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Whatever Happened to Madeline Stone?
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Expected 9 Apr 26The compulsive and conversation-starting new novel from #1 bestselling author Louise O'Neill - coming soon and available to pre-order now!
2002.
Twin sisters Madeline and Chelsea Stone are joint stars of the AtomicKids sitcom Double Trouble, but everyone knows it’s Maddie who shines most brightly. Until Chelsea beats her sister out for the role of a lifetime and is catapulted into the spotlight. And just as Chelsea’s star reaches impossible new heights, Maddie disappears.
2025.
Chelsea Stone retired from acting after her sister’s disappearance – but living life under the radar is easier said than done when you’re the most famous woman of your generation.
When a storage locker is found containing heartbreaking truths about the year Maddie went missing, Chelsea feels a flicker of hope for the first time in twenty years. This is her chance to discover what really happened to her twin, but to follow the trail she’ll have to face the past and step back into the spotlight...
2002.
Twin sisters Madeline and Chelsea Stone are joint stars of the AtomicKids sitcom Double Trouble, but everyone knows it’s Maddie who shines most brightly. Until Chelsea beats her sister out for the role of a lifetime and is catapulted into the spotlight. And just as Chelsea’s star reaches impossible new heights, Maddie disappears.
2025.
Chelsea Stone retired from acting after her sister’s disappearance – but living life under the radar is easier said than done when you’re the most famous woman of your generation.
When a storage locker is found containing heartbreaking truths about the year Maddie went missing, Chelsea feels a flicker of hope for the first time in twenty years. This is her chance to discover what really happened to her twin, but to follow the trail she’ll have to face the past and step back into the spotlight...
- GenresMystery ThrillerIreland
Kindle Edition
Expected publication April 9, 2026
5 people are currently reading
457 people want to read
About the author
Louise O'Neill
19 books2,303 followersLouise O' Neill is from Clonakilty, in west Cork. After graduating with a BA in English Studies at Trinity College Dublin, she went on to complete a post-grad in Fashion Buying at DIT. Having spent a year in New York working for Kate Lanphear, the senior Style Director of ELLE magazine, she returned home to Ireland to write her first novel.
She went from hanging out on set with A-list celebrities to spending most of her days in pyjamas while she writes, and has never been happier.
She went from hanging out on set with A-list celebrities to spending most of her days in pyjamas while she writes, and has never been happier.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
From the very first pages, #whateverhappenedtomadelinestone brims with suspense and emotion, laced with a powerful sense of nostalgia. It’s a compelling, beautifully written read that doesn’t shy away from difficult, very real issues that feel especially relevant today. What stood out most was its sharp commentary on celebrity culture- and how, despite everything we know, it can still be deeply problematic. A thought-provoking, unputdownable read. 📚💭
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Louise O’Neill is an instant, drop everything author for me. Her writing is consistently superlative. ‘Whatever Happened to Madeline Stone?’ is an excellent addition to her body of work. I devoured it! It's incredibly nostalgic for those of us who grew up in this era. O'Neill doesn't pull any punches and makes a great fist of exploring misogyny (especially within the mainstream media) impossible patriarchal beauty standards, exploitation and the sort of abhorrent behaviour that sparked the #MeToo movement. I think that Louise O'Neill excels especially in the illustration of grey areas. Few things are black and white in this story (as in life), which adds to the complexity of the characters. It's also a confronting piece of work. It really made me consider my own complicity. After all, if we didn't crave gossip and view successful, famous women through a Machiavellian lens of envy, would there be a global market for trashy tabloids and magazines? Perhaps we can all do better.
I'm gutted to have finished reading. I would love to hear a well-narrated audiobook version and surely the book will be optioned for film/television?🤞🏻Fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid will love this. I can't recommend it highly enough. Simply superb! F*ck the Patriarchy! All hail Queen Louise!
I'm gutted to have finished reading. I would love to hear a well-narrated audiobook version and surely the book will be optioned for film/television?🤞🏻Fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid will love this. I can't recommend it highly enough. Simply superb! F*ck the Patriarchy! All hail Queen Louise!
February 23, 2026
absolutely love Louise O’Neill’s writing so was thrilled to have the opportunity to read Whatever Happened to Madeline Stone. It’s set over two time lines - the early 2000s and 2025 when ex child actor Chelsea Stone finds herself once again in the spotlight 20 years after her twin sister Maddie’s disappearance. O’Neill writes so powerfully about the impact of fame on women and the abuse and manipulation of child actors. If you’ve read Jeanette McCurdy’s memoir this is familiar territory but it doesn’t make it any less powerful. I did feel that about halfway through the plotting weakened and I became a little frustrated with the character of Chelsea. However the final quarter of the novel really picks up once Chelsea finds her voice and this section is a compelling read that left me breathless by the end.
Recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.
Recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.
February 19, 2026
Review of advance copy received via NetGalley. I loved this! Whatever Happened to Madeline Stone by Louise O’Neill is a gripping and assured novel that offers a different take on the complexities of the Me Too movement. The story is genuinely suspenseful, with convincing, well-drawn characters at its centre, particularly our protagonist, Chelsea Stone. While it explores dark themes, it never feels heavy-handed; the message is delivered with an efficient touch and cleverly entwined in the novel’s titular mystery. Distinct from O’Neill’s earlier work yet recognisably hers in its themes, this is a compelling and satisfying read. I am a long-time fan and this one was worth the wait.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Fame, and the things people would do to get it, to keep it. It was a sickness.
2 1/2 stars. This book wasn't terrible, but given that O'Neill's books are among my all time favourites, it was a huge disappointment.
The pacing was off from the start, nothing like the addictively propulsive Idol. Despite having Chelsea's secrets teased constantly (“the worst thing I’ve ever done”), the first half is a terrible slog. I have to admit I couldn’t imagine anything she might have done that I would find that interesting, which made me unsure what I was reading for or needed to be concerned about. I don’t think it ever built enough momentum around the secret, so the stakes felt low. And either her sister was long-dead, as had been thought, or she was alive. Neither possibility felt particularly concerning.
The story inhabits two worlds— that of the early 2000s in which Chelsea and Maddie are child actors, and the present (2025) in which Maddie has long been missing, presumed dead, and Chelsea is now retired, married, and mother to two kids. Then a website pops up posting pics of never before seen notes written by Maddie, followed quickly by an attempt to blackmail Chelsea. If she doesn't play along, her secret will be revealed.
The subject matter is timely, to be sure. Right now in 2026, we’re paying close cultural attention to the early 2000s. The fashions are back, the predators are being smoked out, and an overdue conversation about celebrity culture— particularly the treatment of young women and girls —is being had. This book explores that toxic early noughties celebrity culture— the culture that destroyed Britney and gave millions of girls eating disorders.
It is a classic "ripped from the headlines" story, reflecting on this specific time and place. From Milo James— an early noughties blogger of the Perez Hilton variety —to the twins' overbearing mother who encourages their eating disorders, very reminiscent of McCurdy's mother in I’m Glad My Mom Died. I think if you’ve been paying attention to the news there will be no surprises in this one. And while everything the book says is true— parents shouldn’t be allowed to force kids into fame; there’s a whole ecosystem enabling abuses in Hollywood —I don't think it adds much to the conversation or finds a compelling new way into it. Books like The Comeback were telling similar stories 6 years ago.
I'll still read whatever Louise O'Neill writes next, but the combination of poor pacing and well-worn subject matter made this one a miss for me.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers in exchange for an honest review.
Whatever Happened to Madeline Stone? tells the story of Chelsea Stone, an ex-child actor who is now struggling with her adult life. Chelsea used to act with her identical twin sister Madeline but they grew apart when Chelsea beat her for a key role and Madeline went off the rails. Now Madeline has disappeared and Chelsea is left wondering what happened to her sister.
Louise O'Neill has a talent for writing stories which tackle the difficult aspects of being a woman and I was looking forward to her take on child stars. Unfortunately, I kind of felt this book was about the wrong twin. Chelsea is an interesting character but her main purpose as the protagonist is to allow for the mystery of what happened to Madeline to drive the story. In terms of the biting social commentary and emotional grit that I love in O'Neill's work, Madeline would have made for a much better main character. Instead of getting a close look at the darker side of child stardom, these dark aspects are experienced second hand by the narrator. This means that a lot of the emotional gut punches are muted and don't quite land.
Putting that aspect aside, the general plot is a little messy too. It took me longer to get into this book than it normally does with O'Neill's work and I think that's partially due to the mismatch between the present day plot and the flashbacks. The present day plot flirts with being a thriller but stays solidly as a contemporary drama. Neither plotline fully explores its events either and this combines with the problem mentioned above to weaken the story further. A good example of this is the twin's mother, Erin Stone. She is a complex and interesting character to explore and yet she is a little sidelined and the emotional payoff of her story never really makes it to the surface.
Overall, I did enjoy this book and I really admire what it was trying to do. I think it was a bit messier and a bit less emotionally impactful than I have come to expect from the author. I also suspect that the marketing may draw in some thriller audiences who will be disappointed. If you want a thoughtful exploration of the exploitation of women, I think O'Neill's other books are unfortunately a better pick
Overall Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Whatever Happened to Madeline Stone? tells the story of Chelsea Stone, an ex-child actor who is now struggling with her adult life. Chelsea used to act with her identical twin sister Madeline but they grew apart when Chelsea beat her for a key role and Madeline went off the rails. Now Madeline has disappeared and Chelsea is left wondering what happened to her sister.
Louise O'Neill has a talent for writing stories which tackle the difficult aspects of being a woman and I was looking forward to her take on child stars. Unfortunately, I kind of felt this book was about the wrong twin. Chelsea is an interesting character but her main purpose as the protagonist is to allow for the mystery of what happened to Madeline to drive the story. In terms of the biting social commentary and emotional grit that I love in O'Neill's work, Madeline would have made for a much better main character. Instead of getting a close look at the darker side of child stardom, these dark aspects are experienced second hand by the narrator. This means that a lot of the emotional gut punches are muted and don't quite land.
Putting that aspect aside, the general plot is a little messy too. It took me longer to get into this book than it normally does with O'Neill's work and I think that's partially due to the mismatch between the present day plot and the flashbacks. The present day plot flirts with being a thriller but stays solidly as a contemporary drama. Neither plotline fully explores its events either and this combines with the problem mentioned above to weaken the story further. A good example of this is the twin's mother, Erin Stone. She is a complex and interesting character to explore and yet she is a little sidelined and the emotional payoff of her story never really makes it to the surface.
Overall, I did enjoy this book and I really admire what it was trying to do. I think it was a bit messier and a bit less emotionally impactful than I have come to expect from the author. I also suspect that the marketing may draw in some thriller audiences who will be disappointed. If you want a thoughtful exploration of the exploitation of women, I think O'Neill's other books are unfortunately a better pick
Overall Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
‘Whatever Happened to Madeline Stone?’ by Louise O'Neill is a fast-paced and engaging novel that pretty much does what it says on the tin, so if you like the sound of it from the synopsis, chances are it will be a good fit. The only thing not made clear in the synopsis is quite how much eating disorder content is present in it, and although the content feels appropriate to the characters and their story, and no numbers are mentioned, anyone on the fence about whether or not it might trigger them would do best to avoid it.
I found the writing fluid and the story interesting enough to keep the pages turning. The pace is very quick—a little too quick at times, as the sudden jumps in time, either from one scene to the next or from present to past and back again, can be disorientating, especially as there are often no time indicators (e.g., ‘now’, ‘back then’, etc.) or space breaks. Sometimes it felt like a flashback hadn’t reached its point before I was catapulted back to the present again.
Although the book doesn’t add anything to the conversation around the issues raised—such as the exploitation and abuse of children and women in the entertainment industry, the misogyny and racism present in the industry, the prevalence of eating disorders and addiction amongst former child-stars, and the toxic nature of the blogosphere and parasocial relationships—seeing it from Chelsea’s point of view does give a human face to it, which I appreciated.
As for the mystery element, I found it intriguing enough—though, it ended up predictable (even its predictability was predictable…). The ending also felt rushed and anticlimactic. Still, I enjoyed the story overall. Not a book I will reread or remember, but a good bit of entertainment that fulfilled my expectations. A three-star read.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Louise O'Neill and Bantam for the ARC.
⚠️ Eating disorder, suicide references, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, addiction, child abuse, misogyny, infidelity, racism, adult-minor relationship
I found the writing fluid and the story interesting enough to keep the pages turning. The pace is very quick—a little too quick at times, as the sudden jumps in time, either from one scene to the next or from present to past and back again, can be disorientating, especially as there are often no time indicators (e.g., ‘now’, ‘back then’, etc.) or space breaks. Sometimes it felt like a flashback hadn’t reached its point before I was catapulted back to the present again.
Although the book doesn’t add anything to the conversation around the issues raised—such as the exploitation and abuse of children and women in the entertainment industry, the misogyny and racism present in the industry, the prevalence of eating disorders and addiction amongst former child-stars, and the toxic nature of the blogosphere and parasocial relationships—seeing it from Chelsea’s point of view does give a human face to it, which I appreciated.
As for the mystery element, I found it intriguing enough—though, it ended up predictable (even its predictability was predictable…). The ending also felt rushed and anticlimactic. Still, I enjoyed the story overall. Not a book I will reread or remember, but a good bit of entertainment that fulfilled my expectations. A three-star read.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Louise O'Neill and Bantam for the ARC.
⚠️ Eating disorder, suicide references, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, addiction, child abuse, misogyny, infidelity, racism, adult-minor relationship
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5 Stars
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK for the opportunity to read this book
This is my first time reading a Louise O'Neill book and I had huge expectations because of all the wonderful things I've heard about this author and her previous books, and the themes in Whatever Happened to Madeline Stone? are timely and very appealing. However, after finishing it I have a lot of mixed feelings.
I was going to say that I enjoyed reading this book, but I think enjoy is not the right word here. I did have a lot of feelings though, mostly outrage, and the book is objectively good. That said, with very few exceptions, everyone here is a horrible person, but at the same time they lacked the depth to make you properly despise them, so my feelings about the evil characters (and there were so many of them!) were lukewarm at most, despite the awful things they do. They all felt like cardboard cutouts of every Hollywood bad stereotypes you've heard about (the predator director/producer, the narcissistic mom, the fame-hungry friend, you name it).
I did feel a lot of things for Maddie, but as we see the story through Chelsea's eyes, the full impact of everything that happened to Maddie is quite mitigated. Chelsea herself is presented as a victim, and she is, but I just wanted to shake grown-up Chelsea so, so badly. I know she is broken too and she has unprocessed traumas of her own, but all her excuses and explanations made me roll my eyes rather than help me undertand and empathise with her. She keeps saying that she's powerless but it didn't feel like that through the book (I'm still talking about adult Chelsea!), and when she finally embraced her power it was too little, too late for me. We are also constantly teased about Chelsea's "big secrets" and "the awful things she's done" but when they were revealed they were kind of a let down. And I still haven't decided how I feel about that last page either, but I guess the fact that I didn't immediately love it is answer enough.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK for the opportunity to read this book
This is my first time reading a Louise O'Neill book and I had huge expectations because of all the wonderful things I've heard about this author and her previous books, and the themes in Whatever Happened to Madeline Stone? are timely and very appealing. However, after finishing it I have a lot of mixed feelings.
I was going to say that I enjoyed reading this book, but I think enjoy is not the right word here. I did have a lot of feelings though, mostly outrage, and the book is objectively good. That said, with very few exceptions, everyone here is a horrible person, but at the same time they lacked the depth to make you properly despise them, so my feelings about the evil characters (and there were so many of them!) were lukewarm at most, despite the awful things they do. They all felt like cardboard cutouts of every Hollywood bad stereotypes you've heard about (the predator director/producer, the narcissistic mom, the fame-hungry friend, you name it).
I did feel a lot of things for Maddie, but as we see the story through Chelsea's eyes, the full impact of everything that happened to Maddie is quite mitigated. Chelsea herself is presented as a victim, and she is, but I just wanted to shake grown-up Chelsea so, so badly. I know she is broken too and she has unprocessed traumas of her own, but all her excuses and explanations made me roll my eyes rather than help me undertand and empathise with her. She keeps saying that she's powerless but it didn't feel like that through the book (I'm still talking about adult Chelsea!), and when she finally embraced her power it was too little, too late for me. We are also constantly teased about Chelsea's "big secrets" and "the awful things she's done" but when they were revealed they were kind of a let down. And I still haven't decided how I feel about that last page either, but I guess the fact that I didn't immediately love it is answer enough.
February 1, 2026
I really enjoyed Whatever Happened to Madeline Stone? and found it incredibly apt for the world we’re living in now. The novel follows the aftermath of a huge cultural mystery: twin child stars, one of whom goes missing and is presumed dead, with the story picking up 20 years later. O’Neill uses this premise to explore some genuinely unsettling themes, particularly the treatment of child stars and the long-term damage caused by growing up under constant public scrutiny.
What stood out most to me was how sharply the book examines the early 2000s celebrity culture - the obsession with thinness, diet pills, and the relentless pressure placed on young girls to look and behave a certain way. Even more relevant today is the commentary on how children are monetised by parents and pushed to perform for cameras. It’s scary, honestly, and something I find particularly worrying in an era where kids are constantly being filmed, branded, and consumed online. The book doesn’t shy away from the emotional cost of that, and I really appreciated how seriously it treats those consequences.
I enjoyed the mystery element, but I did feel the story was a little unfinished. The ending left me hanging - I really wanted to know what Chelsea does next, and what ultimately happens to everyone. While that unresolved feeling frustrated me, it didn’t take away from how impactful the themes were overall.
I gave this book 4 stars because I loved how boldly Louise O’Neill tackles the subject of child stardom and the lasting pressure it places on kids. It reminded me a lot of Jennette McCurdy’s autobiography, so if you enjoyed I’m Glad My Mom Died, this is definitely a book worth picking up.
What stood out most to me was how sharply the book examines the early 2000s celebrity culture - the obsession with thinness, diet pills, and the relentless pressure placed on young girls to look and behave a certain way. Even more relevant today is the commentary on how children are monetised by parents and pushed to perform for cameras. It’s scary, honestly, and something I find particularly worrying in an era where kids are constantly being filmed, branded, and consumed online. The book doesn’t shy away from the emotional cost of that, and I really appreciated how seriously it treats those consequences.
I enjoyed the mystery element, but I did feel the story was a little unfinished. The ending left me hanging - I really wanted to know what Chelsea does next, and what ultimately happens to everyone. While that unresolved feeling frustrated me, it didn’t take away from how impactful the themes were overall.
I gave this book 4 stars because I loved how boldly Louise O’Neill tackles the subject of child stardom and the lasting pressure it places on kids. It reminded me a lot of Jennette McCurdy’s autobiography, so if you enjoyed I’m Glad My Mom Died, this is definitely a book worth picking up.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I’m Glad My Mom Died, but a fictionalised, contemporary mystery version with twins.
Twin sisters Madeline and Chelsea Stone are the two most well-known child stars. When Chelsea wins the role of a lifetime over her more talented sister, Maddie disappears.
Almost 25 years on, Chelsea is given the chance to discover what really happened to her twin.
First of all, I wouldn’t call this mystery, suspense, or thriller. Instead this is a touching, realistic, heartbreaking story of sisterhood, coming-of-age whilst being under the scrutiny of fame, and the responsibility, or rather pressures, of a controlling mother.
This peels back the glittering curtain of child stardom to show the ugly reality beneath that we, as society, are hearing more and more disturbing and traumatic secrets about.
Be a good girl. Do as they tell you. Smile and say how grateful you are for every opportunity they give you.
This is a love letter to sisters, to literally growing as a child and then figuratively as an adult, to messy feminism and subtle complicity.
We get flashbacks between the twins growing up to their rift and subsequent disappearance and presumed death. Then in the present of 2025 when secrets upheave Chelsea’s protected life.
All she had ever known was people. When she’d finally left the business at twenty-two, she discovered almost immediately that she didn’t know to take care of herself.
This is relevant, addicting (I literally read it walking to work (safely)), unapologetic, and emotional.
Arc gifted by Transworld.
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Twin sisters Madeline and Chelsea Stone are the two most well-known child stars. When Chelsea wins the role of a lifetime over her more talented sister, Maddie disappears.
Almost 25 years on, Chelsea is given the chance to discover what really happened to her twin.
First of all, I wouldn’t call this mystery, suspense, or thriller. Instead this is a touching, realistic, heartbreaking story of sisterhood, coming-of-age whilst being under the scrutiny of fame, and the responsibility, or rather pressures, of a controlling mother.
This peels back the glittering curtain of child stardom to show the ugly reality beneath that we, as society, are hearing more and more disturbing and traumatic secrets about.
Be a good girl. Do as they tell you. Smile and say how grateful you are for every opportunity they give you.
This is a love letter to sisters, to literally growing as a child and then figuratively as an adult, to messy feminism and subtle complicity.
We get flashbacks between the twins growing up to their rift and subsequent disappearance and presumed death. Then in the present of 2025 when secrets upheave Chelsea’s protected life.
All she had ever known was people. When she’d finally left the business at twenty-two, she discovered almost immediately that she didn’t know to take care of herself.
This is relevant, addicting (I literally read it walking to work (safely)), unapologetic, and emotional.
Arc gifted by Transworld.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
2002. Twin sisters Madeline and Chelsea Stone are joint stars of the AtomicKids sitcom Double Trouble, but everyone knows it’s Maddie who shines most brightly. Until Chelsea beats her sister out for the role of a lifetime and is catapulted into the spotlight. And just as Chelsea’s star reaches impossible new heights, Maddie disappears.
2025. Chelsea Stone retired from acting after her sister’s disappearance – but living life under the radar is easier said than done when you’re the most famous woman of your generation.
When a storage locker is found containing heartbreaking truths about the year Maddie went missing, Chelsea feels a flicker of hope for the first time in twenty years. This is her chance to discover what really happened to her twin, but to follow the trail she’ll have to face the past and step back into the spotlight...
A brilliant observation of the horrendous toll taken on child stars and those exploited by parents, management and money-makers. An equally good narration on coercive control, all wrapped up in an excellent, page-turning story. At times I felt impatient with Chelsea and just yearned for her to stop being such a people-pleaser but the end, when it came, was superb albeit leaving me wanting more.
My thanks to NetGalley and RandomHouse UK, Transworld for an advance copy in return for an honest review.
2025. Chelsea Stone retired from acting after her sister’s disappearance – but living life under the radar is easier said than done when you’re the most famous woman of your generation.
When a storage locker is found containing heartbreaking truths about the year Maddie went missing, Chelsea feels a flicker of hope for the first time in twenty years. This is her chance to discover what really happened to her twin, but to follow the trail she’ll have to face the past and step back into the spotlight...
A brilliant observation of the horrendous toll taken on child stars and those exploited by parents, management and money-makers. An equally good narration on coercive control, all wrapped up in an excellent, page-turning story. At times I felt impatient with Chelsea and just yearned for her to stop being such a people-pleaser but the end, when it came, was superb albeit leaving me wanting more.
My thanks to NetGalley and RandomHouse UK, Transworld for an advance copy in return for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
With a strong "torn from the showbiz headlines" element, this engaging novel tells the story of twin child actresses who earn enormous fame before one of them abruptly disappears, and the other one retires from the spotlight in the wake of her sister's disappearance.
But what actually happened to Madeline in 2002? And can a recent discovery bring much needed answers for her twin sister Chelsea - or will this prove to be yet another false lead?
A clever story that holds the reader's interest throughout, this is an enjoyable read.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
But what actually happened to Madeline in 2002? And can a recent discovery bring much needed answers for her twin sister Chelsea - or will this prove to be yet another false lead?
A clever story that holds the reader's interest throughout, this is an enjoyable read.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
For a while I thought this was 'not my thing', but it grew on me...
I don't usually go for what looked to be a standard Hollywood story, but this is so much more and works on a number of levels - most particularly on the 'Don't put your daughter on the stage, Mrs Worthington' level...Far too many mothers try to live their own dreams by pushing their offspring into 'showbiz', when many are ill-equipped in either talent or temperament (or both)
The story grows as it progresses, despite a few passages where the energy drags a little, but the ending works extremely well
Recommended
I don't usually go for what looked to be a standard Hollywood story, but this is so much more and works on a number of levels - most particularly on the 'Don't put your daughter on the stage, Mrs Worthington' level...Far too many mothers try to live their own dreams by pushing their offspring into 'showbiz', when many are ill-equipped in either talent or temperament (or both)
The story grows as it progresses, despite a few passages where the energy drags a little, but the ending works extremely well
Recommended
February 16, 2026
An interesting (if sadly not surprising) insight into the world of child stars, the desire for fame, the exploitation and the lies. The cost of fame in so many ways.
But beyond that, not as much of a story as I’d hoped for.
Twins Maddie and Chelsea were TV stars at a young age but the cost of fame challenged them both and Maddie disappeared. Now new rumours have appeared online. Will Chelsea discover what really happened to her sister?
Grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for an eARC.
But beyond that, not as much of a story as I’d hoped for.
Twins Maddie and Chelsea were TV stars at a young age but the cost of fame challenged them both and Maddie disappeared. Now new rumours have appeared online. Will Chelsea discover what really happened to her sister?
Grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for an eARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5⭐️
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