The Convertible Life

Personal trainers, personal shoppers and borderline personality disorders fill the daily void of Thom Thompson III, a young, rising sitcom star whose pampered Hollywood existence has become even more two-dimensional than the nihilistic character he portrays on TV.

When Thom’s estranged twin shows up on set and begins impersonating him (after a lengthy hibernation shooting gay porn), Thom’s keen sense of denial instinctively seeks refuge in crystal meth. But a voicemail from his father, whom his valium-popping mother "accidentally" murdered decades ago, pushes an already fragile Thom over the edge.
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SIMILAR BOOKS SUGGESTED BY KIRKUS CRITICS:

FIGHT CLUB by Chuck Palahniuk
FEAR AND LOATHING IN AMERICA by Hunter S. Thompson
THE ELECTRIC KOOL-AID ACID TEST by Tom Wolfe
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KIRKUS REVIEW:

Hanley’s debut novel tells a tale of twin brothers in a drug-and-sex-fueled psychological whirlwind.

Thom Thompson is just one of thousands of Los Angeles actors looking for his big shot at stardom. But if he can’t have stardom, he’ll settle for his next drug hit or anonymous sexual encounter. He and his twin brother had a traumatic childhood, as they were both adopted by a pill-popping woman they call Mommie Dearest. Their absent father, only known as “Daddy,” is presumed dead. When Thom’s sitcom is suddenly and humiliatingly canceled, he risks his career—and his life—to go live with his brother in New York in the days leading up to September 11, 2001. When Daddy resurfaces shortly after the terrorist attacks, Thom is forced to come to terms with himself, his twin, his adoptive mother and his past—all while taking vast amounts of drugs. Hanley’s novel depicts a story of despair and pain wrapped in a haze of glamour and ever-elusive fame. His intriguing narrative strategies, including a chapter countdown and a first-person plea to an evasive “you” (Thom’s twin brother), lend the novel a touch of pathos that elevates it above the standard Hollywood chronicle. That said, although the author uses honest, graphic descriptions of gay orgies and drug use to great effect, the scenes’ frequency and length sometimes threaten to overshadow the plot. Despite this structural weakness, however, Hanley deftly handles the story of the twins’ fraught relationship, balancing humor and emotion while hinting at the complexity of their trauma.

A cautionary tale about the heights and depths of fame and family.

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/sean-meyrick-hanley/the-convertible-life/
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sean Meyrick Hanley received his B.A. in English at Lewis and Clark College in Portland and wound up in La-La Land where he completed a UCLA certificate program in Screenwriting. After three seasons on Fran Drescher's hit CBS sitcom, "The Nanny," Sean landed a coveted position on the writing staff and went on to co-create his own sitcom pilot. "Half-Share" premiered at the world’s most prestigious venue for short films, The Palm Springs International ShortFest, and went on to have an exceptional festival run that spanned twenty festivals in four countries on three different continents. Currently "Half-Share" airs exclusively on HERE! TV through 2014 and Sean is currently in negotiations with the network regarding turning it into a full blown series. Other television credits include "The Simple Life" (starring Judith Light, CBS), "Kelly Kelly" (starring Shelley Long, WB) and "Daytrippers" (created by Fran Drescher, MTV). Film credits include Todd Graff’s movie musical, "Camp" (IFC).
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