Falling Star
by Michele Kwasniewski

Minutes before her scheduled performance at the party for her third album, sixteen-year-old pop sensation Dani Truehart regains consciousness amid the smoking wreckage of a car accident, the crumbled body of a cyclist splayed on the ground. Moments after the accident, Dani’s manager, Jenner Redman, reaches the scene and his impulsive decision sets in motion a chain of events that will have catastrophic consequences for everyone in the starlet’s orbit.

Later, when scandal threatens to destroy the dazzling career of the world’s most beloved pop star, Dani must choose between accepting responsibility for her disastrous choices, possibly destroying her fame and fortune, or sacrificing those who made her famous and everyone she loves to preserve the stardom she has spent her entire life working to achieve.

5 out of 5 fairies

Being a teenage star isn’t easy, and Dani has certainly had a rollercoaster of a time. This latest problem may just be her biggest yet, however. I’ve loved how real Dani is from the start – she’s not perfect, she acts a lot like a teenager, but we’ve gotten to see her grow over the course of the series. Kwasniewski does an excellent job of bringing all the characters and the setting to life, and it’s like watching a teen drama unfold before your eyes. Everything feels like it could actually happen, which just added to my enjoyment of the story. I highly recommend starting with book one, but this is one series that you won’t want to miss if you enjoy YA fiction that leans towards slice of life (this time of a star).

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After graduating from Loyola Marymount University with a BA in Technical Theater, Michele Kwasniewski spent over fifteen years in film and television production. Starting out as a film set assistant on movies such as INDEPENDENCE DAY, FACE/OFF, PRIMAL FEAR, and EVITA. Michele eventually switched to the small screen and worked her way up the ladder to production manager, gaining experience on television shows such as BIG BROTHER, ADOPTION STORIES, EXTRA YARDAGE and MEET THE PANDAS. She is also a proud member of the Producers Guild of America. Michele’s colorful experiences in the industry inspired her to write THE RISE AND FALL OF DANI TRUEHART series. Michele lives in San Clemente, California with her husband, their son, and their disobedient dachshund. 

The first two books in Michele’s YA series RISING STAR and BURNING BRIGHT have won multiple awards including BEST PERFORMING ARTS BOOK for the 2022 AMERICAN WRITING AWARDS, BEST YOUNG ADULT FICTION BOOK and GENERAL FICTION BOOK for the 2022 ROYAL DRAGONFLY AWARDS and BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOK for the 2023 PENCRAFT SEASONAL BOOK AWARDS (WINTER).

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