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Sainthood: The Scandalous Era: A TV-Style Queer Prestige Drama of Fame, Obsession & Scandal
266 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 10, 2026
About the author
Addy Zena
3 books1 followerAddy Zena is a Gen Z queer author and the founder of Script Poeticsim, a cinematic writing style that blends camera language, poetic metaphors, and fast-cut emotional storytelling.
His debut novella Wine Doe is a chaotic, orange-soaked Los Angeles romance exploring obsession, heartbreak, fame, and the cost of desire.
Addy writes for readers who don’t just read stories ~ they see them.
Fashion, cinema, and literature collide in his work.
His debut novella Wine Doe is a chaotic, orange-soaked Los Angeles romance exploring obsession, heartbreak, fame, and the cost of desire.
Addy writes for readers who don’t just read stories ~ they see them.
Fashion, cinema, and literature collide in his work.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 5, 2026
ARC REVIEW — Sainthood
SAINTHOOD is messy, uncomfortable, dramatic and, at times, genuinely hard to look away from — but underneath all the scandal and chaos, I think there’s something much more interesting going on.
What stood out to me most was the way the book plays with victimhood, obsession and the stories we tell ourselves to justify our own actions. Wine begins as someone you can easily sympathize with: someone who was abandoned by the person he loved and left without any real closure. But the further the story goes, the more complicated that sympathy becomes. His heartbreak turns into obsession, and his obsession starts hurting not only himself, but the people around him.
And I appreciated that the book doesn’t simply excuse him because he’s the “hurt” one.
The same goes for Rae. He’s presented as this untouchable celebrity — beautiful, successful, almost saint-like in the eyes of the public — while behind that image is someone who has made selfish choices and hurt people in ways that can’t simply be erased by saying “but I loved you.” Their relationship is therefore much more interesting to me than a simple second-chance romance. There is love there, but there is also resentment, manipulation, guilt and consequences.
I also really liked how fame and image are woven into the story. Hollywood becomes almost another character itself: everything is performance, everyone has a version of themselves they want the world to see, and the line between genuine emotion and public spectacle gets increasingly blurred.
The supporting characters added another layer to that. Vellina, Kate, Tilly and Bravery all react to the central chaos in completely different ways, and I liked seeing how Wine’s choices ripple outward rather than existing in a little romantic bubble around him and Rae.
That said, this is definitely a dramatic read. 😂 There were moments where I had to sit back and think girl… WHAT are we doing? The story keeps escalating, and some of the decisions are so questionable that they almost become part of the entertainment.
But honestly? I was invested.
The writing also has a very cinematic quality to it. The fashion, art, music, performances and Hollywood setting make the whole thing feel like you’re watching a scandal unfold rather than simply reading one.
And then we get to that ending.
That fucking ending. 😭
After everything that happens, the book still manages to leave one more question hanging over everything, and I genuinely need to know where that is going.
Overall, Sainthood wasn’t a perfect read for me, but it was a thought-provoking, chaotic and memorable one. It made me question who deserves sympathy, where love ends and obsession begins, and how easily being hurt can become an excuse for hurting someone else.
Definitely a book where nobody gets to walk away completely innocent.
⭐️ 4/5
Thank you to the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 🖤
SAINTHOOD is messy, uncomfortable, dramatic and, at times, genuinely hard to look away from — but underneath all the scandal and chaos, I think there’s something much more interesting going on.
What stood out to me most was the way the book plays with victimhood, obsession and the stories we tell ourselves to justify our own actions. Wine begins as someone you can easily sympathize with: someone who was abandoned by the person he loved and left without any real closure. But the further the story goes, the more complicated that sympathy becomes. His heartbreak turns into obsession, and his obsession starts hurting not only himself, but the people around him.
And I appreciated that the book doesn’t simply excuse him because he’s the “hurt” one.
The same goes for Rae. He’s presented as this untouchable celebrity — beautiful, successful, almost saint-like in the eyes of the public — while behind that image is someone who has made selfish choices and hurt people in ways that can’t simply be erased by saying “but I loved you.” Their relationship is therefore much more interesting to me than a simple second-chance romance. There is love there, but there is also resentment, manipulation, guilt and consequences.
I also really liked how fame and image are woven into the story. Hollywood becomes almost another character itself: everything is performance, everyone has a version of themselves they want the world to see, and the line between genuine emotion and public spectacle gets increasingly blurred.
The supporting characters added another layer to that. Vellina, Kate, Tilly and Bravery all react to the central chaos in completely different ways, and I liked seeing how Wine’s choices ripple outward rather than existing in a little romantic bubble around him and Rae.
That said, this is definitely a dramatic read. 😂 There were moments where I had to sit back and think girl… WHAT are we doing? The story keeps escalating, and some of the decisions are so questionable that they almost become part of the entertainment.
But honestly? I was invested.
The writing also has a very cinematic quality to it. The fashion, art, music, performances and Hollywood setting make the whole thing feel like you’re watching a scandal unfold rather than simply reading one.
And then we get to that ending.
That fucking ending. 😭
After everything that happens, the book still manages to leave one more question hanging over everything, and I genuinely need to know where that is going.
Overall, Sainthood wasn’t a perfect read for me, but it was a thought-provoking, chaotic and memorable one. It made me question who deserves sympathy, where love ends and obsession begins, and how easily being hurt can become an excuse for hurting someone else.
Definitely a book where nobody gets to walk away completely innocent.
⭐️ 4/5
Thank you to the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 🖤
September 15, 2026
SAINTHOOD: THE SCANDALOUS ERA — Reader Review
Sainthood is honestly one of those books that feels like watching a beautiful disaster unfold in real time. It’s dramatic, chaotic, glamorous and, at times, completely unhinged — but somehow that’s what makes it so addictive.
The cinematic writing style really stood out to me. The story feels almost like a television series or film playing in your head, with the fashion, drag performances, celebrity scandals, parties and larger-than-life characters making everything feel incredibly visual.
Wine is probably the character I had the most complicated feelings about. There were moments where I felt genuinely sorry for him, moments where I wanted to shake him, and moments where I understood exactly why he was behaving the way he was — even when his actions were completely wrong. His obsession with Rae is heartbreaking because there is clearly real love buried underneath all the manipulation, jealousy and destruction.
Rae is equally fascinating. He has this almost untouchable celebrity image, yet the story constantly reminds us that behind the glamour is a deeply complicated person with secrets of his own.
Bravery (my fave) was another character I really loved. Her passion for drag and the importance she places on her first performance gave the story some of its most emotional moments. Watching that excitement turn into devastation was genuinely painful.
What I loved most is that Sainthood doesn’t make its characters easy to judge. It explores how love can become obsession, how pain can become an excuse, and how being a victim doesn’t automatically make someone innocent.
And that ending? Just when you think you’ve survived the chaos, the final scene opens an entirely new door. I absolutely need to know what happens next.
I always pick out Key Quotes:
“Whoever has them, flies. Whoever doesn’t, falls.”
“Your pain doesn’t make you a saint, Wine.”
“In search of love, he destroys the world around it.”
“The audience wasn’t screaming anymore, just pure silence that was louder than thousands of screams.”
“Myself.”
“You loved me so much, you destroyed my life for it.”
Would you read ? 🤭
Sainthood is honestly one of those books that feels like watching a beautiful disaster unfold in real time. It’s dramatic, chaotic, glamorous and, at times, completely unhinged — but somehow that’s what makes it so addictive.
The cinematic writing style really stood out to me. The story feels almost like a television series or film playing in your head, with the fashion, drag performances, celebrity scandals, parties and larger-than-life characters making everything feel incredibly visual.
Wine is probably the character I had the most complicated feelings about. There were moments where I felt genuinely sorry for him, moments where I wanted to shake him, and moments where I understood exactly why he was behaving the way he was — even when his actions were completely wrong. His obsession with Rae is heartbreaking because there is clearly real love buried underneath all the manipulation, jealousy and destruction.
Rae is equally fascinating. He has this almost untouchable celebrity image, yet the story constantly reminds us that behind the glamour is a deeply complicated person with secrets of his own.
Bravery (my fave) was another character I really loved. Her passion for drag and the importance she places on her first performance gave the story some of its most emotional moments. Watching that excitement turn into devastation was genuinely painful.
What I loved most is that Sainthood doesn’t make its characters easy to judge. It explores how love can become obsession, how pain can become an excuse, and how being a victim doesn’t automatically make someone innocent.
And that ending? Just when you think you’ve survived the chaos, the final scene opens an entirely new door. I absolutely need to know what happens next.
I always pick out Key Quotes:
“Whoever has them, flies. Whoever doesn’t, falls.”
“Your pain doesn’t make you a saint, Wine.”
“In search of love, he destroys the world around it.”
“The audience wasn’t screaming anymore, just pure silence that was louder than thousands of screams.”
“Myself.”
“You loved me so much, you destroyed my life for it.”
Would you read ? 🤭
Review of advance copy received from Author
Sainthood 🌞
Firstly,I want to thank Addy Zena for trusting me with this ARC!💎
WHAT A (HOT) MESS❤️🔥
Sainthood felt like a big chunky look inside,what we can call in this world,Hollywood.
We had scandals,passions, fierce love stories & of course obsession cannot be off this list. Zena did a wonderful job portraying every character in this book,and what I specifically liked is that everyone got a decent amount of page time,meaning that it helped the reader a lot to get a full idea of what fame is like,rather than focusing only to our main romance.Her writing was really specific and easy with my only issue through out the story,is that sometimes I could spot & feel it as I was reading, that we had a period after period and not that easy flow that I want to see in my books.There was like ,person A did that.period.person B did the other.period instead of the words just to stream together.
Now,getting into our main boys,Wine & Rae.I can honestly say how GOOD their story was.
We had that year long yearning that (somehow) survived through so many stages of their life,with almost being destroyed when fame got them,BUT I truly think there was when their true love stood by and literally saved their whole lives cause those two?I do not think they cannot spend a day apart anymore.
Lastly,I want to point out that Addy Zena has a skill that minimum writers can master.
Personally,I found both Wine and Rae,terrible people,awful ones (yes they had their times but mostly were not) EVEN the writer never sold a cute love story,redemption arcs or lovely singers who will sing about loves.& right here,her talent steps up.She showed us how obsession twists you,how scandals can change your life once and forever & how people are not always good and maybe they will never be.
If you ask me,just for that I would read 100 more books just like this,and you too.
Out On Sept,10th🌛
4⭐
Firstly,I want to thank Addy Zena for trusting me with this ARC!💎
WHAT A (HOT) MESS❤️🔥
Sainthood felt like a big chunky look inside,what we can call in this world,Hollywood.
We had scandals,passions, fierce love stories & of course obsession cannot be off this list. Zena did a wonderful job portraying every character in this book,and what I specifically liked is that everyone got a decent amount of page time,meaning that it helped the reader a lot to get a full idea of what fame is like,rather than focusing only to our main romance.Her writing was really specific and easy with my only issue through out the story,is that sometimes I could spot & feel it as I was reading, that we had a period after period and not that easy flow that I want to see in my books.There was like ,person A did that.period.person B did the other.period instead of the words just to stream together.
Now,getting into our main boys,Wine & Rae.I can honestly say how GOOD their story was.
We had that year long yearning that (somehow) survived through so many stages of their life,with almost being destroyed when fame got them,BUT I truly think there was when their true love stood by and literally saved their whole lives cause those two?I do not think they cannot spend a day apart anymore.
Lastly,I want to point out that Addy Zena has a skill that minimum writers can master.
Personally,I found both Wine and Rae,terrible people,awful ones (yes they had their times but mostly were not) EVEN the writer never sold a cute love story,redemption arcs or lovely singers who will sing about loves.& right here,her talent steps up.She showed us how obsession twists you,how scandals can change your life once and forever & how people are not always good and maybe they will never be.
If you ask me,just for that I would read 100 more books just like this,and you too.
Out On Sept,10th🌛
4⭐
Review of advance copy received from Author
📖ARC Review📖
Sainthood (@zena.studios)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5/5)
Thank you Addy Zena for this ARC, and making me part of your journey (in itsy bitsy small way, somehow 😉) towards releasing this book of yours!
It’s Holywood, there’s high fashion, jawdropping shows, scandals, jealousy, complicated friendship, and queer relationships, it’s all in this book! Mix in these 6 unique, but relatable, characters that you’ll either love, or hate - then how much Drama could there be? 😏
For more about my review on characters, plot, etc. Swipe ➡️➡️➡️
Complete review on my Goodreads and Fable (link in bio)
This book is out now! Check @zena.studios bio for the links on where to get them! ☺️
——
There are some topics and characters in this book that are close to my heart, and I appreciate how those were represented in this book.
Grandma Susan - as a kid who was pretty much raised by my Lola, I really love the relationship between her and Wine. They are so cool and supportive with each other! If my Grandma had lived on the age where I’m already working, I’ll probably spoil her as much as she spoiled me back then.
Kate Ferrari - this girl is as religious as can be, but she’s not judgemental. She’s actually fun and very sweet. Towards the end, my heart broke most for her. Just want to give her a hug 🤗
Bravery - she’s a Drag Queen. A female drag queen. And I love love watching Drag Shows here in our place. I have my local favorites. And I think its really important how Addy emphasized that Drag is art, no matter the gender.
As for the main characters, uhmmm. Wine, for me, is chaotic. 😅 Some people would probably understand him, I’m just not one of them. 🤣 And Rae, I honestly cared for him towards the last part only. 🫣 I don’t know. It’s probably because I just usually tend to like secondary main characters 😏
This book, somehow, reminds me of Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill. There are circumstances that seems shallow at face value, but if you really try to look for a deeper lessons, I’d say its there. This book is definitely for those who wants a light read but still craves for some drama.
Sainthood (@zena.studios)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5/5)
Thank you Addy Zena for this ARC, and making me part of your journey (in itsy bitsy small way, somehow 😉) towards releasing this book of yours!
It’s Holywood, there’s high fashion, jawdropping shows, scandals, jealousy, complicated friendship, and queer relationships, it’s all in this book! Mix in these 6 unique, but relatable, characters that you’ll either love, or hate - then how much Drama could there be? 😏
For more about my review on characters, plot, etc. Swipe ➡️➡️➡️
Complete review on my Goodreads and Fable (link in bio)
This book is out now! Check @zena.studios bio for the links on where to get them! ☺️
——
There are some topics and characters in this book that are close to my heart, and I appreciate how those were represented in this book.
Grandma Susan - as a kid who was pretty much raised by my Lola, I really love the relationship between her and Wine. They are so cool and supportive with each other! If my Grandma had lived on the age where I’m already working, I’ll probably spoil her as much as she spoiled me back then.
Kate Ferrari - this girl is as religious as can be, but she’s not judgemental. She’s actually fun and very sweet. Towards the end, my heart broke most for her. Just want to give her a hug 🤗
Bravery - she’s a Drag Queen. A female drag queen. And I love love watching Drag Shows here in our place. I have my local favorites. And I think its really important how Addy emphasized that Drag is art, no matter the gender.
As for the main characters, uhmmm. Wine, for me, is chaotic. 😅 Some people would probably understand him, I’m just not one of them. 🤣 And Rae, I honestly cared for him towards the last part only. 🫣 I don’t know. It’s probably because I just usually tend to like secondary main characters 😏
This book, somehow, reminds me of Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill. There are circumstances that seems shallow at face value, but if you really try to look for a deeper lessons, I’d say its there. This book is definitely for those who wants a light read but still craves for some drama.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews