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A review by katykelly
Monsters: A Love Story by Liz Kay
5.0
Impressive debut, a story of a complex relationship that rings true
You might think it's a Mills and Boon story - poet is called to Hollywood to make her book into a film, meets the star, lust and passion take over - but it's absolutely NOT that.
This is intelligent, witty, layered and demonstrates a relationship that is not perfect, people that are just that - human - and a slightly un-average twosome, but one you take to.
I didn't warm easily to Stacey (I hated her reliance on alcohol), but appreciated her academic intelligence, her poetry and work, her efforts as a single mother and widow. She is asked to work on a script of her poetic work as it transitions to a movie, and ends up meeting and working with the star and one of the produces, movie star Tommy.
In some ways, it has a 'Notting Hill' feel, as an everyday woman meets a celebrity and gets under his skin. Their relationship is not an easy one though - they may sleep together but they don't develop as a couple, they don't become intimate in other ways, both have other relationships going on at the same time.
The story takes us through the process of conditioning the script, casting and shooting the film, all the way to Oscar night, while Stacey goes back and forth from her mid-country home to LA.
Tommy is both frustrating and adorable - the 'man-whore' film star who is clearly struck by the writer, he is smart and a developed character that changes through the story subtly.
Both get good backstories, with Tommy's teenage daughter who has her own issues that Stacey mentors Tommy with, and Stacey's fatherless boys grieving a dead father. There are plenty of issues here for them all to work through. Plenty of 'monsters' outside of the main plot to give meaning to the title.
It all connects up well, and I love the insight and 'backstage' look at Hollywood scriptwriting.
A smart read, one I got sucked into - I really want to both read Stacey's book and see Tommy's film! Great writing from a debut author, and I hope it one day becomes a film itself.
You might think it's a Mills and Boon story - poet is called to Hollywood to make her book into a film, meets the star, lust and passion take over - but it's absolutely NOT that.
This is intelligent, witty, layered and demonstrates a relationship that is not perfect, people that are just that - human - and a slightly un-average twosome, but one you take to.
I didn't warm easily to Stacey (I hated her reliance on alcohol), but appreciated her academic intelligence, her poetry and work, her efforts as a single mother and widow. She is asked to work on a script of her poetic work as it transitions to a movie, and ends up meeting and working with the star and one of the produces, movie star Tommy.
In some ways, it has a 'Notting Hill' feel, as an everyday woman meets a celebrity and gets under his skin. Their relationship is not an easy one though - they may sleep together but they don't develop as a couple, they don't become intimate in other ways, both have other relationships going on at the same time.
The story takes us through the process of conditioning the script, casting and shooting the film, all the way to Oscar night, while Stacey goes back and forth from her mid-country home to LA.
Tommy is both frustrating and adorable - the 'man-whore' film star who is clearly struck by the writer, he is smart and a developed character that changes through the story subtly.
Both get good backstories, with Tommy's teenage daughter who has her own issues that Stacey mentors Tommy with, and Stacey's fatherless boys grieving a dead father. There are plenty of issues here for them all to work through. Plenty of 'monsters' outside of the main plot to give meaning to the title.
It all connects up well, and I love the insight and 'backstage' look at Hollywood scriptwriting.
A smart read, one I got sucked into - I really want to both read Stacey's book and see Tommy's film! Great writing from a debut author, and I hope it one day becomes a film itself.