The Comeback-Ella Berman @ellabee @headofzeus @squadpod2021 @squadpod3 @Hoz_books

My thoughts

Thank you to Head Of Zeus and Squadpod for my copy of The Comeback.

The story begins with Grace an A list actress back living with her parents and sister in the family home in Anaheim. She is at home because wanted to escape, however at the beginning it is not clear what or who she wants to escape from.

Grace is only 22 and her rise to fame started as a 14 year old, when she  plucked from England and taken to Los Angeles to star in her first film.

Grace has a complicated relationship with her parents due to having a much younger sibling Esme. Then  she discovers that her fame can even the balance that she felt was lacking as her parents shower her with the attention she craved.

As the story progresses we move between past and present and the background Grace’s behaviour becomes apparent.  She is introduced to a Able Yorke, a powerful Hollywood director who promises to make Grace a star. We then begin to uncover what Grace has been subjected to over the past few years.

I absolutely loved this book it is so engrossing, I really felt for Grace as a child she puts her trust in adults who absolutely fail her. She is so scared of letting people down she forgets herself. This leads her down a familiar child star route of drugs and alcohol as she attempts to cope with things that a child should not have to deal with.

It’s shocking and emotive as the truth behind Grace’s rise to fame is revealed, the abuse of power, emotional blackmail, sexual assault are all part of this young woman’s past.

Her parents are oblivious to the darkness as Grace hides it from them. I loved the writing in this book its so raw and brutal, because it is told from the perspective of Grace it really packs a punch.

Grace makes some terrible decisions but it is understandable when you find out what she has been through. One of  the better decisions she has made is Dylan who seems like a really kind and loyal person.

I also enjoyed the female relationships in this book. I  particularly liked how Grace and Esme become closer throughout the book and how Esme is not afraid to ask questions that others steer away from. The tension rises throughout the book as Grace begins to take back the power and control she had lost and makes a connection with Emilia Able’s wife which leads to a near devastating conclusion.

This is a book I will be talking about for a long time I absolutely loved it.

5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the book

A deep dive into the psyche of a young actress raised in the spotlight under the influence of a charming, manipulative film director and the moment when she decides his time is up.

At the height of her career and on the eve of her first Golden Globe nomination, teen star Grace Turner disappeared.

Now, tentatively sober and surprisingly numb, Grace is back in Los Angeles after her year of self-imposed exile. She knows the new private life she wants isn’t going to be easy as she tries to be a better person and reconnect with the people she left behind.

But when Grace is asked to present a lifetime achievement award to director Able Yorke–the man who controlled her every move for eight years–she realizes that she can’t run from the secret behind her spectacular crash and burn for much longer. And she’s the only one with nothing left to lose.

Alternating between past and present, The Comeback tackles power dynamics and the uncertainty of young adulthood, the types of secrets that become part of our sense of self, and the moments when we learn that though there are many ways to get hurt, we can still choose to fight back.