Image credit: Mido Diez
Ebook: Starstruck
Author: Rajeev Balasubramanyam
Publisher: The Pigeonhole
Price: £2.99
Review by Catrina Walters
The aptly titled Starstruck leaves you reflective of celebrity culture, fame and fandom, and how ordinary people interact with these stars. In our celebrity-mad, social media driven society, Starstruck deliciously interweaves stories connecting key characters through 10 short stories.
Beautifully written, the self described “novel in 10 parts” blends reality, fantasy, comedy and emotion. The stories feature well-known celebrities: David Beckham, Björk, Tony Blair, George Bush Sr., Sarah Ferguson, Michael Jackson, Prince Harry, Steve Jobs, Freddie Mercury and Mike Tyson.
The dark and twisted story of Steve Jobs’ cult followers see them pursue Mala who gives her opinion on the hysteria surrounding Jobs death and consumerism culture on Facebook. As the reaction to her online response spirals out of control, her so-called friends disagree with her and leave disgruntled comments online, leading them to create an “I hate Mala” Facebook group.
They threaten her life, and steal her laptop, leading to physical injury. The strong hint of realism in this story highlights how individuals and the pack mentality of personal opinion can lead people to forsake friendships (in real life) for the ideologies of people they never met. It opens up an important dialogue about the impact of social media, managing controversial opinions and the inability to agree or disagree and just move on.
In the story of Sarah Ferguson, the highs and lows of celebrity culture are explored with her being one step ahead of tabloids journalists trying to capture yet another sordid story to celebrate her fall from grace. Though fantasy, the saga offers an emotive account of a woman deemed to have it all but who has messed up her privileged life to become an outsider – in society and the Royal family. We see journalist Vishal have a change of heart as the former Duchess pepper sprays him in a hotel room and makes him open up to his own vulnerability and loneliness.
Then there are the hilarious accounts of when celebrities collide on yachts and Mayfair nightclubs and the wonderful idea of Victoria Beckham becoming a recluse as David polarises the Beckham brand. In a haunting narrative, David Beckham becomes politically possessed after an artist draws an image of his eyes with a paint mixture containing a cancerous tumour. This leads to the nation hating him after he declares Britain to be a fascist state and announces that reparations should be paid to every country colonised and to every ethnic minority (now wouldn’t that be something?).
Michael Jackson devotee and look-alike Jay spends his life dedicated to the pop prince, working as a high profile Michael Jackson impersonator. The story is told from his older brother’s perspective as he watches Jay transform into someone unrecognisable, breaking the brotherly bond they had while growing up.
Conspiracy-theorists will love this story as Jay’s love for the star leads him to give up his life to be the dead Michael Jackson. And while the nation mourns for the loss of a legend, the real Michael Jackson is found in Morocco two years later.
Rajeev Balasubramanyam has created a selection of short stories which is like playing the game Six Degrees of Separation. Imaginatively interconnected, it will take more than one read to get the most out of this book, and the enjoyment doesn’t fade after each read.