Elimination Night: A Novel
Assistant producer Sasha King is forced to step into her boss’ shoes to wrangle the celebrity judges for the thirteenth season of the music-talent-competition show, Project Icon. After caustic judge Nigel Crowther decamps to start his own competition, the producers of Icon bring in aging rocker Joey Lovecraft and Latin diva Bibi Vasquez to fill the vacancy. Joey and Bibi compete over everything, from getting the best perks to currying favor with the audience. Sasha finds herself stuck trying to prevent Bibi from taking cues from her Svengali-like manager and to stop Joey from abusing drugs and sleeping with the contestants. Sasha just wants to earn enough money to join her boyfriend, Brock, in Hawaii and write her great American novel, but as the season winds on, she finds that she’s less invested in her relationship and unexpectedly growing more attached to Icon and its eccentric cast of characters. This thinly veiled comedic send-up of American Idol will no doubt find plenty of readers among those who love the hit series. --Kristine Huntley