How To Die Famous, is Benjamin Dean’s second YA novel, and a queer mystery which will have you on the edge of your seat, with so many twists and turns that even if you predict five of the twists there’ll be five more which will surprise you!
It focuses on four protagonists as they start production on the tv show Sunset High, a supposedly cursed television show currently on its second reboot: The original show caused the breakdown of the star and the 2010 reboot was followed by the star going missing and the death of a crew member from the top of a hotel, it seems destined that this 2023 reboot is doomed.
Abel Miller is hired to be one of the new stars, but he has a secret; Abel isn’t just there to act, he’s there to investigate the death of the crew member, his brother, and to expose the Omnificent production company for being complicit.
Abel is joined by Omni Channel’s best actors who are all going through their own troubles:
Ella Winter is becoming the lead actress of the show, but her inner life is in shambles, she’s fighting to have some autonomy between Omni trying to force her into a soul-selling contract, and with her abusive momager trying to control every decision, including who she’s seen as dating publicly.
Lucky Tate is the teenage heartthrob, with paparazzi and fans following his every move, but really he’s on the cusp of alcoholism, drinking to deal with the accidental death of his mother in a car accident while being chased by paparazzi. He’s been caught by paparazzi on a date with Ella, while still dating Ryan, at least publicly.
Ryan Hudson was the star of Omni but her role is seemingly being snatched by Ella, she has a tough exterior and seemingly no family, she’s had to fight for everything she got amid the racism of casting and racist views, as well as a new stalker making her home feel unsafe. Now with Lucky cheating on her it seems that she’s being pushed aside by everyone.
Abel has to work with the other three, while also passing on information about them to get help with his own attempt to get justice for his brother.
Dean used his background in celebrity journalism to portray a realistic inner world of celebrity, and working on a television set, in all its fake glory and lack of morals in an attempt to get viewers.
I absolutely loved this book. Having read and loved his previous YA book, The King is Dead, my standards for it were high, yet somehow he managed to not just meet but surpass them. The relationships formed between the characters are so natural, and the four eventually fit together like s puzzle, Dean also shows them being both young adults and mature for ages due to their backstories and working in the industry. He also shows the effects of grief and living under the spotlight on people, as well as being forced to stay closeted.
I look forward to any and every Benjamin Dean YA novel now!

An incredibly twisty and suspenseful mystery that has you on the edge of your seat. This was great and had me hooked from the first page, I loved the idea of a 'curse' and a long-term mystery. How To Die Famous is truly unputdownable and I read this in one sitting and I didn't see the end or all the twists coming. Overall this is an amazing YA thriller that I highly recommend.