Сестрите Амбър и Челси Стоун имат една и съща мечта: огромна световна слава. Като малки са много близки, но успехът ги разделя. И двете са красиви, талантливи и притежават истински звездни качества – но само едната има безмилостната амбиция да стигне до самия връх.
И няма да се спре пред нищо, за да получи каквото иска.
Две сестри. Една мечта. Победителката печели всичко.
Sharon Rachel Osbourne (née Levy, previously Arden) is an English music manager and promoter, television personality and presenter.
She came into public prominence after appearing in The Osbournes, a reality television show that followed her family's daily life. Osbourne later became a judge on the talent shows The X Factor and America's Got Talent. Her autobiography, Extreme, has sold in excess of two million copies.
After the success of The Osbournes, hosting her own chat shows and securing advertising contracts, Osbourne was ranked as the 60th richest woman in Britain on the 2007 Sunday Times Rich List. Sharon and husband, Ozzy Osbourne, are currently ranked as the 724th richest people in Britain with an estimated joint wealth of £110 million. Sharon Osbourne previously revived Ozzy's metal career and she stands as the founder of Ozzfest.
Revenge is the debut novel from music manager, reality TV star and all-round legend Sharon Osbourne. It centres around two sisters: one has ‘it’ and the other does not. This leads to a lifetime of jealousy, one-upmanship and – you guessed it – revenge.
The plot is very well put together. It isn’t, as you might expect, a thinly veiled dig at long-standing rival Danni Minogue. The only similarities between Revenge’s Stone sisters and the Minogues is their sibling status. You’d be hard pushed to turn this into a vendetta and that is to Sharon’s credit – she’s created this.
The story kicks off with the sisters’ mother and her early life, leading to the conception and birth of Chelsea, then Amber, Stone. The family matriarch also serves as Amber’s manager. Quite an extended period of time centres around Margaret-soon-to-be-Stone (then going by Maggie) which is very important to understanding the character. Her relationship with each of her daughters, and her drive and motivation in her professional capacity, is the product of her own life. We gain a crucial insight into Mrs. Stone which informs the dynamics which hold the rest of the characters together.
Revenge has no clear beginning, middle and end. Every few chapters we are moved on a few years, and the situation the characters find themselves in constantly changes. As with life, there is no one major event that everything centres around. In fact, it is the changing state of the sisters’ careers and interpersonal relationships with their family and inner circle that drives the action.
Both sisters are rewarded with very different personalities. Each are well-rounded and gain the reader’s sympathy at various stages, although Amber arguably comes off better in the long run. Many of the other characters are also very well developed in their own right and their loyalties are well played and cleverly challenged.
Osbourne has a terrific writing style. She very easily creates the seedy Soho scene, murky Hollywood glamour and well-to-do Tory constituencies where the action is set. Each world is believable and constructed with careful attention to detail. Her work on accents helps sets the scene at the beginning of the book, though this tails off later on. The pace is good and the story flows well, although she does have something of an obsession with boobs.
As we reach the conclusion, Osbourne masterfully pulls together all the threads she’s been casually, almost invisibly, weaving and makes good on the book’s theme of revenge. It has a perfectly paced finale with a satisfying conclusion at both plot and character level that also makes clear the story will continue on beyond the last page.
It’s a yes from me, Sharon, and you’re through to your next book.
While reading this book I was pushing and forcing myself to keep on reading but I just couldn't get in to it I just didn't care.
It was boring and full of sex scenes, at first it started out good and It was entertaining but I lost interest with every page , I don't know why I picked this book I just saw the cover and read the first page, I mean two sisters slapping each other that sounded exciting, until I actually started reading it .
Some people may like this but I just didn't well at least it looks good on my bookshelf.
Ok, so the sparkley glitter cover caught my attention, and so I checked it out from the library--good thing I sisn't spend any $$ on it. Trashy novel, but fun...so count it as a gulity pleasure. Easy to read--I did it in a day.
Yawn. Plain and simple. This was such a bore, my fingers struggle to move on the keyboard. The story is very simple: Two sisters want to make it to the top of Hollywood's finest and there is a revenge. There is no build up what so ever. There is no anticipation or climax. There is no real ups and downs, just events that take place very predictably. I am confused why this wasn't classified as YA at my library? Due to excessive descriptions of sexual events I would presume. If this had been in the YA section, I wouldn't have touched it with a ten foot pole and would have spent my time with something worthy. There is this whole part about the sisters' mother. I fail too se what was the point? I guess Osbourne really tried to make this in to a story with many levels and multiple characters but didn't succeed. The only plus is that the language was so easy, I read it really fast. A shame the story wasn't more grabbing and I would've finished sooner.
I'm a big fan of Sharon Osbourne, and I wasn't expecting anything ground breaking here, but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the writing. The story was enjoyable, though there was a little too much sex in it which just started to bore me after a while. I didn't like the character of Chelsea, I didn't connect with her at all, although I loved Amber! A little dissatisfied with the ending as well, I would have liked to know a little more about what happened to everyone. Room for a sequel? Yes, and I probably would read it if she wrote one. 3/5 :)
THIS IS A GOOD BOOK! Sharon Osbourne did really well as an author! It has the feeling of Jeffrey Archer in it, with a twist of the glitz and glam of Hollywood.
I love the fact that it is so raw and real. The characters seemed like real people and I love it! It's a totally good book!
Un solide 3 étoiles ! Un roman agréable à lire, qui coule bien, dans lequel on retrouve tout : célébrité, jalousie, revanche, coups bas, pouvoir, beauté, sexe, et j'en passe. Somme toute, un excellente lecture de bord de piscine.
Amber and Chelsea Stone aren’t exactly what you’d call close – they might have grown up together but their childhood’s couldn’t have been more different. Amber was the apple of her mother Margaret’s eye while she had a real disdain for elder daughter Chelsea, who just adores her father. When Chelsea gets an acting part Amber was auditioning for, the rivalry begins and nothing will be the same again.
Amber’s career then takes another direction and goes off in a big way, while Chelsea’s begins to flounder and she loses her way a bit. Their mother Margaret only seems to care for Amber, and this grates on Chelsea. So when a man decides to come between the sisters and have them vying for the same thing, will they do the sisterly thing and help each other or is it every Stone for themselves? And just who is going to take the ultimate revenge?
Allow me to be honest. When I first heard that Sharon Osbourne was releasing a fiction novel, I was dubious and thought she would probably use a ghostwriter like a lot of celebrities seem to do… and I was right! Apparently Sharon created the characters, setting and scenes but a “co-writer” helped her to bring the story to the page (Little Brown rep. actually said this!). The co-writer has chosen to be anonymous however, so we’re not going to be finding out who should actually take credit for the book! It’s rumoured to be based on the Minogue sisters Dannii and Kylie. When the cover was released, I loved it straight away and thought it looked like a really fun read, I mean – what book with a glittery cover couldn’t be a fun read?! When it arrived in its shocking magenta envelope, it looked pretty special and I was excited to get stuck in.
The book begins with a glimpse into the rivaly of the sisters and immediately leaves you wanting to find out more which was a great beginning. I was so curious to find out why the sisters had such a hatred for each other and Osbourne develops this part of the story so slowly you don’t want to put the book down as you’re itching to find out what’s going to happen to the Stone sisters next. I was impressed by the writing, it seemed to flow well and sound good too, so I can’t complain on that front.
Her characters are well written too, quite brashy and forward but for the purpose of this story it works well. It’s a bonkbuster without a doubt – there’s a lot of descriptive sex in there, bad language, drug use and more in there so if you’re a tad prudish this probably isn’t the book for you. It didn’t bother me too much because it fits in with the feel of the book and doesn’t feel out of place which makes it more acceptable. The sex scenes don’t happen too frequently which makes them more believable, so when they do happen its for a reason and does add something to that part of the book.
The Stone sisters were great characters, and so very different that you can’t help but like both. Amber was slightly more shy and reserved for the larger portion of the book, and she seemed a little bit wet to me. I wanted her to stand up for herself against her mother, but when the book takes a turn in the middle, we see a different side to Amber and it was great. I enjoyed having 2 stronger female characters and perhaps wish that the change in her had happened sooner! Chelsea is the opposite of her sister, and we mainly see Chelsea when she’s lost her job on her soap and is a bit of a Z-list celeb who doesn’t care what anyone thinks anymore. As her character changes, I warmed to her so much more and loved the rivalry between the sister as it grew.
A part of the book that surprised me was the trip back to 1960’s London and the youth of their mother Margaret. When the book went back in time almost at the beginning, I was curious to see where this was going to go because I wasn’t sure if it was going to stay in the past for a quite a while but it soon becomes clear that there is a big purpose to this trip back in time, and it was fascinating reading. I liked that Sharon did this, and I think it was so well written, you can imagine these characters in the time period, and it was fun to read this. Although we see more of Margaret in the beginning, she rarely appears in the rest of the book which was a shame as I’d have liked to seen her a little more. Even so, the characters were all really well written and all had their place in the book, and there wasn’t too many of them either which was good.
Overall, I was really impressed with this, and far more than I had expected to be! It jets from London over to LA where it spends the rest of the book, and I loved sitting back and imagining the fabulous surroundings of the Stone sisters, and transporting myself into their world for a little while! The gorgeously glittery cover with its neon pink is going to attract attention, and it deserves it. The story kept me interested all the way through, and the characters were strong enough to carry the book until the end, with some twists and turns along the way too. It will make a great beach read for your summer holidays, and I’m pleased to be able to give this book 4 stars! Recommended!
I haven't read either of Sharon Osbourne's autobiographies but I know they were really well received. When I received a copy of her first foray into the world of fiction I was curious to see what sort of a tale she had spun.
The plot is loud and brash, and completely addictive. It covers every base you'd expect from Mrs O - there's scandal and rivalry, feuds and fame, and more than a smattering of sex. The story weaves all of these elements together into a thoroughly enjoyable romp of a read.
Every character has an ulterior motive, mainly fame, money and success, and they all seem prepared to do whatever it takes to get what they want.Whilst this made the characters easy to engage with even I found it didn't make them easy to like. Chelsea and Amber are the two main characters, but their mother Margaret gets a lot of attention - her story starts the book and it's clear to see the effect her story has on theirs.
It's been documented elsewhere that Sharon Osbourne worked with a co-writer to bring this book to life. This collaboration has definitely worked, the book is a fun read that kept me turning the pages.
I never looked at Sharon Osbourne as an author but she does a great job with Revenge. Chelsea and Amber Stone are sisters working toward similar careers. It is hard to be in the same profession because it can become competitive. The world of entertainment can take its toll and the sisters soon find out that their careers may not be worth their sanity. Margaret has lived her life for her daughters. Margaret's love for her daughters start tearing them apart. When their family secrets are revealed the Stoñes lives will never be the same.
Revenge is about sisters that turn on each other because of their mothers doing. This book was drama filled and kept me reading until the end. I applaud the author for a job well done.
I've had this hardback for a while now, having bought it at a knock-down price. Its been sat on my bookshelf unread, until I decided to have a sort out of books for the charity shop and decided to give it a go before passing it on... I'm so glad I did!
I was actually very surprised about a) how well written it is and b) the compelling story line, which draws you in and urges you to read on; I finished this book in a day and a half and loved the "revenge" twist at the end which took the reader to a satisfactory ending.
If you're into 'bonkbusters' with a great storyline then this is for you; think Rebecca Chance or Jackie Collins...Glamour, Sex, Family, Hollywood, Intruige and more!
I bought a hardback of this either 2 or 3 years ago - I forget and just got round to finisheing the last quarter tonight. The book was very well written, interesting and at some points very emotional. I absolutely loved the gay storyline, it just, for me, was fantastic. Very moving and interesting.
All the way through, I really empathized with Chelsea more than Amber - she was too whiney, but I saw some of myself in Chelsea's character so when she didn't actually get a happy ending, I felt a lot of pity for her in comparison to the way the book ended, with her mother happy with the guy who originally screwed her over (how that came about, is beyond me)
Surprisingly addictive. I had no idea Sharon had even written a novel until I found it in the library. Of course, being the worlds biggest Ozzy fan, I had to pick it up. I was prepared for much worse so I was pleasantly surprised. Lots of reviews about the characters not being "psychologically developed"; the book is black with silver glitter. And hot pink writing. Written by the wife of the most notorious rocker ever, what did you expect? Its her first novel, give her some credit. I enjoyed it for what it was. A gritty, twisted revenge tale. Great for a fun light read.
Surprisingly I really quite enjoyed this book. For me it was a page turner.
All the characters were very well rounded and I loved reading what was going to happen next, the only flaw was how it ended, it left me wanting more. Left me wanting to know what was next for the sisters, their mother and uncle derek.
did not think much of this, and was expecting so much. it is so similar to the author. filled with talk of sex and swearing. the whole thing reads like a story from a soap opera. impossible to believe. reminded me of Eastenders! didn't enjoy it at all. totally disappointed. she should stick to her biographies, which are great.
An unexpected read for me. I didn't know Sharon Osbourne wrote books. It was a great read and completely enthralling. I'm glad I picked it up (solely by the cover nevertheless). I liked the ending and I would love to read a sequel to this book.
Book starts off slow, lots of random sex scenes in the middle (lots of sex scenes) but if it finishes nicely, albeit a bit quickly. Not a bad effort for the Princess of F'N Darkness, but not the best effort either.
Mrs.O needs to write more fiction. This novel could be a great series. Literally stumbled upon this at the library and it was a fun, drama, soapy read. Not comparing but if you enjoy Jackie Collins then you would like this book.