Originally self-published in 2010 and now re-released in a new edition, FAMOUS is a timely novel that fits perfectly in the celebrity-obsessed times in which we live. This quick and propulsive read will be made into a film starring Zac Efron.

What really makes the book ring so true is not Blake Crouch’s top-notch writing, but that he has penned a story that readers probably will think they have seen before, only to finish with a plot twist that left me thinking hard about all that I had just read.

"FAMOUS works in 2025 because the world’s obsession with celebrity in the age of social media is more serious and dangerous than ever before, making this book a perfectly enjoyable and creepy thrill ride."

Lancelot “Lance” Blue Dunkquist has always been told that he looks exactly like Oscar winner James Jansen. In fact, he has been mistaken for Jansen a whopping 87 times! Rather than let this unique problem go to waste, Lance spends 10 years studying everything he can about Jansen in the event that it may come in handy at some point in the future. Well, for Lance, the future is now. He has been fired from his job as a legal secretary because he made a costly error that resulted in his firm losing a valuable client. Instead of hitting the help wanted ads, Lance decides that the time is right to cash in on his status as a doppelgänger for Jansen.

Lance’s first stop is New York City, where he pays for a week in an awful hotel in Harlem. He doesn’t care all that much as he doesn’t plan to spend a lot of time there. He hits downtown where he is spotted by Jansen’s former director, who wants “Jim” to observe a play by what he considers to be a promising young playwright. Of course, Lance lets things go too far, even though he realizes that the show is complete garbage. He finds himself being cast for a guest run, and his lack of actual acting ability nearly outs him in a disastrous first performance.

Rather than stick around the Big Apple, Lance heads to California. His brother, Bo, is out there on the West Coast --- and so are the houses and estates belonging to Jansen. Lance stays at Bo’s place, even though Bo’s wife isn't pleased with the short notice and sudden intrusion on their life.

Lance takes this opportunity to be scarce and rents the most expensive car he can to cruise through Hollywood and Beverly Hills in hopes of being spotted as Jansen again. He also plans to visit each of the five properties that Jansen owns in the area to see what he can learn. While partying at an exclusive club one evening, Lance makes the acquaintance of a beautiful young woman who he begins to court (as Jansen, of course). He doesn’t know where things are going with her, but he feels good about himself for the first time in his life.

The story then takes a truly surreal turn, and Blake Crouch uses this twist to move things forward in a completely unexpected direction. FAMOUS works in 2025 because the world’s obsession with celebrity in the age of social media is more serious and dangerous than ever before, making this book a perfectly enjoyable and creepy thrill ride.