Sarah's Review of Unrivaled by Alyson Noel

Unrivaled is the first book in Alyson Noel's newest series, Beautiful Idols. It follows the lives of a few people, who are just trying to make it in Hollywood. Everyone wants to be known for something.
The book centers around the hottest new starlet, Madison Brooks. Who wouldn't think twice of doing anything to get to the top.
Layla Harrison wants to be become a top writer behind a desk in New York. Aster Amirpour is getting tired of being told by directors that she's not the right kind of ethnic for the role. Tommy Phillips is dying to get his hands on a twelve string guitar and rocket to stardom, all while making his way back into his absent father's life.
Layla, Aster and Tommy find themselves, along with a few others, invited VIP into the glamorous and not so glamorous nightlife where they are dragged into a high stakes competition to target the famous Madison Brooks. Just as the competition starts to look promising, Madison Brooks disappears. And the others find themselves at the heart of the investigation.

This young adult novel carries such a sense of drama, suspense and intrigue. It takes a closer look into the world of the young Hollywood and the not so nice aspects of a star-studded town.

I love the way this book is set up. It actually begins with the disappearance of Madison Brooks and then backtracks about a month to where we meet the main characters and they begin what will eventually lead to her disappearance. In the beginning it was a little hard to keep track of all of the characters, but I quickly caught on and I found the story to just flow perfectly from one chapter to the next, even with the changing of viewpoints.

All of Noel's characters are strongly written with very distinct personalities. Each story is captivating and you are left wondering where the lies and deceit are. I found myself looking back after I finished the book to see if I missed any clues only to find that they were hidden for a reason. Quite the mystery.

The way Alyson Noel describes the situations and settings leaves your mind open to picture things accurately and completely, leaving nothing to chance unless it is supposed to be withheld. A good mystery always leave open-ended questions and clues throughout the storyline, delivering information only as it is needed and Alyson Noel handles this perfectly. I think this will series will be on the #1 list for years to come. Personally I can't wait to sink into the second novel in Beautiful Idols.

If you are a fan of Gossip Girl or Pretty Little Liars then you will instantly love this new series!