Upon picking up CELEBRITY SKIN, I expected it to be more or less the same as a lot of other light, fluffy books about life in the spotlight. Not to say those aren’t fun to read; they just start to be the same after a while, even the good ones, or the ones that try to be different by having the celebrity try to escape their fame by running off to Idaho or someplace under an assumed name with a new hair color. Sure, those can be fun, they’re just not exactly groundbreakingly original or thought-provoking or even particularly interesting. They can be well-written, or have great characters, but they’re usually unremarkable.

I must say, I was pleasantly surprised by Liane Bonin’s novel! It is an amazing book. I’m not quite sure how to say what made this celebrity story so special, except that maybe, despite its subject matter, it is very real.

CELEBRITY SKIN is about Taylor, a young starlet who may have been thrown into the glitz and glamour of Hollywood (and the unbelievable pressure that comes with it) too fast for her own good. Erin, the story’s narrator and Taylor’s best friend since her days as a middle-school dork, is watching her friend self-destruct, too afraid to say anything…Until it may be too late.

I love both Erin’s fresh, honest voice and her unique perspective on Hollywood. Liane Bonin is a talented writer, to be able to make such an overused subject as Hollywood and celebrity life into a brilliant novel. I can’t wait for number two!

Rating: 9.5/10