A Star Is Bored - Byron Lane

I’m going to preface this review by revealing a shocking truth: I have never seen Star Wars.

I felt it was essential to get that out of the way, as my enjoyment of this book was not impeded in any way by the fact that I’m not a fan of the franchise that made the star that inspired this novel a household name.

Byron Lane was Carrie Fisher’s assistant for many years, and his debut novel, A Star Is Bored, was inspired in part by his time working for the Star Wars legend. My appreciation for Carrie Fisher began when I first saw her in Scream 3: “I was up for Princess Leia…I was this close. So, who gets it? The one who slept with George Lucas.” Iconic.

I’m pleased to say there is much joy to be found in A Star Is Born. On the surface, it follows the madcap japes of a woman who truly lives in a universe of her own making, and the effect coming into that world has on an outsider is incredibly hilarious to read. Underneath that hilarious veneer is a novel about acceptance; acceptance of oneself, and acceptance of one’s circumstances, and one’s own power to change them.

The novel’s protagonist, Charlie, is coasting through Los Angeles life. He’s doing a job he has no passion for and lost his mother aged twelve. He has a poor relationship with his father, who still lives back home near New Orleans, which stems in part from his unwillingness to accept Charlie for who he is. To top it all off, he’s pretty unlucky in love.

Charlie’s meeting with Kathi Kannon, the titular star of the novel, is his first step on the road to recovery, and importantly, acceptance of himself. Working for her, and seeing how she lives her life, forces him to look at his own life, assess what he wants from it, and start to bring about some much-needed change.

A Star Is Bored holds up a mirror to our obsession with celebrity culture. It searingly captures the veneer of LA life, and the people who live there, all chasing a dream - or the shine, as Lane so wonderfully describes it. And while we don't witness Kathi Kannon's demise, unlike her real-life counterpart, it lurks beneath the writing, bringing pathos to proceedings. 

I felt it a perfect choice by Lane that Kathi’s final scene is one in which she has everything she had so long desired. It speaks to the mutual love that must genuinely have existed between him and his character's inspiration that we last see her radiant and happy, and it brought a tear to my eye.

Lane has written an incredibly enjoyable, universal story of love, loss, acceptance, and overcoming adversity. I would highly recommend A Star Is Bored if you’re looking for some light, comedic relief with an added dollop of heart.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

A Star Is Bored is published by Henry Holt & Co on July 28.

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