Little Known Facts

October 22, 2012
In Sneed's unimaginative debut novel, middle-aged Hollywood heartthrob Renn Ivins, blessed with fame, fortune, and good looks, is unable to keep his personal life from falling apart. He philanders and makes questionable decisions, disappointing and confounding his children (rudderless 20-something Billy and young medical intern Anna), not to mention his ex-wives and lovers. On a sentence level, Sneed's prose is confident and seamless. She expends a great deal of narrative time fleshing out the insecurities and emotions of Renn and his entourage. Chapters unfold with eight different points of view, but instead of adding complexity or perspective to what has already been represented, these shifts are mostly skin-deep, revealing tawdry but predictable details, romantic betrayals, and other "little known facts" one might find in the tabloids. The characters do have their quirksâElise Connor, the young starlet Renn dates and Billy falls in love with, shamefully orders new suitcases and clothes online because she cannot bring herself to unpack after travelingâbut rarely depart from what we've come to expect from celebrities. While real-life fans may zealously follow the ups and downs of their idols' lives, Sneed (Portraits of a Few People I've Made Cry) takes for granted that readers will feel the same fascination for her fictional superstar and his private struggles. Agent: Lisa Bankoff, ICM.

November 1, 2012
Sneed's debut novel, which follows a short story collection (Portraits of a Few People I've Made Cry, 2010), goes beyond the tabloid headlines and chronicles the lives of those who orbit a famous actor. Celebrity has its perks as well as its drawbacks, and revered movie icon Renn Ivins' life is no exception. Adored by fans throughout the world, those closest to him also are affected by his aura and not necessarily in a positive way. His earnings provide financial security for his children, ex-wives, family members and girlfriends, but Ivins' fame is a double-edged sword. Both of Ivins' adult children become involved with lovers who secretly thrill at the chance to be connected to his inner circle. Will, his son, coasts through life engulfed in a sea of contradicting emotions. He loves Ivins and inwardly strives to please him, but he also resents his father's interference and feels as if he will never measure up to his expectations, so he compensates in other not-so-healthy ways. At the same time, although he despises himself for it, he uses his father's name to impress others. Anna, Will's sister, is a brilliant but naive medical student who rationalizes her questionable choices and has more in common with her father than she realizes. Time has more or less softened Ivins' first wife's attitude toward him. A successful pediatrician who has lived a solitary life since their divorce 15 years earlier, she still watches all of his movies. And then there's Ivins himself. Fodder for a bitter second wife's book and a boon for his much younger girlfriend's career, this author of two journals--one for posterity, the other more personal and destroyed each year--knows the allure of his public persona. It's what he cultivates when he donates to charities and signs autographs. And it's much easier on the ego to believe his own press. Sneed effectively blurs the line between fact and fiction and brings each character to life.

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November 15, 2012

Sneed's debut novel (following a short story collection, Portraits of a Few of the People I've Made Cry), offers a glimpse beyond Hollywood's glamorous facade; fans constantly clamor for a connection with a superstar, parasitic opportunists exploit their heroes, and wealth causes issues. The Hollywood legend in this case is Renn Ivins, a handsome, highly successful movie star who has tried his best to maintain a semblance of family life. Of his two adult children, the elder is finishing medical school, while the younger struggles with the angst of having a trust fund, which robs him of the need for a meaningful career. The story is told in the voices of various players, many whose egos are fed by ever-shifting relationships and betrayals. Each one struggles to find a moral compass in a city where morality is highly relative. VERDICT Although Sneed's writing style is quite thoughtful and the backstory involving the underbelly of Hollywood is fascinating, general readers may find it difficult to feel the pain of those who struggle with too much wealth and fame.--Susanne Wells, Indianapolis P.L.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from October 15, 2012
In his silvered fifties, Renn Ivins extends his reign as a Hollywood sex symbol, adding screenwriting and directing to his accomplishments. Twice-divorced, he also embarks on a closely observed relationship with his movie's ambitious star, Elise, who is younger than his two children, Will and Anna. Sneed follows her award-winning short story collection, Portraits of a Few of the People I've Made Cry (2010), with an ensnaring first novel that delves into the complex challenges and anguish of living with and in the shadow of celebrity. Sneed's wit, curiosity, empathy, and ability to divine the perfect detail propel this psychologically exquisite, superbly realized novel of intriguing, caricature-transcending characters and predicaments. Lost-soul Will knows he should be happy, but instead he is adrift and angry. A medical student emulating her steadfast pediatrician mother, the novel's moral center, Anna seems immune from the toxins of family notoriety until an untenable love affair exposes her vulnerability. As Sneed illuminates each facet of her percussively choreographed plot via delectably slant disclosuresoverheard conversations, snooping, tabloids, confessions under duress, and journal entries, among themshe spotlights little known facts about the cost of fame, our erotic obsession with movie-star power, and where joy can be found.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

September 15, 2012

Sneed's Portraits of a Few People I've Made Cry won AWP's 2009 Grace Paley Prize in Short Fiction, among other awards, so the cognoscenti will want her first novel. Here, the glow from legendary actor Renn Ivins blots out his ex-wives, girlfriends, and two grown children.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.