this… A 17-year-old. Louise has a bit of an identity crisis, but through her we get a glimpse into this friend group and all the fun shit they got up to in the Paris techno scene.

“Superstars” by Ann Scott read like 00s trashy reality TV show (it kept bringing me back to Skins and Jersey Shore), and I’m not going to lie, I loved it for that reason. It was nice to lose myself in distinct scene. The dizziness of the drugs, the thumping of the club, the absolute chaos of the queer friend group who all seem to hook-up with each other seemingly at random (which could also be called into question as it is a harmful stereotype). But, as someone who is usually down for a drama debrief… I found it entertaining.

One of my major qualms with the book was its tendency to over-explain or indulge in far too many details. I’m not sure if this was due to the translation from French to English, or if that is all what was already packed in there. But, I don’t need to know every single item in every single living room we enter. Just list what is important, give me the vibe of the space and we will be all set.

My other hiccup was the portrayal of the 17-year-old who finds her way into this group, there is a lot of explicit details given regarding her character and various people falling in love with her. While reading all I wanted to do was take her out of the novel and say “run away from all of that please.” I tried to give it the benefit of the doubt, wondering if it was a commentary on the sexualization of young queer women, and maybe it was, but overall it just felt a little off to me. I was questioning if it was making a statement or leaning into the fetish of it all. For my sake, I’m hoping it was a statement. She more so seemed to be a vessel for people to project their idea of “youth” into, wanting to be with her while also wanting to be her. I don’t know, the 90s/00s were a gross time, I wish the messaging was more clear, but maybe that was the point because I haven’t stopped thinking about it.

Thank you so much to the publishers and NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review, I will be posting a review to my Instagram @bookononist soon.

A little bit of the L Word meets Glamorama, I thoroughly enjoyed Superstars by Ann Scott and felt wrapped in the drug-fueled electronic scene of Paris in the 90’s.

Bonkers 90s lesbian chaos! Reminded me of Valencia by Michelle Tea but French and even sleazier. The ick factor of the age gap between Louise and Ines was major, but it was the complete opposite of romanticised. Some really fascinating observations about gender and sexuality dynamics in nightlife which hold true between then and now and I really enjoyed the way Scott painted a distinct and transporting picture of European rave culture. Messy, raw, problematic excellence.

"Superstars" is about an artist named Louise, who struggles between genres, women, and drugs.
The story starts at 100—which instantly had me hooked. Louise is at rock bottom and it does not seem possible that she can get any lower, but she sure tries. I loved being able to get an inside look at the French rave scene and the pervasive drug use that exists within it. The writing was so descriptive that it was stress-inducing when Louise was high and I had to read it through her point of view. It really is a great read for someone who wants to be uncomfortable because of the graphic drug use, sex, and problematic age gap relationships. I do not think I even liked any of the characters but I really enjoyed reading about them.
This was originally written in French and has been translated into English by Jonathan Woollen. He deserves a lot of praise because this is translated very well. I really appreciate having the opportunity to read it.
Also, Louise would have loved when McDonald's started serving breakfast all day.

Superstars by Ann Scott is not just a novel about the 90s in Paris, it is an experience through the lense of Louise who doesn't always seem grounded or truthful.

Louise is a thirty one year old woman who has been hanging out most of her life while also wanting a "real" music career. She is mostly submerged in the techno scene, clubs, raves, sex and lots of drugs. Louise is everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Louise finally catches a break when she lands a lucrative record deal. She now has the means to create the music she always dreamed of. But it seems like she can't center herself and leave the world that has all the things she wants but holds her back creatively.

I loved this novel! It was unique and different but very compelling and heartfelt. I felt like a voyeur watching all the characters navigate their drug infused lives. There are beautiful moments in this novel too. Reading about the Paris scene in the 90s seemed like fabulous good time.
Thank you Netgalley and Astra Publishing House for this eARC. All opinions are entirely my own.