Whatever Happened To Madeline Stone is fictional escapism at its finest

Louise O'Neill's novel Whatever Happened to Madeline Stone? is the book everyone will be talking about

I was lucky enough to receive an early copy of Louise O'Neill's Whatever Happened to Madeline Stone? and had such high hopes for the novel. O'Neill is one of those authors you can rely on for pure escapism, characters full of depth, and a plot that'll hold your attention from the very first page. I'll instantly buy anything written by Louise O'Neill because you're guaranteed a novel that'll be full of surprise, impeccable writing, and an abundance of unique twists you'll never see coming, and that's exactly what you get with Whatever Happened to Madeline Stone?

2002. Twin sisters Madeline and Chelsea Stone are joint stars of the AtomicKids sitcom Double Trouble, but everyone knows it's Maddie who shines most brightly. Until Chelsea beats her sister out for the role of a lifetime and is catapulted into the spotlight. And just as Chelsea's star reaches impossible new heights, Maddie disappears.

2025. Chelsea Stone retired from acting after her sister's disappearance - but living life under the radar is easier said than done when you're the most famous woman of your generation. When a storage locker is found containing heartbreaking truths about the year Maddie went missing, Chelsea feels a flicker of hope for the first time in twenty years. This is her chance to discover what really happened to her twin, but to follow the trail she'll have to face the past and step back into the spotlight.

This is a novel that completely whisks you away to Hollywood, but not in the way you think. It takes us behind the lives of Hollywood's elite, but not in the glamourised and lavish way we're used to. Whatever Happened to Madeline Stone? exposes the reader to the darker side of Hollywood and highlights the risks that come with fame, but also the reality that celebrities face in exchange for status and power.

What O'Neill has done perfectly is show the risk that comes with speaking out, especially when you're a woman in an industry overtaken by powerful and dangerous men. The downfall of Maddie's career after she uses her voice is heartbreaking, but something many women have faced on a daily basis in their own lives. O'Neill has crafted a perfect picture of the real Hollywood, the place beyond the red carpets and Oscar selfies, but the one riddled with mistreatment, abuse, and impossible standards that these stars will never meet.

This novel has been a beautiful reminder of just how talented O'Neill is. I was fully engrossed in Chelsea and Maddie's world, and I don't doubt that readers across Ireland and beyond will be glued to this unputdownable read from one of our finest authors.

Whatever Happened to Madeline Stone? is out now.

Buy it here.