Some of the characterisation in Let's Pretend can come across as a bit cliched; for example, when we are introduced to former child star Lily Thane - now a struggling 32-year-old actress - at the start of the novel, she is passing a joint to Nina Gill (a friend who Lily's mum - referred to throughout as the Momager - disapproves of) after another failed audition and this along with Lily 's nose job at 15 could be interpreted as all too familiar tropes about the trappings of fame.
That said, the relatively brief chapters and regular exchanges of dialogue help to keep things moving along at a fairly decent pace and the introduction of (and references to) Lily's old stage-school buddy Adam Harker, who needs an appropriate red-carpet companion to seal the deal of making it big, offers the reader some intrigue. This is especially true when first-person narrator Lily reveals in chapter two that, less than a year on from her chance reunion with Adam, she would be staring at his lifeless body in a swimming pool...
That said, the relatively brief chapters and regular exchanges of dialogue help to keep things moving along at a fairly decent pace and the introduction of (and references to) Lily's old stage-school buddy Adam Harker, who needs an appropriate red-carpet companion to seal the deal of making it big, offers the reader some intrigue. This is especially true when first-person narrator Lily reveals in chapter two that, less than a year on from her chance reunion with Adam, she would be staring at his lifeless body in a swimming pool...