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Please Note: I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.
Synopsis (from 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.
Review:
I love books that show an inside look at Hollywood. And what could be more insider than what the personal assistants to the Stars witness! Although this is a work of fiction, one can tell this novel is greatly influenced by the author's experiences as Carrie Fisher's PA. While it is full of the wild excesses of pampered stars, it is also a story of the main character's search for meaning in a superficial society. This is the Must Read book of the summer!
What I Liked:
Premise:
I have always wondered what a personal assistant does. These PA's manage every aspect of a busy stars lives. It's hard to imagine why one would need that much help (I can't even fathom someone cleaning my house)!
Characters:
Charlie:
Charlie, the main character, stumbles into becoming a PA in order to escape a boring, night shift job as a television news writer. But while this new job isn't boring, might it be equally soul-crushing?
Charlie also has many issues with his parents. He tries to fill that void by seeing his employer as a substitute parent. He desperately craves her approval, which makes it impossible to objectively do his job.
Kathy:
Kathy is the big star who is modeled after Carrie Fisher. Her fame is fading as she moves slowly into old age. But she still has loads of cash, and many rabid fans. This, along with her uncontrolled mental illnesses and addictions, fuels Kathy's wild behavior.
I really like that, through it all, Kathy is not a target of ridicule. But she is not to be envied. Here's a person who is set up to be dependent. With a lifetime of caretakers and hangers on, she has never been alone in her entire life. She seriously can't take care of herself.
Story:
Aside from Kathy's antics, Charlie learns all about the power of money. Whenever he gets a little too comfortable, feeling like Kathy is his friend, he will be rudely reminded that Kathy is his boss, and he is not one of the glittering elite. This keeps Charlie constantly off balance. Until he finds his own self-worth, Kathy's approval is all he's got going for him.
Charlie's relationship with his dad is one of pain and is difficult to read about, at times. While his dad's abuse would be hard to forgive, Charlie does begin to see how his dad's behavior came about. Eventually he does find a way to make peace with who his dad is. This gives the story a weight that makes this something that we all can relate to.
How do we find meaning in our lives? Is it through our jobs, our relationships, our passions? This really is the central question of this novel. This book a so entertaining and yet makes me think of all these bigger themes. That's the magic of this well written book!
Rating: 
Release Date: July 28th, 2020
Author: Byron Lane
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Page Length: 352 Pages
Source: NetGalley
Format: E-Book
Recommendations: A highly entertaining read!
