Firstly, thank you at the team at netgallery and the publishers for letting me have an early copy to read.
I loved it so much! Kardashians but in another universe.
Long lost sister who is the polar opposite to them in so many ways. But more they get to know eachother the more the 4 sisters get closer and become a real family

We follow Josie an eighteen year old Iranian American teen whose world is turned upside down when her mother's death brings to light a family secret she never knew existed— she’s the secret daughter of the famous Ali Mashad. The Mashad’s? Well they also just happen to be the most famous reality television family in the world. Suddenly, Josie’s living the Mashad lifestyle. She joins the reality show ‘Making Mashad’, while juggling her friendship with her friend Lou, going through the throes of young love, and building a bond with her new sisters.

I want to preface this by saying the author pulls inspiration from Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Shahs of Sunset but throw in the Princess Diaries. Josie has a makeover scene in the book that felt really early 2000’s!

Finding Famous is such a lovely coming of age story while also providing interesting commentary on reality television. The Mashad family mirrors the Kardashian family but also they are unapologetic of what they’ve accomplished. I love how we get to step into this new world with Josie and follow her journey. She’s on a path of growth and sisterhood.

I loved the matriarch Mary Mashad a shark, and comparable to the manager and entertainment industry curator Kris Jenner. She’s looking out for business interests all while protecting her family’s image, success, and finances. I also need to give a special shoutout because the inclusion of Persian food and Nowruz made me smile. Taking the time to discuss the food and painful memories of the past played such a beautiful part in this novel. Every immigrant has a story, and Mary Mashad’s story was impactful.

My favourite quote: “Trust in love. Let it fill the spaces between you and soften the inevitable blows. Because, at the end of the day, no human is ever going to love you perfectly. All you can really hope is that they care enough to try their best”.

Thank you NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for the ARC!

Thank you netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Finding Famous was definitely a easy, fun read. I was able to finish in a couple of days and I honestly didn't want to put it down. I enjoyed reading Josie's story and how complicated and messy family can be. The story definitely reminded me of my Kardashian obsession days and it really gives you a perspective of reality tv that you may not have considered before. The side characters were fun, although some came off as a bit one dimensional (hopefully, if the author continues this story as part of a series, will be able to flesh them out a bit more).

Overall, it was great and full of fabulousness and I hope that the author will write a sequel!

Reality TV novel meets YA. Read this and fall into beloved Josie's life grappling grief, high school, and a dash of drama. Jalili built six intricate characters for us to explore. I need a book two! Thanks to NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for an early read in exchange for my honest review.

Josie is a character for sure. I liked seeing her growth and change through the series. I saw some similarities to the Kardashians, but there were some really genuine characters throughout.
I think teens will like this book.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of Finding Famous. Honestly, I didn't expect to be as invested in Josie as I was. There are a few nitpicking kind of things that I could find issue with (how easily Josie is accepted by her sisters, how well Matt and Mary get along, how low key everyone at her school seemed about the news), but the overall sweetness of the story was enough to keep me going. This isn't a groundbreaking story, but it is fun. It'll be a perfect summer read for many of my students. 3.75 rounded up to 4

I just KNOW this one will be a hit once I add it to my classroom library! With TikTok and reality TV such a huge hit right now, any lover of said media will appreciate how Kardashian/Bachelor/influencer-esque this story is as they follow Josie's path to fame. I'll admit, I wasn't the target audience for this book and felt the character and plot development fell a little flat, but I know that my YA readers will eat this one up! I think it might be a bit much for younger middle grades readers, but I think it's perfectly fine for my 7th and 8th graders who want a little more of a challenge. Thanks for the ARC!

I can already think of at least a dozen of my students who will want to read this the moment it comes out. Finding Famous is the story of a girl (Josie) who finds out that she is the love child of America's favorite dad, Ali Mashad who was the patriarch of the country's most famous reality-TV family: The Mashads.

Josie had been living a relatively calm life with her stepdad, Matt, who were both just trying to hang on after a car accident claimed the life of her mother. The truth doesn't come out until Josie's 18th birthday when she receives a posthumous letter from her birth dad. All of a sudden, Josie finds out that she has three half-sisters as well as a potential fortune if she agrees to be on the family's reality TV show for one season.

During the filming of the series, Josie learns the meaning of family and navigates the life she knew versus the life she has now.

There are some clear parallels between the Mashads and Kardashians, which pulled me out of the story a tad. That being said, those same parallels will make the book even more appealing to some readers.

I wouldn't hesitate to purchase for a high school collection.