What You Don't Know About Charlie Outlaw
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4.0 • 14 Ratings
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
"More than a glitzy Hollywood tale... It's a surprisingly insightful, even poignant meditation on stardom."--Entertainment Weekly ("Must List")
The celebrated author of The Myth of You and Me explores an untraditional love story through the lens of a character actor who must finally become the hero of her own story.
One of Entertainment Weekly's "5 Books to Read if You Loved A Star is Born"
After a series of missteps in the face of his newfound fame, actor Charlie Outlaw flees to a remote island in search of anonymity and a chance to reevaluate his recent breakup with his girlfriend, actress Josie Lamar. But soon after his arrival on the peaceful island, his solitary hike into the jungle takes him into danger he never anticipated.
As Charlie struggles with gaining fame, Josie struggles with its loss. The star of a cult TV show in her early twenties, Josie has spent the twenty years since searching for a role to equal that one, and feeling less and less like her character, the heroic Bronwyn Kyle. As she gets ready for a reunion of the cast at a huge fan convention, she thinks all she needs to do is find a part and replace Charlie. But she can't forget him, and to get him back she'll need to be a hero in real life.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Stewart's thoughtful novel (following The Myth of You and Me) chronicles the inner workings of famous television actor Charlie Outlaw after he is kidnapped on a remote island. Honest and people-pleasing to a fault, Charlie alienates his fans and makes his girlfriend, Josie Lamar, feel like a fool after revealing too much about their relationship and his thoughts about the industry in a magazine interview. Josie herself was famous 20 years ago when she starred on a cult superhero show, but now counts herself lucky to score an audition. She breaks up with Charlie, who decides to lick his wounds by going on a hiking trip alone on a remote, unnamed island. Charlie is abducted on his vacation by amateur criminals who hope to ransom their American captive. When he realizes that they don't recognize him, he gives them a false name and uses what he's learned as an actor to make the best of his situation. Back home, Josie lands minor roles, readies herself for a convention celebrating the anniversary of her old show, and longs for Charlie as gossip about her leaks to the paparazzi. Stewart skillfully creates multifaceted characters, and she shows a very human side of what's often thought of as a vapid profession. In particular, readers who have had any sort of celebrity crushes will find this endearing and satisfying.
