Once More from the Top
A Novel
-
-
2.7 • 9 Ratings
-
-
- $12.99
Publisher Description
“A deliciously insider-y peek into the music industry and fame — Layden has a gift for making the world and her characters feel wonderfully real. You won’t be able to put it down.” -- Rufi Thorpe, author of Margo's Got Money Troubles
A propulsive, "immersive" (Washington Post) novel about the meteoric rise of a legendary pop star and the secret she’s kept hidden for fifteen years, for fans of Megan Abbott and Daisy Jones & the Six.
Everyone in America knows Dylan Read, or at least has heard her music. Since releasing her debut album her senior year of high school, Dylan’s spent fifteen years growing up in the public eye. She’s not only perfected her skills when it comes to lyrics and melody; she’s also learned how to craft a public narrative that satisfies her fans, her label, and the media. In the circles of fame and celebrity in which she now travels, the careful maintenance of Dylan Read pop star is often more important than the songs themselves.
And so lots of people think they understand everything about Dylan Read. But what no one knows is the part of her origin story she has successfully kept hidden: her childhood best friend Kelsey vanished the year before Dylan became famous. Now, as Dylan’s at the height of her career, Kelsey’s body is found at the bottom of their hometown lake—forcing Dylan to reckon with their shared past, her friend’s influence on her music, and whether there’s more to their story than meets the eye.
Layered, page-turning, and psychologically astute, Once More from the Top is a riveting and keenly observant novel about friendship, ambition, and the cost of fame.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
A shocking discovery turns a pop star’s life on its head in this arresting mystery. Dylan Read’s country-tinged “bedroom pop” has given her the worldwide adulation of fans and the almost obsessive scrutiny of the paparazzi. On the verge of Dylan releasing her most mature album yet, the dead body of her high school best friend is found at the bottom of a lake, putting Dylan at the center of a media storm that may ruin everything she’s worked for. Whether you’re the all-night-karaoke type or prefer tearing through a classic whodunit, you will absolutely love this book. Author Emily Layden fills this scorcher with relatable characters, well-orchestrated plot twists, and pop songs you’ll almost find yourself singing along with. The tension rises like a crescendo, leading to a twisty finale that had us on our feet. This is one of the most entertaining mysteries we’ve read in ages.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A Taylor Swift–esque pop star is blindsided by the discovery of her high school best friend's corpse in this powerhouse sophomore effort from Layden (All Girls). Dylan Read is a chart-topping, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter famous for her diaristic lyrics. The only major life event she hasn't written about is the disappearance of her friend Kelsey Copestenke, who taught Dylan songwriting and seemed destined for greatness. Kelsey was known to be somewhat reckless, so when she vanished during the girls' junior year of high school in Upstate New York, the search was perfunctory; many people assumed she'd simply decamped to Nashville. Fifteen years later, tourists discover Kelsey's remains in a lake near her hometown. When she hears the news, Dylan thinks she knows when and why Kelsey died, and blames herself—but after she attends the memorial service, she starts to suspect there's more to the story. Leyden skillfully intercuts Dylan's search for answers with sections chronicling her friendship with Kelsey and the evolution of her career. Authentic characters and Dylan's lyrical first-person narration bestow the proceedings with dimension, drama, and drive. Megan Abbott fans will devour this.
