Benjamin Dean's last book was so underhyped (in my opinion) and I hope that How To Die Famous doesn't have the same fate. This YA thriller really does pack a sensational punch!

From award-winning author Benjamin Dean comes a deliciously dark and addictive YA thriller following the lives of Gen Z’s rich and famous through the lens of an undercover teen journalist. Perfect for fans of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and One of Us is Lying.

Another page turning YA thriller from Benjamin Dean! I really enjoyed the setting of this one and loved the bond between the 4 main characters. The audiobook was great as they had 4 narrators for the 4 main characters perspectives! Also had a podcast element within the book which was a fun touch!


I enjoyed the twists and turns in this, especially the epilogue! I didn’t see that coming AT ALL!
Believable Hollywood drama, glitz and glam with a sprinkling of queer romance and teen troubles.

A fun young adult read, but if you’re used to your thrillers a little more fast paced, this might be a little slow for you.I loved reading about the world of celebrities, gossip and media this was set it. Overall, such a fun read full of twist - even I did not see the one in the epilogue coming!

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy.

A young journalist goes undercover as an actor on a TV show to try and uncover the truth behind his brother's death

Teenager Abel gets a dream role on the reboot of a popular teen drama, and is set for fame and stardom. But really e he's an undercover journalist on a mission to expose the entertainment industry and the part they played in his brother's 'accidental' death. This is a strong premise that should be juicy and compelling, has all the right ingredients but overall it's all very superficial & implausible & the mystery element lacks much context or dramatic build up but overall it's a trashy, accessible read that will definitely have teen appeal. It's a shame the story and characters weren't further fleshed out and made more engaging.

Another enjoyable YA thriller from Benjamin Dean - he will definitely be an auto-buy author for me now.

I loved reading about the world of celebrities, gossip and media this was set it. Overall, such a fun read full of twist - even I did not see the one in the epilogue coming!

I heard so much hype about this book so had such high hopes.
However I just couldn't get into it.
Found the pacing to be really slow. There was a lot of characters that I struggled to keep on top of.
The plot just didn't seem to go anywhere for a long time.

Did not enjoy this!

This book hooked me straight away! A YA book with a mix of mystery and Hollywood glamour. I loved that you were dropped straight into the drama and felt like you got a glimpse into the not so fun part of being famous. I liked the main characters and felt invested in their stories. Such a readable book, with a good pace that keeps you interested. A great twist at the end too!

I have been reading a lot of YA books lately - a hazard of working in a high school library - and the genres I know my students love are the crime, mystery and thriller. Benjamin Dean's How to Die Famous encapsulates all three and then throws in a big dollop of celebrity culture.

It is the story of Abel who is trying to find out how his older brother died. Along the way he meets a group of teen celebrities who all have their own reasons to hate the celebrity lifestyle and who are there for him in his quest.

Benjamin Dean has a really lovely syle of writing. I felt compelled to read on further. I needed to know what happened and as is normal for me I didn't have a clue who the bag guy was.

This is a perfect summer read.

How to Die Famous by Benjamin Dean is available now.

For more information regarding Benjamin Dean (@NotAgainBen) please visit his Twitter page.

For more information regarding Simon and Schuster Children's UK (@simonkids_UK) please visit www.simonandschuster.co.uk.

I LOVED this book. I recently finished 'The King is Dead' and was really impressed so as soon as I was accepted for 'How To Die Famous', I knew it had to go straight to the top of my tbr list. I didn't think it was possible but I actually enjoyed this one even more. I'm now wondering if the ending was just to leave the reader's jaw dropped or if a sequel is coming...

Thanks for the review copy!

Have you ever picked up a book and from the first sentence you were hooked? Well with How To Die Famous, I was completely hooked.

From the beginning your instantly thrown into a mystery. One character, Abel Miller comes running out of a house with blood on his hands, making the reader aware that something sinister has taken place!

Then we flashback to present day and we officially meet Abel who is flying to LA for a reboot of a teen drama called Sunset High. We find out that the show is cursed and the original reboot 3 years prior ended with a death.

Throughout the book we are introduced to a range of characters who all have one tv show in common, Sunset High. Through each character the plot thickens to eventually it all comes to hand with a plan to get revenge.

Now I won’t say what happens but from how it ends it’s safe to say there feels room for a sequel!

How to Die Famous is a book that examines the dark underbelly of Hollywood, showing just how seriously people in power take the desire to come out on top.
A gripping page-turner that I can see being made into a movie before long. It ticks every box, and I’m grateful to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review it before publication.
Abel Miller is the new face in an upcoming blockbuster. As a Brit joining a celebrated American teen show he could be forgiven for being nervous, but Abel has more reason than most to fear discovery. As an undercover journalist, Abel is trying to track down exactly what happened to his brother years earlier. Of course we’re desperate to find out what happened, and whether Abel will evade discovery.
From the moment we’re introduced to the cast of characters at the heart of the show, it’s clear that there’s a lot riding on this. We have the history of the show’s cursed predecessor and there’s clearly a story to be learnt. What we quickly see is that there’s more than one story to be uncovered, and there are no depths to which those who have most to lose will stoop to in order to stay on top.
A great cast of characters, a wonderfully exaggerated villain and sidekick, a number of secondary characters who offered something more than you might expect…and an absolutely audacious ending that hints we might see more of this cast.
Fantastic read, and I can’t wait to get this in the hands of some readers at school.

I really enjoyed this book from Benjamin Dean. Just like The King is Dead, this is an insightful read into the lives of those in the public eye and everything that happens behind closed doors. I've always loved celebrities and being able to see into the lives of four celebrity children definitely gave me the fix I needed!

My only gripe is that I feel like certain character's stories could have been further fleshed out. For example, one of the characters' mum features quite a bit in the beginning but then we hardly see them again and it could have a great insight into their relationship. There's also the assistant who we only see briefly and then only again at the end which could have been more fleshed out throughout or at least we could have seen them peppered throughout further.

Other than that, this is a great read and one that you should probably avoid reading late at night and when not in the company of others as it did scare me slightly at one point!

Something untoward and deadly seems to happen on the set of a teenage soap. Two previous seasons have ended prematurely when a series of unfortunate events occurred with the cast and crew, but the production company Omni are determined to bring it back again.

The four stars are seasoned actors Lucky, Ryan and Ella but they are joined by new boy Abel. Abel has another reason for being on the show - his brother died when working there, and he’s determined to find out the truth.

The story focuses on the pressure of being famous and the control exerted by the production company in order to create the image they want. The pressure to conform is too much for the young actors and they rebel, each in their own way.

I liked the premise of the story but it all seemed a bit to easy. Abel quickly finds out the information he’s looking for, which raises the question, why did no one else manage to do the same? Also, managing to land a starring role in the cast of the show his brother died working on is just too much of a coincidence.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is insanely good!! I love a YA thriller and this one has it all: a plot full of twists and turns, revenge, secrets, the highs and lows of stardom and an epic conclusion.

It wasn’t long before I was hooked on this book. A reboot of the classic Sunset High, infamous for its curse. Previous stars of the show have had breakdowns, gone missing and an assistant fell to their death… or did they? Abel is desperate to discover the truth of what happened to his brother but little does he realise what he is about the uncover in this thrilling read.

There were definitely parts of this book that made me so happy not to be famous in any way, shape or form. This story contains a searing look into the downsides of being famous - the coersion, the control, abuse of power - at times it was sickening to read. It really makes you think more carefully about what you see in the media and gets you wondering how do celebs really feel?

As far as characters go I loved our leading 4: Abel, Lucky, Ella and Ryan. It didn’t take me long to really adore each of them as their individual POVs gave me the chance to empathise with their personal circumstances behind the famous personas.

I adored the mystery and the determination of our 4 leading characters to serve justice. Definitely an emotional rollercoaster with lots of twists and turns I didn’t see coming. I thought the conclusion to this novel was incredible and the epilogue literally made me gasp! So so good!

Thank you to Simon and Schuster, Benjamin Dean and NetGalley for my early review copy in exchange of a fair and honest review.

This one by dean atta was back to him at his best. I really enjoyed this one and thought the storyline was great

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% my own.

How to die famous explores follows four teenagers cast in a ‘cursed’ show. The book follows all four main characters POVs and their secrets and scandals, with a mystery element as we’re told in the first chapter that someone is dead.

The twists and suspense keep you hooked into this book and the messy lives of the main characters add extra interest.

I’ve been really excited to read this book. Y’all know I love anything to do with celebrities and I was intrigued by the mystery aspect of the book. I was ready to dive in and see what this book was all about.

The book is set around the supposedly ✨cursed✨ television show Sunset High, which is gearing up for another reboot. The protagonist is an actor who lands a role on the new reboot. He also has a secret. He’s a journalist scheming to uncover the truth behind the show. I loved this premise and really enjoyed how the intrigue and mystery aspects were set up from the first chapters. I was gripped by the history behind the show and the previous actress, Penelope, who disappeared into thin air. There was a lot of drama to uncover and I really enjoyed how everything began to unravel.

The main cast were all distinct and had different characteristics. I loved how, despite their differences, the plot forced them together and aligned their interests. This really helped move the story along and build towards the climax of the book. The ending was shocking and I think might be setting up a second book so I’ll be waiting to get my hands on that one!

I could have used more of the celebrity aspect and felt we didn’t really need some of the secondary characters POVs, but appreciated why they were used.

This was a really quick read and is perfect for young, queer YA readers who love mystery and suspense.

LOVED THIS BOOK. I JUST FINISHED IT AND IM SCREAMING. Although the mystery element started off slow and for the first 100 pages it didn’t feel like a mystery i still enjoyed the scandals and gossip going on. The romance was so cute and it made me kick my feet and giggle. As for the twist at the end all i have to say is i hope there is book 2😈

Perfect for fans of Karen McManus, this page-turning novel gives a searing insight into finding TV fame and the personal costs involved. Abel Miller's brother is dead and, convinced the industry is to blame, he resolves to uncover the dark secrets behind his death and make those responsible pay.
This is a glitzy, glamourous, dark and chilling thriller that follows four main characters and the secrets they are hiding. Benjamin Dean - whose MG novels I have really enjoyed - writes with supreme confidence, delivering a novel that has twists and turns and everything a reader could want in a thriller. It definitely feels 'of the moment' and the hook drew me in immediately. Definitely not one to be missed. I couldn't put it down.

One sentence synopsis: the closeted queer cast of an upcoming Hollywood reboot try and unmask a villainous production company that will stop at no lengths - lies, corruption, murder - to keeping the truth under wraps.

This was such a fun read! It had me hooked from the beginning - absolutely love when a story starts in medias res - and I finished it in one sitting. The story is a bit heavy at times but well written, and I loved the dynamics between our main quartet.

Minor complaints that didn't really take away from my experience but worth mentioning anyway:

- I would have liked to see more relationship development between Abel and Lucky.
- I really didn't like the epilogue. It's either setting up a sequel, which I personally don't feel is necessary for this book, or it's included for the hell of it/surprise factor, which again I don't feel is necessary.

That being said, I greatly enjoyed this book and would recommend if you're in the mood for a suspenseful look into Hollywood at its worst extreme with a likeable bunch of queer protagonists. Scooby Doo meets Gossip Girl vibes. This is my first Benjamin Dean book (I somehow missed The King Is Dead last year) and I will definitely be checking out his others.

How to explain a plot which constantly surprises you with every twist and turn with people who are not what they seem?
Four actors in a series who want to act and live their lives but find their biggest acting roles are off screen. A controlling film company intent on managing their brand, playing lip service to the welfare of their young actors and a director who appears benevolent until crossed.
This book starts with what appears to be a shocking murder with all protagonists in on the plot, then flashes back with each character having their viewpoint voiced, most of which conflicts with the opinion you have just formed from another’s portrayal. It has celebrities, glamour, intrigue, romance and murder and will keep the reader guessing until the end.