My review of The Showrunner will follow the publisher’s blurb :
The hiring of a new assistant triggers a power struggle between an aging TV show creator and her former protégée.
Rising-star showrunner Stacey McCreedy has one goal: to leave behind her nerd-girl origins and become a power player — like Ann Dalloni, her former mentor and current producing partner. Ann, meanwhile, is feeling her age and losing her mind. But she’ll be damned if she cedes control of their hit primetime TV show to Stacey.
After Ann hires Jenna, a young actress hoping to restart her stalled career, as an assistant, the relationship between Ann and Stacey deteriorates into a blood feud. Soon, Jenna must choose whom to support and whom to betray to achieve her own ends. And Stacey will find out if she possesses the killer instinct needed to stay on top.
This is one of those novels that I don’t think I would have picked up but so glad I dove into it. The setting and characters are so far removed from my everyday reality yet I could relate to the intense rivalry between Stacey and Ann. I lived through something similar when I was younger and career driven and let me just say; I’m so glad I got out of that environment when I did.
I loved the writing and quick humour throughout the novel. I found the rivalry and jockeying of position from the two main characters extremely entertaining. The way it evolved and got completely out of control was just fun to read even though it was a little cliché. It’s crazy just how much the quest for power and notoriety can influence decisions and take hold on the psyche. The tornado of greed, fame, money in The Showrunner was a real trip right from the beginning.
The secondary characters bring a lot to the story too. With interesting love triangles and cheating husbands – it has some real picante. Even though some goings on had a superficial touch, it added to the atmosphere and feel throughout The Showrunner. It’s a wonderful backstage pass to what happens behind the scenes, the climb to the top and the deadly fall once you’ve risen there. Also, I had no idea that “A Showrunner” was an actual job before I read this book.
It’s not hard to imagine this book for the screen. As it turns out, The Showrunner had been optioned by White Pine Pictures. It will be great to see how they capture the characters and continue with the various back stories.
This is a great summer read, perfect with a glass of rosé !
The Showrunner by Kim Moritsugu is available now !
Published by Dundurn Press
304 pages
ISBN 978-1-45974-097-6