Written by contributor Cielo B
The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes is a book that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time, mostly because of the peculiar way the author keeps the intrigue element during the whole book. This book mixes a journey towards becoming a pop icon, the glam of the pop world, the negative things that come inevitably with fame, and more sensitive topics such as different kinds of abuse, suicide, drug use, and depression.
The main focus of the book is the rise of Gloss, the biggest pop girl group in the early 2000s, and what events might have lead one of the members (Cassidy “Sassy” Holmes) to commit suicide fifteen years after her abrupt departure of the group. The book jumps between past and present scenes and it’s narrated by Cassidy herself and the other members of Gloss: Merry, Yumi, and Rose.
Cassidy is of course the main character. Her character development was perfectly executed, beginning as an amateur singer from Houston and taking us with her in her path to stardom, which was never easy. She was a lonely, sometimes insecure character, and you see her struggling to figure out her identity and whether she’s the same girl that left Houston to pursue her dreams. In a short period of time, you can see the full sequence of a star being born, thriving, and then going out. If something stood out from this book, it was how the author made it seem as those key elements weren’t that important for Cassidy, until it was too late. It’s a very realistic way of portraying suicide victims. Sometimes you see them going through hard situations and apparently come out stronger, and you miss the warning signs until there’s no going back.
Merry is very lively and probably the most controversial of the group during their entire career. Yumi faces being treated unfairly in comparison to the other Gloss members, and has a hard time at being fetishised by her own fans and the entire industry, which is also racist towards her for her Japanese roots. And Rose… she was the most interesting character in my eyes, coming off as the cold-hearted leader of the group and being especially rude with Cassidy, but also being more complex than she lets on. All of the Gloss girls found a space in my heart quickly and I cared about them and their struggles, messy as they were.
Though it has many characters (something that doesn’t come as a surprise, being a book about the world of fame), they’re all very well-constructed and have a crucial part in how the story unravels. The author made a great job at placing everyone in the right place at the right time, so it’s not hard to get into the story or understand who is who. Almost every single character in Cassidy Holmes is morally gray, and you can’t pin them as saints or devils. They’re very hard to love or hate fully, and that particular detail made the story even more realistic and relatable.
I had never read a story set in the early 2000s, and I got nostalgic because of the setting and the elements that made this story come to life, such as the singers being mentioned, the concerts, costumes, videos, etc. The author does a great job creating the pop scene from those years, which I grew up watching on TV and idolising. Many stories focus on the 60s-80s or in present time often, with the 90s and early 2000s set books coming our way, and the author made the most out of the time where she set her story in.
The way the story was told couldn’t have been better. The present and the past wove together to form a clear full picture, and does wonders for the pace and the mystery/intrigue element. Remember that the purpose of the story is figuring out what led Cassidy to end her life…what was the breaking point, what could’ve been so bad to make her think there was no going back. When you feel like you know everything, one of the girls (during present narration) or a magazine article hints at something that rises the interest of what might happen next in the story, keeping the reader on edge at all times.
What made this story so special to me were the last chapters. The way everything ends is, once again, a perfect reflection on what real life situations similar to this one might be like. The author ends the book on a mysterious note and I kind of felt as if I was left hanging, and though in many cases that’s not good, this time it was brilliant. Cassidy Holmes is a book that will open your eyes and make you reflect on many situations. This book is not here to deliver just one message, but several ones. It’s bold and raw, and definitely needed in the world we’re living in today.
The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of September 1st 2020.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
In vein of Daisy Jones & The Six and Everything I Never Told You, this debut novel probes the dark side of fame after a former pop star ends her own life.
Cassidy Holmes isn’t just a celebrity.
She is “Sassy Gloss,” the fourth member of the hottest pop group America has ever seen. Hotter than Britney dancing with a snake, hotter than Christina getting dirrty, Gloss was the pop act that everyone idolized. Fans couldn’t get enough of them, their music, and the drama that followed them like moths to a flame—until the group’s sudden implosion in 2002. And at the center of it all was Sassy Cassy, the Texan with a signature smirk that had everyone falling for her.
But now she’s dead. Suicide.
The world is reeling from this unexpected news, but no one is more shocked than the three remaining Glossies. Fifteen years ago, Rose, Merry, and Yumi had been the closest to Cassidy, and this loss is hitting them hard. Before the group split, they each had a special bond with Cassidy—truths they told, secrets they shared. But after years apart, each of them is wondering: what could they have done?
Told in multiple perspectives—including Cassidy herself—and different timelines, this is a behind-the-scenes look into the rise and fall of a pop icon, and a penetrating examination of the dark side of celebrity and the industry that profits from it.
Have pre-ordered the audio book version via Audible.