Drop Dead Gorgeous

by Katie Agnew

Laura McNaughton's life is almost perfect. She's young, pretty and she has a fabulous job on a glossy magazine, which involves interviewing celebrities (and air-brushing their personalities). But when she is offered a job presenting a trendy Friday night television show she can't resist the opportunity to experience fame first hand. Putting her puritanical Scottish upbringing, her intellectual boyfriend and her hippy best friend behind her, she soon hooks up with world-famous actress Lucy Lloyd and gorgeous, infamous rock god Ricky Jones, who introduce her to a hedonistic world of partying where appearance is everything and nothing really matters but sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. But as the stories about her private life become front page news, Laura begins to doubt those closest to her, and her life starts to spiral dangerously out of control. Packed with passion, glamour and danger, DROP DEAD GORGEOUS is a unmissable glimpse into the fame game - and the price you have to pay to play it.

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance

432 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Katie Agnew was born in Edinburgh in 1972 and spent her childhood in Lasswade. She studied English at Aberdeen University and then journalism at City University in London. Her first job was as features writer on 19 magazine. Since then, she has written articles, celebrity interviews and columns for many magazines and newspapers including the Evening Standard, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire and the Daily Mail. Until last year she worked as features editor on Marie Claire magazine. Katie now lives in Bath with her husband, John Latimer and their baby, Olivia.

Reviews

[Ingrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Artig bok å lese. Boken handler om en jente som blir kjendis med stor K (ikke s) over natten. Den er nokså forutsigbar og litt platt, og hovedpersonen er ikke alltid lett å like (forutsigelig selvopptatt, men også en som lar seg tråkke veldig på til at hun samtidig er så selvopptatt). Likevel er klokken nå halv ett på en hverdag, fordi jeg har måttet ta bare ett kapittel til siden klokken ti.

[Samantha Kukuljan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laura McNaughton is moving up in the world! This glossy mag journalist has received the opportunity of a lifetime to star in her own TV show and she is going to take this opportunity by the horns. But how much is she prepared to give up for the price of fame?

I'd like to state that this book was written in 2003, a lifetime before social media and trolling. However, set in the 00s. Even though it was chick-lit, it was somewhat believable.

The likeable characters helped pull the messy plot together and made the topic of the unglamourous side of fame - a topic we've all seen before - a good read. Can't say there was anything I've never seen before but it was a fun read.

Laura, Lucy, Ricky and Adam take us on a fun adventure which despite its rushed ending with several major plot holes, was overlooked by the action of sex, drugs and rock and roll!

Would have liked to see an ending less rushed and a bit more depth to the characters eg: more pasts and flaws. Oh well, I've read many worse books about fame.

In short:
Writing: 7/10
Characters 7/10
Plot 6/10
Action 8/10

It was good. NOT GREAT. But it made me want to read more. 4 stars.

[Mandvi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really didn’t want to use my brain and also not sit in front of the Telly, so I picked up this book and speed read it. It was trashy and fun.

Same old:
- Extremely gorgeous main character
- finds fame
- which screws with her head
- so she leaves
- and finds the most wanted guy on other side of fame, marries, has a baby and a happy ending

Ah life! Only if.

[roos · Rating 2 out of 5]

Het is een te bekend verhaal met een rise and fall naar beroemdheid hoe Omring ik Me met foute mensen en stoot de goede af en kom tot inkeer voor hetgeen er al die tijd wl voor m’n neus lag. Echt geen bijzonder verhaal je leest het in elk tijdschrift. Het enige dat ervoor zorgt dat je het boek Uitleest, is dat het wel
Buitengewoon goed geschreven is. Vandaar toch 2,5 sterren

[Helen Perkovic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Irresistible

One of my favourite books of all time, a cautionary tale of how the world of showbiz sucks a person in, chews them up and spits them out. Very relatable main character, I highly recommend a read. Just remember, 'all that glisters is not gold'.

[Sarah Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I could guess who the male celebrity was this novel was based on.
I found the ending disappointing but it was good for anyone after a light read about early noughties celebrity tabloid culture.

[Sarah Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

one of the books of all time, for sure

[Hsiau Wei · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read all Katie's books and i m fascinated with its story plot which are unique in its own way. This plot of the book tells the story of Laura, who was a journalist, got involved into the showbiz industry when she was being selected to be the new presenter for a show found herself to be totally fascinated and shocked with the peoples and things that is happening in the industry. Soon, she found herself evolved from a nobody to somebody in the industry with privileges given to her freely. With her increasing popularity comes the ultimate sacrifices in terms of her relationship with her family, friends and her health; both mentally and physically.

I find the story interesting as the author gives us a glimpse into the Hollywood, where all the actions is. Laura, to me is a sweet girl who determine to make out something of their life. Hence, she embraced the opportunity that was given to her tightly and in doing so, jeopardising the things that matters to her most. I feel sorry for her; her naivety that she is in control of her life when in actual fact, she is losing her control so fast that she never did realise it until it was too late. The book have provides the insight of what the entertainment industry is about and the challenges is all about.

[The Book Fennec · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book a while ago, so please excuse my vague review. First, who is this book aimed at? I read it thinking it'd be a bit of fluffy chick-lit, but it's, well, a bit grim in places. There are parts that seem just a bit too realistic that don't sit well with the overall fluffy-ness of the rest of the book. When you read the blurb you know you're going to read something about how un-glossy being famous really is and was expecting the annoyance of gossip columns, bad boyfriends, maybe drugs, etc, etc., (which you DO get in the book), but wasn't expecting abortions, death, eating disorders...
Also, this author seems to really age her characters -- they're mostly 24-27 years old in this book but seem so much older (and I know show-biz is harsh, especially when it comes to female ageing, but, really, would a 25-year-old TV presenter be told she's past it?). This seems like a bit of a theme for this author's books; her other title "When We Turn 30", where the characters are, obviously, 29-30, they're all written as though they're 45!
I read the whole thing, liked the main character and wanted to know what happens next, so I suppose it filled its purpose, but really, WHO is this book FOR?

[Fez · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of Laura mcnaughton, a journalist for GLitz magazine in london. On the job she meets the train-wrecked Oscar winner Lucy and pretty much becomes a clone of her, with Lucy's tutoring. Whilst I couldn't put it down I really jut spent most of the book wanting to slap the crap out of Laura, who despite her intellect and values, becomes a party crazed, cocaine snorting, self-centered, diva-ish,arrogant and pathetic little twerp. The shallowness of the celebrity lifestyle consumes and becomes her. I was rejoicing at those few moments when she showed traces of the old Laura like when she gave the $5000 to Old friend VIcky to take her leukaemia suffering son to Disneyland, but sadly those were few and far between. There were parts that enfuriated me and others that just left me cold, like her finding Ricky after he had just injected heroin... Eww...
Anyways all in all I did like the book, however astounded and disgusted at the stupidity of the celebrity world. Thank the goddess she finally found happiness or I would have been really mad cos i knew from their first meeting that Adam was the one. ;)f

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up off a shelf in a hotel in Greece, someone had left it. I just thought it would be something easy for me to read by the pool but I actually thoroughly enjoyed it! It was an easy read but it was a read that I found myself not being able to put down. The main character is easy to connect with, very down to earth to begin with so it's easy to follow her journey. Simple book but very enjoyable.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a better book than I expected. It showed me a world which I knew existed.. but was too afraid to accept that people do on a daily basis. Selfishness..carelessness.. I should of expected what happened to Ricky but honestly, it was still a shock and I got emotional. They may just be characters but this really got to me. :( Im happy about the ending with Laura but overall what's happened, and what she went through to get where she was... it's truly sad.

[Danielle Dent · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book but felt it a bit slow to get going and then the end seemed really rushed. To go through all of that build up and then rush the baby situation etc was a bit of a let down. Would have liked to see more of Laura and Adam too

[Darren Chin · Rating 1 out of 5]

A book filled with cheap shots of tales of hedonistic excapades and emotional breakdowns. Nothing new that has not been written before by many before Katie Agnew here. The ending was rushed and felt quite anticlimatic to the rest of the character's story. Read only if you have nothing better to do.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled to relate to the protagonist because I just don't understand where she's coming from. Regardless of this, a fascinating read with a predictable but still enjoyable ending. Quite different from what I usually read which made for a nice change.

[Jasmine P · Rating 5 out of 5]

i have read this book a few times, i loved it. As you read you wonder who this could be inspired from, like lindsay, britney or any of those trainwrecks, i couldnt put it down.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book to read, showing the fame game isn't as good as it looks. Laura struggles to deal with things, when her life seems to spiral out of control. I couldn't put this book down

[The Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt the endo the this book happened in a really fast and manic pace considering the carefully detailed buildup.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life lesson about fame

[Angela Free · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Chick lit at its finest! Such believable characters. Would love to see this made into a film.