Happy Tuesday book people!
This was such a heartwarming and heartbreaking story. I was so invested in Grace’s life and really was loving her characters growth throughout the story.🎬
My Thoughts
“I was untouchable, unstoppable, hurtling down a path to immortality so rapidly, so immaculately, that not one person stopped to question how it all worked so well, a fortysomething man and a teenager being so inextricably linked.”
Timely and compelling. Heartbreaking and hopeful. Riveting and disturbing. Ella Berman’s debut will resonate with any woman who has ever been objectified by a man catcalling her as she’s walking down the street or made to feel less then by a man Gaslighting her to believe that it’s all her fault. When Grace is 13 she is discovered at an audition in her UK hometown. Famous movie producer Able Yorke has found his muse and gives Grace’s family an offer they can’t resist. Enticed by the glittering Hollywood movie star lifestyle the entire family packs up and moves to California. Grace loves the glamorous lifestyle and being able’s number one protégé. But things go dark when the Producer crosses the line sending the protégé down the lonely path of guilt and insecurity.
Ella Berman started writing this in 2017 before #metoo. In the author note at the end she talks about this and why she didn’t really bring the movement into the story. I have a really hard time with stories about men in power taken advantage of innocent or even not so innocent girls/women, but I have to say the story did a really thoughtful job with the subject matter. Nothing was overly graphic or gratuitous it was more implied than anything else. This really allowed me to focus on Grace and her comeback. Grace was such a sympathetic character she was so hardened and yet so naïve. She could party like a champ, but she couldn’t purchase a phone. I’d imagine this is true of many child stars they are not able to do many of the things that their “normal“ counterparts are able to. I really loved watching Grace’s growth throughout the story. She started as a selfish spoiled diva and grew into a compassionate caring human. I also liked that this is not a total manhater book, seriously the nicest most caring character in the story was Dylan (Grace’s husband). A well told thought-provoking story with well developed characters. Just a little warning there is a lot of alcohol and drug use in the book, I mention this because I think the story will appeal to teens but in case you don’t want your kids to read about that here’s the warning.
This book in emojis 🎬 💊 🍸 🏖 📹 🎤
*** Big thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***
About the Book
A deep dive into the psyche of a young actress raised in the spotlight under the influence of a charming, manipulative film director and the moment when she decides his time for winning is over.
At the height of her career and on the eve of her first Golden Globe nomination, teen star Grace Turner disappeared.
Now, tentatively sober and surprisingly numb, Grace is back in Los Angeles after her year of self-imposed exile. She knows the new private life she wants isn’t going to be easy as she tries to be a better person and reconnect with the people she left behind.
But when Grace is asked to present a lifetime achievement award to director Able Yorke–the man who controlled her every move for eight years–she realizes that she can’t run from the secret behind her spectacular crash and burn for much longer. And she’s the only one with nothing left to lose.
Alternating between past and present, The Comeback tackles power dynamics and the uncertainty of young adulthood, the types of secrets that become part of our sense of self, and the moments when we learn that though there are many ways to get hurt, we can still choose to fight back.
About the Author
Ella Berman grew up in both London and Los Angeles and worked at Sony Music before starting the clothing brand London Loves LA. She lives in London with her husband, James, and their dog, Rocky. The Comeback is her first novel.
Have a wonderful day! Berit XOXO đź’‹
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