Hayley Aldridge Is Still Here
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From the author of The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes comes yet another sharp, page-turning novel about a forgotten child star and former Hollywood “It” Girl who is now fighting back against the conservatorship that has controlled her life for the past decade.
It’s been years since anyone really thought about Hayley Aldridge. A child star turned television royalty, Hayley spent years in Hollywood partying and being plastered across the front page of all the tabloids before quietly disappearing after a whirlwind marriage and divorce and very public breakdown. Once the tabloids wrung every last drop out of the drama, they moved on to the next It Girl. But Hayley is still here.
For over a decade, she’s been trapped in a conservatorship and had every aspect of her life controlled by her parents. She goes nowhere, does nothing without their approval, which is rarely granted. Her visits with her kids are monitored, her fan mail is censored, and she’s a prisoner in her own home. She thought things might change once she was well enough to work, but the restrictions got even tighter as she continued to bring money in—the only thing her parents ever really cared about. Hayley is beginning to realize that this nightmare is her actual life. And she’s sick of it.
When the hashtag #helphayley starts to emerge on social media, and the public starts thinking critically about what happened to her all those years ago, there’s finally some momentum on her side. With an upcoming court date to review the status of the conservatorship, Hayley might finally have a chance to break free.
But how can she go up against her parents when they’re aware of her every move? It’s time for Hayley Aldridge to remind the world who she is, this time on her own terms.
The spirited latest from Sloan… Sloan does a great job portraying Hayley’s grasping, opportunistic parents, and the twisty plot never lets up. Readers will devour this.
– Review, Publishers Weekly
Even when she is making mistakes, [readers] will root for Hayley until the very end… This is a perfect, unputdownable book for fans of celebrity gossip and pop-culture fiction.
– Review, Library Journal
Sloan’s fascinating examination of late-nineties and early-aughts celebrity culture feels equally authentic and terrifying.
– Review, Booklist (print, Jan 2023 edition)
Heartwrenching and riveting, Hayley Aldridge Is Still Here is both a sensitive portrait of a young woman trying to take back control of her own life and an acute skewering of a toxic culture that still very much exists. Like watching a celebrity implode in front of your own eyes, I found it near impossible to look away.
Paparazzi, drugs, affairs, eating disorders, and family betrayal set the scene for fast-paced drama. In the wake of Britney buzz, this novel will grab anyone wondering how a female celebrity poised to have it all could be robbed, not just of her dignity, but her most basic freedoms.
Sloan’s novel is a page-turner that speaks to our current reflections on, and past treatments of, celebrities.
Elissa R. Sloan has done it again with her whipsmart new novel, Hayley Aldridge is Still Here. Calling all smart readers and gossip lovers alike: this novel is an unputdownable ride, fiction inspired by the narratives of stars like Jennette McCurdy and Britney Spears. Sloan’s examination of money, fame, and control is brilliant, necessary… and fun as hell.
Everyone knows Hayley Aldridge’s name, but no one knows who she really is. Sharp and sparkling, Elissa R. Sloan’s tale of a famous wild child turned commodity is filled with high stakes, shocking twists, and pitch-perfect explorations of celebrity and exploitation. If you’ve ever wondered the truth behind tabloid headlines, you need to read this irresistible and empowering story of a woman reclaiming her own life.