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Party Girl by Anna David — book cover

Party Girl

by Anna David
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Overview

Celebrity journalist Amelia Stone is the quintessential L.A. party girl. She goes to Hollywood's most exclusive, star-studded events, where she rubs shoulders (and occasionally more) with celebrities, stays out until all hours of the night, and indulges in the ultimate sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll existence. In short, she's got everything a party girl needs: the looks, the job, the lifestyle. And oh, yes, the out-of-control coke habit.

But it's hard to keep topping your own outrageous exploits, and after losing her job, her friends, and much of her mind (not to mention waking up in the hospital after combining five Ambien, four lines of Special K, and an inestimable amount of cocaine), Amelia makes the drastic decision to end her drug abuse. Sobriety, she finds, has its rewards: she starts seeing the man who could be her Mr. Right and gets hired by a big-name magazine to write a column detailing her wild adventures with the celebrity party crowd. And who could write it better? After all, she has plenty of experience to draw on.

There's just one little problem. Overnight, Amelia Stone has become the new face of Hollywood nightlife, and her editors—who don't know she's come clean—want her to play the part. As her popularity skyrockets and the film and TV agents start calling, the lure of her former fast-and-furious lifestyle begins to pull at her. Faced with the most exciting opportunity of her career, she must now decide to either save herself—or salvage her reputation as the ultimate party girl.

Acidly hilarious and achingly honest, Party Girl is a harrowing ride through the world of Hollywood excess with a heroine who's deliciously flawed. Whether snorting coke or crying in rehab, hooking up or breaking down, Amelia Stone makes her way across the treacherous grounds of addiction, self-destruction, and recovery without ever losing her sharp wit, unapologetic candor, or odds-defying optimism.

About the Author, Anna David

Anna David is the author of the novels Party Girl and Bought, and the editor of the anthology Reality Matters. She has written for the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Redbook, Details, and many other publications. She has appeared on national television programs including Today, Hannity, and CNN’s Showbiz Tonight.

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Editorials

Kirkus Reviews

Party girl journalist parties too hard, crashes, reassesses life and ponders the difficulties of staying fabulous and sober. For your consideration: Does a book count as chick lit if the heroine does blow and gets into ill-considered threesomes while utterly blotto? If nothing else, celebrity journalist and sex columnist David's first novel has navigated some of the genre's conventions; unfortunately, there's little else here that's new. David's heroine, Amelia, is a spoiled trust-fund kid with daddy issues and a prodigious coke habit who, when not out partying, scribbles celebrity gossip for an US Weekly-like rag called Absolutely Fabulous. Amelia has a habit of burning the candle at both ends, and, after throwing a couple of big stories, she is fired by her long-suffering boss. Coupled with losing her best friend over a guy, the unemployment news pushes Amelia into a full-fledged coke binge, eventually landing her in rehab. When a hot magazine asks her to write a "Party Girl" column, newly sober Amelia must decide whether she can maintain the "party girl" persona while remaining clean. It briefly seems possible that David is planning something fresh, but the monotonous language, undifferentiated characters and flat fringe-of-Hollywood setting quickly put the kibosh on that. Raunchier than average, but nothing special.

Redbook Magazine

"David’s debut novel combines a candid picture of addiction and recovery with scandalously funny, only-in-LA adventures."

Jerry Stahl

"Bridget Jones with a byline, bigger IQ, and substance abuse issues...at once laugh-out-loud and Capote-elegant."

Cindy Chupack

"A smart, hilarious, and poignant page-turner that takes you past the velvet ropes and into the Hollywood party scene."

Liz Smith

"An inspirational story—a triumph over the red carpet, instant intimacy with celebs, and an open bar."

Rachel Resnick

"Let the prose paparazzo’s flashbulbs explode on this stunning debut. Reality fiction never had it so good."

Melissa de la Cruz

"Anna David’s Party Girl is acidly hilarious and thoroughly entertaining. A must-read!"

Doctor - Drew Pinsky

"A rollercoaster read...The most accurate portrayal of addiction and the nuances of recovery that I have come across."

Ian Kerner

"Amelia Stone’s struggle to transcend the booze and booty-calls makes Sex and the City look like Disneyland."

Richard Rushfield

"A hilarious tale of a madcap screwball heroine—Irene Dunn with a Sidekick and a Prada bag full of cocaine."

Samantha Dunn

"This is your brain on Party Girl: Sizzle. Pop. Narrative-as-amyl-nitrate."

Tom Dolby

"In Party Girl, readers are lucky to sign on as Anna David’s plus-one."

Book Details

Published
October 13, 2009
Publisher
HarperCollins Publishers
Pages
288
ISBN
9780061856853

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