As portrayed alternately through the eyes of Margaret, Gabby, and Amanda, Shukert's old Hollywood offers readers a refreshingly holistic view of stardom. From Gabby's overdosing on diet pills to Amanda's graveyarding as call girl to the studio executives, Starstruck illustrates both the injustices and euphoria of 1930s celebrity. Although spot-on period details encamp this novel firmly in pre-WWII Hollywood, the characters are anything but archetypical fixtures of the era. Rather, Margaret, Gabby, and Amanda are as timeless as they are complex, individuals in whose lives I see the reflection of my own. Deftly paced, Starstruck enthralls the reader, while also allowing time to savor the expansive, luxuriantly-detailed world Shukert has created. Resplendent with intrigue, romance, and poignancy, Starstruck by Rachel Shukert is historical fiction at its finest.
