In A Star is Bored, Byron Lane gives the readers an inside look into what the private life of a hot-shot celebrity could look like when all cameras and lights are off. It was inspired by the author’s time working as a personal assistant for Carrie Fisher and even though the novel itself is a work of fiction, it was impossible for me not to picture Carrie Fisher as the ‘bored star’, which gave my reading experience even more dimensions than ‘just fiction’, as I am sure it will for you, too.
A Star is Bored is essentially about Charlie Besson, who recalls the years he spent working as a personal assistant for Hollywood legend, Kathi Kannon, an actress who is just as well known for her role as a princess in a science fiction franchise as for previous drug abuse, mental health issues, and general ‘craziness’.
When Charlie first arrives at Kathi‘s gate for his job interview and glances inside her estate for the first time, he thinks: “It looks like a carnival. It looks like an acid trip. It looks like heaven.”
And that is exactly what can be expected from this book. The ups and downs of trying to hold a television job he hates, the exciting new job opportunity to work for one of his childhood heroes, and the job interview itself are just the beginning of a whirlwind of emotions.
I was immediately sucked into Charlie’s life and felt with and for him, as he tried to navigate his late 20s in LA, where he thought he would live out his big dream but got stuck on the night shift, writing reports for a news show on TV. He is still mourning for his mother, who died when he was a child and is still dealing with the aftermath of the trauma his father gave him throughout his childhood by constantly shouting at him and condemning his sexuality.
The moment Charlie starts working as Kathi’s assistant, their lives intertwine and by that I mean: Kathi can’t seem to cope without Charlie and Kathi becomes the sun Charlie circles around. Even in his off hours, he mostly talks about her, especially since his new-found inner circle only consists of personal assistants, who rant about their bosses as much as they revel in their spotlight. But even when he is asked on a date with someone outside of the scene what his passion is, he replies: “I work for Kathi Kannon”, which is a perfect portrayal of how deep his devotion to his boss turned friend turned mother figure really is. But most of all, Charlie seems to feel accepted for the first time in his life by this quirky woman who is just crazy enough to make him feel safe.
The two of them grow closer over the years as they go on holiday together, make it through Kathi’s manic episodes and spend more time together in each other’s proximity as they do with any other person. That is, until Kathi falls back into her old drug habits and puts Charlie in a tight spot. Does he stay and watch Kathi destroy herself? Is he going to let himself be called an enabler by all the other personal assistants? Or is he going to start taking care of himself first for a change?
Lane’s writing is lighthearted and charming, despite the multiple serious topics this book depicts. He writes with humour without taking importance away from serious matters, which made this an amazing reading experience. His writing let me feel sadness and desperation and the brokenness within characters, just as much as the awkward and funny moments at which I would laugh out loud while reading.
A Star is Bored is as much heartbreaking as it is hopeful and just as tragic as it is funny. This is a book for everyone. Everyone who ever felt lost, who ever felt too scared to make a change, or to take a chance. Everyone who has ever loved, ever lost, and who needs a reminder that underneath it all, we are all the same.
A Star Is Bored is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers as of July 28th 2020.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
A hilariously heartfelt novel about living life at full force, and discovering family when you least expect it, influenced in part by the author’s time as Carrie Fisher’s beloved assistant.
Charlie Besson is about to have an insane job interview. His car is idling, like his life, outside the Hollywood mansion of Kathi Kannon. THE Kathi Kannon, star of stage and screen and People magazine’s worst dressed list. She needs an assistant. He needs a hero.
Kathi is an icon, bestselling author, and an award winning actress, most known for her role as Priestess Talara in the iconic blockbuster sci-fi film. She’s also known for another role: crazy Hollywood royalty. Admittedly so. Famously so. Fabulously so.
Charlie gets the job, and embarks on an odyssey filled with late night shopping sprees, last minute trips to see the aurora borealis, and an initiation to that most sacred of Hollywood tribes: the personal assistant. But Kathi becomes much more than a boss, and as their friendship grows, Charlie must make a choice. Will he always be on the sidelines of life, assisting the great forces that be, or can he step into his own leading role?
Laugh-out-loud funny, and searingly poignant, Byron Lane’s A Star is Bored is a novel that, like the star at its center, is enchanting and joyous, heartbreaking and hopeful.
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