Book Review: Leading Man by Benjamin Svetkey

Leading Man

By Benjamin Svetkey

Release Date: September 3, 2013

Source: Publisher

Summary: In the tradition of David Nicholls and Nick Hornby comes a hilarious, bittersweet, heartwarming debut novel about love of all kinds: first, unrequited, delusional, obsessive, and, ultimately, the kind that lasts. A VINTAGE CONTEMPORARIES ORIGINAL

At 26, Maxwell Lerner thinks he has his whole life figured out. He's got the girl-his high-school sweetheart Samantha. He's got the job-low-level reporter for a prestigious national magazine. He even lives with aforementioned girl in a walk-up studio apartment in the West Village. Life is sweet. Until his aspiring actress girlfriend leaves him for his childhood hero, Johnny Mars, who, as action adventurer "Jack Montana," features in some of Max's favorite movies. Getting dumped for one of his idols sets Max off on a dual mission: to get inside the glamorous world Samantha left him for, and to win her back. But when Samantha's perfect life takes an unexpected turn, Max gets more of an education, in life and in love, than he bargained for.

Review: I love pop culture and anything that has to do with movies. I love movies so much, I even have a film studies minor at school. Needless to say, when I read the synopsis for this one and saw that the author was a writer for Entertainment Weekly, I couldn't wait to read it. 

Max feels like nothing in his life can go wrong- he has his high school sweetheart by his side, a job reporting on the world's television celebrities, and a home he loves in New York. But when his girlfriend lands a part in a play acting besides Max's idol and televisions superhero, everything falls apart. Max finds himself losing his girlfriend to his hero and has no idea what to do. Burying himself in his work and obsessing over pop culture, Max tries to figure life out, which involves attempting to finally getting over his girlfriend whether he wants to or not. 

Normally I don't like books that have a lot of talk and not a lot of actual action, but I loved this one. Max's life is just so interesting and I loved how much he talks about pop culture and makes references to different movies. While his life may seem perfect and amazing, there are obviously bad parts and he learns a lot throughout the years that pass throughout this book. 

The other characters that make up this read were great too. From the other crazy celebrities he interviews to his best friend from the office, you couldn't get a cast of characters more perfect for this book. I even liked Samantha with her insomnia and need to still be friends with Max, even though she's the one who broke his heart after dating for years. 

Max changes and learns so much throughout the book. I think about 10 years passes from beginning to end, and the entire journey is definitely an interesting one. I even laughed out loud at some points (seriously, ask my sister) and it was a pretty quick read. If you're looking for an entertaining book about the entertainment world, you better pick up a copy of Leading Man. You're in for a fun look into a world of fame, celebrities, and a little bit heartbreak.