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Hollywood Ending
Set in a glamorous and seedy Los Angeles, Hollywood Ending is a story that will make your heart skip a beat.
Pink-haired Hilda and endearing punk Benji, both seventeen, have an obsessive hobby—they haunt the places where Hollywood celebrities have died.
In rundown Echo Park, once the hub of the movie business, they find the squalid apartment where a second-rate silent movie star stabbed himself to death with nail scissors. Its current tenant is Hank, an old man with a mysterious past.
While Benji dives deeper into the cult of celebrity death, Hank and Hilda make an unlikely pair. Then Jake the screenwriter turns up. What’s his story?
Kathy Charles has talent to burn and takes the reader into the heart of the movie world, and the shadows of our own personal histories. Hollywood Ending is a thriller, a comedy about the weirdness of growing up, and a wry love-letter to Los Angeles.
Praise for Hollywood Ending:
‘Dark, funny, endlessly fascinating and beautifully human. I stayed up all night reading Hollywood Ending and then had crazy dreams.’
— Simmone Howell
Pink-haired Hilda and endearing punk Benji, both seventeen, have an obsessive hobby—they haunt the places where Hollywood celebrities have died.
In rundown Echo Park, once the hub of the movie business, they find the squalid apartment where a second-rate silent movie star stabbed himself to death with nail scissors. Its current tenant is Hank, an old man with a mysterious past.
While Benji dives deeper into the cult of celebrity death, Hank and Hilda make an unlikely pair. Then Jake the screenwriter turns up. What’s his story?
Kathy Charles has talent to burn and takes the reader into the heart of the movie world, and the shadows of our own personal histories. Hollywood Ending is a thriller, a comedy about the weirdness of growing up, and a wry love-letter to Los Angeles.
Praise for Hollywood Ending:
‘Dark, funny, endlessly fascinating and beautifully human. I stayed up all night reading Hollywood Ending and then had crazy dreams.’
— Simmone Howell
272 pages, Paperback
First published August 31, 2009
5 people are currently reading
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About the author
Kathy Charles
10 books62 followersKathy Charles is the author of John Belushi is Dead from MTV Books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
June 14, 2018
I'm scolding myself for waiting so long to start this book. But that doesn't matter now because I did read it and I loved it. Actually, it may even be my favourite book of 2016
"They were scavengers feeding off others, obsessed with lives that were not their own."
Yes, it's morbid, likely disturbing for some people, but it's real, gritty and packed with emotion, which I really did not expect.
I'll admit to going through a phase where I was obsessed with weird famous deaths. I was young, naive and lost. I never took it to the extreme they did in this book, I never looked at pictures or visited where it happened. It was more that I wanted to know WHY. Why would someone do that to themselves or someone else?
"John Belushi once said that happiness is not a state you want to be in all the time. I knew what he meant. He was talking about the uncontrollable urge to fuck it all up, the desire to put a knife in the toaster of existence just to see what would happen. To put a bomb under your blessings and watch them blow sky-high. To swan dive off the precipice and give in to the free fall."
That right there ^^ was me. I did that, I felt that, that's how I lived. Anyway my point was that I understood Hilda. Her character was flawless. She grew so much through this book and never even realised it. She let go and moved on, thanks to the help of one grumpy secretive man and even her psychotic best friend helped her accept her past and live.
This wasn't just well written; the story was well formed, the characters were three-dimensional and everything just worked. It even had me upset near the end. And again I'll say - I loved it!
"They were scavengers feeding off others, obsessed with lives that were not their own."
Yes, it's morbid, likely disturbing for some people, but it's real, gritty and packed with emotion, which I really did not expect.
I'll admit to going through a phase where I was obsessed with weird famous deaths. I was young, naive and lost. I never took it to the extreme they did in this book, I never looked at pictures or visited where it happened. It was more that I wanted to know WHY. Why would someone do that to themselves or someone else?
"John Belushi once said that happiness is not a state you want to be in all the time. I knew what he meant. He was talking about the uncontrollable urge to fuck it all up, the desire to put a knife in the toaster of existence just to see what would happen. To put a bomb under your blessings and watch them blow sky-high. To swan dive off the precipice and give in to the free fall."
That right there ^^ was me. I did that, I felt that, that's how I lived. Anyway my point was that I understood Hilda. Her character was flawless. She grew so much through this book and never even realised it. She let go and moved on, thanks to the help of one grumpy secretive man and even her psychotic best friend helped her accept her past and live.
This wasn't just well written; the story was well formed, the characters were three-dimensional and everything just worked. It even had me upset near the end. And again I'll say - I loved it!
May 9, 2014
Something about the premise of this book interested me. Probably because I can be a bit morbid myself. But very early on, it becomes obvious that Hilda and Benji aren't just a bit morbid. Benji in particular can be downright ghoulish. It's one thing to visit graves in publicly accessible cemeteries, and another entirely to take pilgrimages to sites of famous murders and suicides to take pictures and collect souvenirs. The way they meet Hank, by showing up uninvited at his apartment to take pictures of his bathroom because a celebrity committed suicide there... It's pretty creepy. It takes a good 50 pages or so to get into Hilda's head enough that I could move past being disturbed at her level of death tourism.
It was these first 50 pages that moved slowly for me. Once I could start to understand Hilda, I started to get absorbed in the book. She isn't the easiest character to like, but I found myself feeling strangely protective of her. And increasingly so as she grew throughout the course of the story, while Benji essentially did the exact opposite.
I was a little disappointed with the ending, though. It felt a little too easy, a little too conveniently hopeful for everyone. A little jarring, after everything that came before. But I can't argue with the nearly 300 pages that came before that last chapter, or with some of the ambiguities that Charles did decide to leave unresolved. Although it could be a tough book to get through in some spots, connecting to Hilda was enough for me to all but swallow it whole.
It was these first 50 pages that moved slowly for me. Once I could start to understand Hilda, I started to get absorbed in the book. She isn't the easiest character to like, but I found myself feeling strangely protective of her. And increasingly so as she grew throughout the course of the story, while Benji essentially did the exact opposite.
I was a little disappointed with the ending, though. It felt a little too easy, a little too conveniently hopeful for everyone. A little jarring, after everything that came before. But I can't argue with the nearly 300 pages that came before that last chapter, or with some of the ambiguities that Charles did decide to leave unresolved. Although it could be a tough book to get through in some spots, connecting to Hilda was enough for me to all but swallow it whole.
February 13, 2020
★★★1/2
John Belushi is dead is the debut novel from Australian author Kathy Charles. Hilda is a teenager living in LA, who, along with her oddball friend Benji, has an (unhealthy) obsession with celebrity death. They spend most of their free time scouring historical crime scenes in search of macabre keepsakes. But when they meets an old loner, Hank, on one of their outings, Hilda's world view begins to change, and so does her relationship with Benji.
To be honest, for me, this started off a little tacky, the writing a bit clunky & self conscious. The author had tendency towards name dropping & seemed a little too interested in promoting her extensive film industry & actor knowledge. For a while I was skimming & considered throwing in the towel.
Fortunately, this is one of those INCREDIBLY rare books, in my experience, that actually improves as it goes along. You can almost see the writers’ growth throughout the book, and it really is a joy to behold. By the halfway mark she has really hit her stride & the story & prose become seamless and thoroughly digestible. She demonstrates a real talent for dialogue and it's much more profound than I originally thought. The characters are flawed but become likeable & three dimensional. By the end I really was invested in them & their stories. The dialogue especially, is great!
I probably am a pretty good audience for this kind of book as I grew up on Hollywood movies & have always had a solid interest in film. And true crime. In fact I can be a little bit of an oddball about it myself.
In summary, this book isn't perfect and undoubtedly won't appeal to everyone, but I think it could definitely find a solid following - in my opinion it's an impressive first novel.
John Belushi is dead is the debut novel from Australian author Kathy Charles. Hilda is a teenager living in LA, who, along with her oddball friend Benji, has an (unhealthy) obsession with celebrity death. They spend most of their free time scouring historical crime scenes in search of macabre keepsakes. But when they meets an old loner, Hank, on one of their outings, Hilda's world view begins to change, and so does her relationship with Benji.
To be honest, for me, this started off a little tacky, the writing a bit clunky & self conscious. The author had tendency towards name dropping & seemed a little too interested in promoting her extensive film industry & actor knowledge. For a while I was skimming & considered throwing in the towel.
Fortunately, this is one of those INCREDIBLY rare books, in my experience, that actually improves as it goes along. You can almost see the writers’ growth throughout the book, and it really is a joy to behold. By the halfway mark she has really hit her stride & the story & prose become seamless and thoroughly digestible. She demonstrates a real talent for dialogue and it's much more profound than I originally thought. The characters are flawed but become likeable & three dimensional. By the end I really was invested in them & their stories. The dialogue especially, is great!
I probably am a pretty good audience for this kind of book as I grew up on Hollywood movies & have always had a solid interest in film. And true crime. In fact I can be a little bit of an oddball about it myself.
In summary, this book isn't perfect and undoubtedly won't appeal to everyone, but I think it could definitely find a solid following - in my opinion it's an impressive first novel.
July 31, 2011
3.5
'John Belushi is Dead" (also published as 'Hollywood Ending' in Australia) is an strangely compelling and original read.
It's dark and gritty in parts (okay, in more than just parts). it doesn't shy away from vivid descriptions of death/disaster.
It fascinates with its exploration of that morbid curiosity that so many of us have in regards to sudden (gruesome) tragedy ~ particularly in the lives of the famous. It captures that haunting sense of history that you get from just standing in the spot where Something Huge once occurred.
My own devouring of this book en-likened me to the enthusiastic way it's characters seek out these sad and horrific events in history, like thrill seekers, it's an addiction ~ one that defines the lives of Hilda and Benji. Parts of this book made my skin crawl (particularly Benji O.o)
The plot starts out slowly but builds breathtakingly ~ to the point where you feel like anything could happen in the climax (brilliantly done).
It's an odd little blend of the macabre and bittersweet. It has touching moments alongside vividly disturbing encounters.
It touches on the holocaust, on iconic celebrities from an era long gone, mass murderers and unsolved mysteries (like the black dahlia).
It features a flawed, fantastically human cast (not always lovable).
I actually really enjoyed learning a lot of those 'hollywood ending' type stories (it was like reading awesome/unbelievably true wikipedia articles about the most fascinating parts of Hollywood's history) all blended into a present day narrative of one girl who's obsessed with death even as she overcomes her own demons with it. Strangely moving, in the end.
It's not particularly a "me book" but it was original, compelling and addicting. Not sure it is one I will re-read, but I am glad I read it.
I recommend this to anyone who loves learning true-crime type stuff (within a fictional narrative), has a mild interest in the golden days of Hollywood and can stomach the macabre side of things ;).
[this review feels a little scattered. but trying to get my thoughts down as i go, rather than waiting for divine inspiration and then never coming back to share what i thought ;) ]
'John Belushi is Dead" (also published as 'Hollywood Ending' in Australia) is an strangely compelling and original read.
It's dark and gritty in parts (okay, in more than just parts). it doesn't shy away from vivid descriptions of death/disaster.
It fascinates with its exploration of that morbid curiosity that so many of us have in regards to sudden (gruesome) tragedy ~ particularly in the lives of the famous. It captures that haunting sense of history that you get from just standing in the spot where Something Huge once occurred.
My own devouring of this book en-likened me to the enthusiastic way it's characters seek out these sad and horrific events in history, like thrill seekers, it's an addiction ~ one that defines the lives of Hilda and Benji. Parts of this book made my skin crawl (particularly Benji O.o)
The plot starts out slowly but builds breathtakingly ~ to the point where you feel like anything could happen in the climax (brilliantly done).
It's an odd little blend of the macabre and bittersweet. It has touching moments alongside vividly disturbing encounters.
It touches on the holocaust, on iconic celebrities from an era long gone, mass murderers and unsolved mysteries (like the black dahlia).
It features a flawed, fantastically human cast (not always lovable).
I actually really enjoyed learning a lot of those 'hollywood ending' type stories (it was like reading awesome/unbelievably true wikipedia articles about the most fascinating parts of Hollywood's history) all blended into a present day narrative of one girl who's obsessed with death even as she overcomes her own demons with it. Strangely moving, in the end.
It's not particularly a "me book" but it was original, compelling and addicting. Not sure it is one I will re-read, but I am glad I read it.
I recommend this to anyone who loves learning true-crime type stuff (within a fictional narrative), has a mild interest in the golden days of Hollywood and can stomach the macabre side of things ;).
[this review feels a little scattered. but trying to get my thoughts down as i go, rather than waiting for divine inspiration and then never coming back to share what i thought ;) ]
February 8, 2010
An excellently crafted first novel from Kathy Charles. I was immediately drawn in by Hilda and Benji's antics as they embark on adventures around LA, visiting sites of celebrity deaths. With witty dialogue and suitable attitude, the protagonists are easily likeable.
However, as the novel progresses, we soon start exploring the hidden (although unsurprising) depths of these characters, as well as of those around them, sometimes tragic, and some downright scary. And they are very real - we all know at least one person like Benji (at least, I do) and his journey in the book definitely struck a raw nerve in me. There is a certain darkness that grows as one progresses through this book, which is inevitable, given that all the central characters have a very real obsession with death. Eventually, it became a compelling page-turner that I couldn't put down, but at times I really wanted to because I was genuinely scared of what would happen next.
Here in Australia, this book has been marketed as adult, but it is very much a YA novel, and one of the best that I've read in recent months.
However, as the novel progresses, we soon start exploring the hidden (although unsurprising) depths of these characters, as well as of those around them, sometimes tragic, and some downright scary. And they are very real - we all know at least one person like Benji (at least, I do) and his journey in the book definitely struck a raw nerve in me. There is a certain darkness that grows as one progresses through this book, which is inevitable, given that all the central characters have a very real obsession with death. Eventually, it became a compelling page-turner that I couldn't put down, but at times I really wanted to because I was genuinely scared of what would happen next.
Here in Australia, this book has been marketed as adult, but it is very much a YA novel, and one of the best that I've read in recent months.
October 15, 2009
This novel was wonderful, and unsettling, and sometimes just plain scary. I hate to use the word 'edgy' but I think it applies here.
Hollywood Ending will appeal to everyone with a bit of morbid curiosity, and is a must-read for anyone who's ever been fascinated by a celebrity death (it's certainly very timely after a whole string of deaths of well-known personalities). I really enjoyed this novel, though there was something so disquieting about Benji and the obsession he shares with Hilda in celebrity death. I was really happy to hear that this'll be published in the US by MTV Books, mainly because I think American readers will love the LA setting, which is almost as central to the story as the characters and their struggles.
Hollywood Ending was certainly a novel that kept me reading, interested, often made me feel really uncomfortable (the scene with the dead cat was unbelievable, and every odd celebrity death described felt almost haunting). I was so fascinated by the premise of this - two teenagers that spend their free time going to the places where famous people have died - and all the characters within the world Kathy Charles has created (an LA that seems gritty and dazzling and deadly all at once) were puzzling and strange and a bit offtap. I had difficulty liking them, I think, but I still wanted things to work out for Hilda, and I kept reading to see what happened.
This seems to me a novel that could develop a cult following. It definitely has the capability to become a hit amongst emos (You knew I was going to mention emos, didn't you?) but it's intelligent enought to be popular amongst both teens and adults. Definitely a novel worth checking out.
Hollywood Ending will appeal to everyone with a bit of morbid curiosity, and is a must-read for anyone who's ever been fascinated by a celebrity death (it's certainly very timely after a whole string of deaths of well-known personalities). I really enjoyed this novel, though there was something so disquieting about Benji and the obsession he shares with Hilda in celebrity death. I was really happy to hear that this'll be published in the US by MTV Books, mainly because I think American readers will love the LA setting, which is almost as central to the story as the characters and their struggles.
Hollywood Ending was certainly a novel that kept me reading, interested, often made me feel really uncomfortable (the scene with the dead cat was unbelievable, and every odd celebrity death described felt almost haunting). I was so fascinated by the premise of this - two teenagers that spend their free time going to the places where famous people have died - and all the characters within the world Kathy Charles has created (an LA that seems gritty and dazzling and deadly all at once) were puzzling and strange and a bit offtap. I had difficulty liking them, I think, but I still wanted things to work out for Hilda, and I kept reading to see what happened.
This seems to me a novel that could develop a cult following. It definitely has the capability to become a hit amongst emos (You knew I was going to mention emos, didn't you?) but it's intelligent enought to be popular amongst both teens and adults. Definitely a novel worth checking out.
August 17, 2010
Even though much of the subject matter is rather dark and morbid, I loved this book. I loved Hilda. I even liked Benji as dark and twisted as he was, although I would have liked a little more background on him. I didn't understand what was going on with him to make him the way he was. I thought the relationship that Hilda formed with Hank was lovely even thought it was so turbulent.
I thought the cover was really cool!
I thought the cover was really cool!
December 6, 2011
Definitely an upper YA read. Supremely grim look at coming to terms with life and death and celebrity obsessions. I loved it.
October 5, 2010
The thing is, you can’t go into a book like this expecting rainbows, unicorns, and bubble gum language. The (amazing) cover tells us this, but so does the description of the premise, the central focus of which is death and Hollywood. And let me just say, Hollywood has to be the most perfect setting for teenagers obsessed with death. Yes, the story was a bit creepy at times—several scenes gave me the shivers, yet I couldn’t wait to turn to the next chapter.
I’ll be straight up with you, though. This book is seriously edgy for the teen category. It will likely give you pause and should open the door to discussion between teens and the old farts in their lives. BUT. Given the subject matter, I think it almost had to be in order for it to feel authentic. You have two teenagers obsessed with celebrity deaths, both of them living in a jaded, LA environment. They ain’t listening to the Jonas Brothers, yo. But this book is so much more than death and Hollywood. JOHN BELUSHI IS DEAD illustrates the very gray space that teenagers exist in, that period in time we question all we’ve ever believed, learning for the first time that not every question has an answer and not every answer is one we can stomach. Their regular visits to sites of grizzly celebrity murders are just a manifestation of their desire to understand death, the ultimate bane of our existence.
For Hilda, this macabre obsession is especially poignant. Her pain isn’t obvious at first, though you know from the get-go that there is something really powerful lying beneath the surface. But we quickly learn that at a very young age, in the most horrifying of ways, Hilda has been forced to confront her own mortality, and we realize that beneath the pink hair and the goth appearance lies a little girl who can’t make sense of what has happened to her. So she delves into a world of darkness searching for answers, attaching herself to a creepy dude that seems to get where she’s coming from. It’s all a bit morose, but it’s also that morbid part of her nature that draws the reader in—it helps us understand the demons she’s harboring, even though Hilda herself doesn’t seem to understand why she is the way she is.
But along the way, Hilda begins to comprehend the true nature of her demons—and that she’s not alone in having them. We see a romance blossom and a friendship form in the most unlikely of places. And in the process, she is forced to confront her fascination with death and the effect it has had on her ability to live.
JOHN BELUSHI IS DEAD is such an emotional book that pulls you in and makes you fall in love with Hilda—laugh with her and hurt for her. Every one of the characters was compelling and genuine, but Hilda is a true star, stealing the show. She is so authentic and her voice almost intoxicating. I was so drawn in by her. Like with a train wreck, I found myself morbidly interested in those grizzly deaths—I was creeped out, yes, but intrigued nonetheless because she was, and I felt invested in her. But there’s more to the story than its compelling characters. JOHN BELUSHI IS DEAD touched on the most basic human desire to live, while also forcing us to consider the nondiscriminatory nature of death:
"In the end, we all fade to black."
That’s some heavy stuff, no? It’s eerie and a little sad, and yet…oddly comforting, sort of like JOHN BELUSHI IS DEAD. Read it. Be moved by it. Talk about it.
I’ll be straight up with you, though. This book is seriously edgy for the teen category. It will likely give you pause and should open the door to discussion between teens and the old farts in their lives. BUT. Given the subject matter, I think it almost had to be in order for it to feel authentic. You have two teenagers obsessed with celebrity deaths, both of them living in a jaded, LA environment. They ain’t listening to the Jonas Brothers, yo. But this book is so much more than death and Hollywood. JOHN BELUSHI IS DEAD illustrates the very gray space that teenagers exist in, that period in time we question all we’ve ever believed, learning for the first time that not every question has an answer and not every answer is one we can stomach. Their regular visits to sites of grizzly celebrity murders are just a manifestation of their desire to understand death, the ultimate bane of our existence.
For Hilda, this macabre obsession is especially poignant. Her pain isn’t obvious at first, though you know from the get-go that there is something really powerful lying beneath the surface. But we quickly learn that at a very young age, in the most horrifying of ways, Hilda has been forced to confront her own mortality, and we realize that beneath the pink hair and the goth appearance lies a little girl who can’t make sense of what has happened to her. So she delves into a world of darkness searching for answers, attaching herself to a creepy dude that seems to get where she’s coming from. It’s all a bit morose, but it’s also that morbid part of her nature that draws the reader in—it helps us understand the demons she’s harboring, even though Hilda herself doesn’t seem to understand why she is the way she is.
But along the way, Hilda begins to comprehend the true nature of her demons—and that she’s not alone in having them. We see a romance blossom and a friendship form in the most unlikely of places. And in the process, she is forced to confront her fascination with death and the effect it has had on her ability to live.
JOHN BELUSHI IS DEAD is such an emotional book that pulls you in and makes you fall in love with Hilda—laugh with her and hurt for her. Every one of the characters was compelling and genuine, but Hilda is a true star, stealing the show. She is so authentic and her voice almost intoxicating. I was so drawn in by her. Like with a train wreck, I found myself morbidly interested in those grizzly deaths—I was creeped out, yes, but intrigued nonetheless because she was, and I felt invested in her. But there’s more to the story than its compelling characters. JOHN BELUSHI IS DEAD touched on the most basic human desire to live, while also forcing us to consider the nondiscriminatory nature of death:
"In the end, we all fade to black."
That’s some heavy stuff, no? It’s eerie and a little sad, and yet…oddly comforting, sort of like JOHN BELUSHI IS DEAD. Read it. Be moved by it. Talk about it.
March 30, 2011
Hilda and her friend Benji travel LA looking at various places where celebrities have died. They meet Hank, who lives in an apartment where a silent film star killed himself, and Hank and Hilda start a friendship. At first, it seemed this was going to be like a goth Tuesdays with Morrie. Then Hilda meets this douchey screenwriter and a budding romance begins. This book has character problems. Mainly, the protagonist can't seem to meet a normal male human being. Her friend Benji seems like Kip Kingle, Jake lacks depth (and he's the love interest), and Hank is a colorful eccentric who doesn't get the attention he deserves because of the other two. Basically, the book ended the way anyone could figure, and that is pretty disappointing. The book has a neat quirkiness, but ultimately it just doesn't pay off the way it should.
Inspired by the beginning where Hilda lists her favorite dead people, I decided to add my own list of favorite celebrities with tragic deaths (in no particular order):
1. Jeff Buckley
2. Keith Moon
3. Gilda Radner
4. Heather O’Rourke
5. Robert Johnson
6. Rock Hudson
7. Elizabeth Short
8. Marilyn Monroe
9. The Cast of Rebel Without a Cause
10. Vic Morrow
Inspired by the beginning where Hilda lists her favorite dead people, I decided to add my own list of favorite celebrities with tragic deaths (in no particular order):
1. Jeff Buckley
2. Keith Moon
3. Gilda Radner
4. Heather O’Rourke
5. Robert Johnson
6. Rock Hudson
7. Elizabeth Short
8. Marilyn Monroe
9. The Cast of Rebel Without a Cause
10. Vic Morrow
February 15, 2011
Hilda has always felt a bit odd. Together with her best friend, Benji, they prowl the sites where celebrities have died, sometimes taking away a piece of history to remember it. When one apartment they come across has an old man living there, Hilda and Hank form a bizarre friendship. When Hank's downstairs neighbour, Jake, brings himself into the equation, Hilda starts to discover that Hank is hiding a dark secret. As Hilda's new relationships grow, she starts to question whether her fascination with death is making her miss out on life.
I did not know what I was getting myself into when I opened the first page of John Belushi is Dead, but I was not disappointed. From the first page, the reader is introduced to Hilda and her macabre friend, Benji. The two have a bizarre fascination with the dead - especially dead celebrities. All the characters are well thought out and believable, which made some parts of the story gut-wrenchingly realistic. I loved Hilda (and her pink hair) and the journey she took throughout the novel was full of enough twists and turns to keep me reading.
The premise of this story is unique, and even though some of the scenes were confronting and graphic, I couldn't put it down. Besides the melancholic tones, there's also the subtle romance that blooms between Hilda and Jake. His introduction to the story turned the whole plot upside down, which is a good thing because I was never able to see where it was going.
This is an emotional story which will appeal to anyone with the slightest bit of morbid curiosity, or anyone who has ever been interested in a death of a celebrity.
I did not know what I was getting myself into when I opened the first page of John Belushi is Dead, but I was not disappointed. From the first page, the reader is introduced to Hilda and her macabre friend, Benji. The two have a bizarre fascination with the dead - especially dead celebrities. All the characters are well thought out and believable, which made some parts of the story gut-wrenchingly realistic. I loved Hilda (and her pink hair) and the journey she took throughout the novel was full of enough twists and turns to keep me reading.
The premise of this story is unique, and even though some of the scenes were confronting and graphic, I couldn't put it down. Besides the melancholic tones, there's also the subtle romance that blooms between Hilda and Jake. His introduction to the story turned the whole plot upside down, which is a good thing because I was never able to see where it was going.
This is an emotional story which will appeal to anyone with the slightest bit of morbid curiosity, or anyone who has ever been interested in a death of a celebrity.
September 1, 2010
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT
Hilda is probably one of the best, most well thought out characters I have read about in a long time. Hilda moves in with her aunt after her parents die in a car crash and she becomes obsessed with death, especially celebrities' death. Hilda travels to famous murder scenes, suicide locations and cemeteries to get close to those unfortunate events with her friend Benji. Benji has his own secrets and you can tell he is quietly unravelling while Hilda tries to pull herself together.
Any person would be devastated after being in an auto accident, but Hilda should be especially devastated by this accident since she lost both of her parents just like Jayne Mansfield. I suppose this sends her on her quest of celebrity death sites. Hilda goes on the Graveline Tours (the author doesn't specify this one by name, but I have been on it) and to Hollywood Forever to watch movies. Along the way, Hilda and Benji meet Hank who is a war camp survivor and from him Hilda learns to live again among the living. She also meets Jake who has a more positive outlook on life, but has dark secrets as well.
I really enjoyed this book and the dark areas Charles covers always have a ray of hope. It is just wonderful to read about teens trying to get their lives on track when the chips aren't stacked in their favor and they manage to do it anyway. I did read this in one sitting and that just shows how nicely written this one is. I can't wait to read more from this author.
Hilda is probably one of the best, most well thought out characters I have read about in a long time. Hilda moves in with her aunt after her parents die in a car crash and she becomes obsessed with death, especially celebrities' death. Hilda travels to famous murder scenes, suicide locations and cemeteries to get close to those unfortunate events with her friend Benji. Benji has his own secrets and you can tell he is quietly unravelling while Hilda tries to pull herself together.
Any person would be devastated after being in an auto accident, but Hilda should be especially devastated by this accident since she lost both of her parents just like Jayne Mansfield. I suppose this sends her on her quest of celebrity death sites. Hilda goes on the Graveline Tours (the author doesn't specify this one by name, but I have been on it) and to Hollywood Forever to watch movies. Along the way, Hilda and Benji meet Hank who is a war camp survivor and from him Hilda learns to live again among the living. She also meets Jake who has a more positive outlook on life, but has dark secrets as well.
I really enjoyed this book and the dark areas Charles covers always have a ray of hope. It is just wonderful to read about teens trying to get their lives on track when the chips aren't stacked in their favor and they manage to do it anyway. I did read this in one sitting and that just shows how nicely written this one is. I can't wait to read more from this author.
August 18, 2011
4.5 stars
John Belushi is Dead is an awesome read. I hadn't heard a lot about it, but I am super happy I decided to read it. I was charmed by the characters and fell in love with the story.
John Belushi is Dead has a slower start, but don't let that throw you! Soon you will be so captivated by the story that you won't put it down til the last page is turned. Thestory was so fascinating - it was a bit morbid and definitely off the beaten trail. I loved all the random celebrity tidbits it included, even though many of them were about their deaths.
John Belushi is Dead dealt with a lot of emotions and was quite thought provoking. All the characters had a very different story to tell, and they all brought aspects and emotions from each to the story. There was a nice mix between the more serious scenes and the lighter scenes.
The characters were really well written. I really liked Hilda. She grew a lot throughout the book, which was nice. Benji kind of gave me the creeps. Justin and Hank were my 2 favorites characters of the book - they both had their charms and brought a lot to the story.
I wholeheartedly suggest this one. It was a book I will now be suggesting to everyone. I had so much fun reading, as I got so caught up in the story. I am very excited to see what Kathy Charles will come up with next.
John Belushi is Dead is an awesome read. I hadn't heard a lot about it, but I am super happy I decided to read it. I was charmed by the characters and fell in love with the story.
John Belushi is Dead has a slower start, but don't let that throw you! Soon you will be so captivated by the story that you won't put it down til the last page is turned. Thestory was so fascinating - it was a bit morbid and definitely off the beaten trail. I loved all the random celebrity tidbits it included, even though many of them were about their deaths.
John Belushi is Dead dealt with a lot of emotions and was quite thought provoking. All the characters had a very different story to tell, and they all brought aspects and emotions from each to the story. There was a nice mix between the more serious scenes and the lighter scenes.
The characters were really well written. I really liked Hilda. She grew a lot throughout the book, which was nice. Benji kind of gave me the creeps. Justin and Hank were my 2 favorites characters of the book - they both had their charms and brought a lot to the story.
I wholeheartedly suggest this one. It was a book I will now be suggesting to everyone. I had so much fun reading, as I got so caught up in the story. I am very excited to see what Kathy Charles will come up with next.
May 4, 2011
(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally.)
I'm usually a big fan of the surprisingly intelligent MTV Books; but while this latest is I suppose okay for what it is (a simplistic coming-of-age tale about two teens in Los Angeles obsessed with dead celebrities, and the trouble this gets them into one summer), the actual quality of the writing is much more on par with Young Adult than Actual Adult, a kind of clunkiness to it all that's very obviously designed so to not go over the heads of fourteen-year-olds. That's of course not bad if you're fourteen, which is why the book is getting as high a score today as it is; but if you're a grown-up, you'd be wise to skip this teen novel altogether, and shame on MTV Books for not making this clearer on the cover. Bait and switch is always an ugly thing, but especially in the publishing industry.
Out of 10: 7.2
I'm usually a big fan of the surprisingly intelligent MTV Books; but while this latest is I suppose okay for what it is (a simplistic coming-of-age tale about two teens in Los Angeles obsessed with dead celebrities, and the trouble this gets them into one summer), the actual quality of the writing is much more on par with Young Adult than Actual Adult, a kind of clunkiness to it all that's very obviously designed so to not go over the heads of fourteen-year-olds. That's of course not bad if you're fourteen, which is why the book is getting as high a score today as it is; but if you're a grown-up, you'd be wise to skip this teen novel altogether, and shame on MTV Books for not making this clearer on the cover. Bait and switch is always an ugly thing, but especially in the publishing industry.
Out of 10: 7.2
December 28, 2010
This book was amazing and I could not put it down, hence why I read this book in 2 days.
The book did a wonderful job at describing where these celebrities died and how, but it also did a wonderful job at illustrating the line between interest and obsession.
Hilda and Benji are best friends who share the same interest- finding where all these celebrities were murdered, committed suicide, or overdosed. However, Hilda is the one who maintains a simple interest, keeping it a hobby, while Benji turns it into an obsession, as if fueled by something deeper within him.
The character of Hank was well done as well. He was there to remind the reader as well as the characters what death really is. Death is not glamorous nor are you always immortalized when you die. However, death is pain, suffering, loneliness, and tragic, and sometimes one is just forgotten.
If you have a morbid fascination with dead Hollywood. or even feel nostalgic about classic Hollywood, then this book is for you.
The book did a wonderful job at describing where these celebrities died and how, but it also did a wonderful job at illustrating the line between interest and obsession.
Hilda and Benji are best friends who share the same interest- finding where all these celebrities were murdered, committed suicide, or overdosed. However, Hilda is the one who maintains a simple interest, keeping it a hobby, while Benji turns it into an obsession, as if fueled by something deeper within him.
The character of Hank was well done as well. He was there to remind the reader as well as the characters what death really is. Death is not glamorous nor are you always immortalized when you die. However, death is pain, suffering, loneliness, and tragic, and sometimes one is just forgotten.
If you have a morbid fascination with dead Hollywood. or even feel nostalgic about classic Hollywood, then this book is for you.
June 30, 2017
A very underrated book! I picked it up because of the cool looking cover (pink hair ftw!) and was really surprised by how much I enjoyed it. John Belushi is Dead is full of morbid references, so if you don't enjoy that kind of stuff, don't read it. This book is filled with gruesome tales of celebrity deaths, finding out who your true friends are, overcoming your past, and realizing that you can't save everyone. The characters were excellently written and I quickly became attached to Hilda, Hank, and Jake. I never liked Benji much. While Hilda starts to slowly emerge from her death obsessed world, you can see Benji's sanity unraveling as he tries to drag her back under. Hilda learns many important lessons in this book, and whomever is reading it will to. To me, certain parts of the ending were expected, although other parts were a shock, but it still made me cry. A fantastic book I would recommend to anyone who doesn't mind a little death.
June 15, 2012
John Belushi Is Dead is probably my favorite novel of all time, and coming from an obsessive bookworm, that's truly saying something. I think what really drew me in and kept me animatedly combing through the pages was the rich development of every character. I just had such a deep connection to Hilda, the eccentric narrator and the others just fell into perfect harmony. Not one time did I feel like I was on an expedition to come to a close. And that's actually a nice attribute: to be able to just embrace a novel without worrying or anticipating an ending, to float through the story, rising and sinking with the current. Sure not everyone will jump at the chance of reading this, beautifully crafted if I do say so myself, novel with all of its dark, sensitive baggage, but that doesn't mean that they shouldn't. My recommendation: unleash your inner oddball and have a long look into the world of Hilda Swann, Benji Connor, Hank Anderson, and Jake Gilmore. Trust me, it's not a boring ride.
January 27, 2011
Hollywood Ending is like nothing I’ve read of late. Kathy Charles beautifully captures the voices of bored kids who have that nuanced way of looking at the world thanks to all of the iS**t they surround themselves with. It’s a tale told with sad irony, through jaded descriptions of faded Hollywood. Kathy has a natural feel for the young punks who think nothing of yesterday except for its gory remains, old folks with long, sad memories, and D-listers hanging out in West Hollywood in the hope of being discovered by the paparazzi. It's obvious how much Kathy loves the LA, and she manages to paint a vivid portait. It’s spunky writing.
June 30, 2011
One of the best books I have read this summer. It is a little morbid, but has a great ending. It is a quick light read for summer, and wish this author would do more. This novel is about Hilda, the female protagonist, and her best friend Benji collect rare death, early Hollywood, artifacts. Hilda is orphaned by her Hippy parents who were killed in a violent car accident (just like Jayne Mansfield). Benji starts to go off the deep end and Hilda distances herself from him and befriends an old man who holds a deep, deep, dark secret.
April 28, 2013
I really, really liked this book. I have the same fascination as the main characters (though I'm not anywhere close to as dedicated as they are and I'm more interested in ghosts and they are not) so I enjoyed the story.
I really liked the main character, Hilda, and I thought Benji and Hank were well developed.
I have nothing negative to say about this book but I don't believe this book is for everybody. It deals with death and murders and suicides and is pretty graphic. So anyone uncomfortable with that should probably stay away.
I really liked the main character, Hilda, and I thought Benji and Hank were well developed.
I have nothing negative to say about this book but I don't believe this book is for everybody. It deals with death and murders and suicides and is pretty graphic. So anyone uncomfortable with that should probably stay away.
February 2, 2010
it's a great read - realistic, voyeuristic and poignant. i love the slice of life feeling you get - being a mother of teenagers who aren't really like the two in the book i still feel connected and interested and related to them so well. i really didn't want this to end - rates highly in terms of transporting me to another time and place and i can't wait until the next one!! (was really happy to get this from our local library too!!)
February 18, 2014
This book was really cool. I read it in two sittings. It made LA seem mysterious and exciting but also really terrible. It felt like a breath of fresh air, a completely different side of young adult novels that I didn't know existed but is really amazing. It perfectly captures the beauty and glamor of Los Angeles and also chronicles the weird places where it falls apart. There are visuals from this book, some disturbing and some beautiful, that I will remember for a very long time.
January 3, 2025
i initially thought i was going to hate this after the first chapter... like, edgy pretentious teens? let me guess, they worship serial killers? get outta town
i'm glad i powered through because it went above and beyond that trope. everyone has a different relationship with death and it's interesting to explore how it manifests in different ways
i'm glad i powered through because it went above and beyond that trope. everyone has a different relationship with death and it's interesting to explore how it manifests in different ways
October 3, 2011
This is an absolutely amazing book. It was well written and just awesome all around. They way the story came together was great and it definitely kept you on the edge of you seat. It was so good. Absolutely billiant.
March 18, 2014
I thought this book was going to be too young for me but I was pleasantly surprised. It took me back, opened my heart and made me smile. I absolutely suggest reading it for people who like to get a gift out of the ending of a book.
August 21, 2010
Wow. I absolutely fell in love with this book! I can't wait to see what Kathy Charles does next! :) Amazing.
May 30, 2012
Loved this book!
April 2, 2015
Picked this book up because of the cover and the title. When I started reading this, I wanted to be inside the book. I locked myself in my room and read the book in one sitting.
February 15, 2016
I bought and read this book because I sat with the author and her boyfriend in the bar of the Rainbow, and buying her book seemed the neighborly thing to do. It isn't horrible, essentially a page turner about two misfit teenagers who are obsessed with the sites and details of the deaths of Hollywood stars and ephemera. Eventually their voyeurism drifts into more and more direct participation. I had best stop this review, because my estimation of the book is decreasing the more I think of it.
Though it is not indicated on the book or in any guide, this book has YA in its DNA. Can't abide stealth YA.
Though it is not indicated on the book or in any guide, this book has YA in its DNA. Can't abide stealth YA.
January 26, 2018
I wanted to like this more than I did, I’m afraid. The concept and story were great, but the character development wasn’t really there, and the dialogue was kind of atrocious. I might have liked this more as a teenager, as I would have forgiven the writing more easily then. I struggled to feel anything but contempt for the Benji character, and I felt as though we didn’t have a good enough base built between Hilda and Hank for what the author was intending to do. I wanted to know more about Hilda’s relationship with her Aunt Lynette, but just as the surface was being scratched the book was ending. I do love writing about LA, though, so 3 stars, probably more like 2.5.
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