Unrivalled
Bestselling author Alyson Noël brings you the high energy, glamorous, and murderous world of the Beautiful Idols. Go behind the velvet rope to the gritty LA club scene where anything goes, and mystery is around every corner.‘A frothy, smart and fun read.’ – Heat magazineWelcome to the partyEVERYONE wants to be someone.Layla Harrison wants to be a reporter.Aster Amirpour wants to be an actress.Tommy Phillips wants to be a guitar hero.But Madison Brooks took destiny and made it her own a long time ago.She’s Hollywood’s hottest starlet, and the things she did to become the name on everyone’s lips are merely a stain on the pavement, ground beneath her Louboutin heel.That is, until Layla, Aster, and Tommy find themselves with a VIP invite to the world of Los Angeles’s nightlife and are lured into a competition. The prize, or rather the target? Madison Brooks.Just as their hopes begin to gleam like stars through the California smog, Madison Brooks goes missing. . . . And all of their hopes are blacked out in the haze of their lies.Readers of Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars won’t want to miss Unrivalled!
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For Jackie and Michelle, my BFFs for too many decades to count!
All that glitters is not gold.
âWILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
This book has been so much fun to write, and itâs all thanks to the following people: my lovely and amazing editors Katherine Tegen, Claudia Gabel, and Melissa Miller, who made this book possible; my wonderful agent, Bill Contardi, the perfect combination of humour and smarts; and, as always, my husband, Sandy, who showed me that all things are possible for those who believe.
Table of Contents
TWO: WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS
THREE: REASONS TO BE BEAUTIFUL
SIX: LONG COOL WOMAN (IN A BLACK DRESS)
SEVEN: I CANâT GET NO (SATISFACTION)
THIRTEEN: EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD
EIGHTEEN: THE POLITICS OF DANCING
TWENTY-ONE: SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY
TWENTY-TWO: GHOST IN THE MACHINE
TWENTY-SIX: SHOW ME WHAT IâM LOOKING FOR
TWENTY-NINE: GOLD ON THE CEILING
THIRTY-ONE: DESTINATION UNKNOWN
THIRTY-TWO: THIS IS HOW A HEART BREAKS
THIRTY-THREE: HOW TO SAVE A LIFE
THIRTY-SEVEN: BIGMOUTH STRIKES AGAIN
THIRTY-EIGHT: ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?
THIRTY-NINE: BULLET WITH BUTTERFLY WINGS
FORTY: WAKE ME UP WHEN SEPTEMBER ENDS
FORTY-ONE: BLOW ME (ONE LAST KISS)
FORTY-TWO: THE HAND THAT FEEDS
FORTY-THREE: ANOTHER WAY TO DIE
Despite the crush of tourists storming the sidewalks year after year, Hollywood Boulevard is a place best viewed behind a pair of polarized lenses and lowered expectations.
From the string of sagging buildings in various stages of decay, the tacky souvenir shops hawking plastic statues of Marilyn in her windblown white dress, and the seemingly endless parade of addicts, runaways, and glamour-deprived transients, it doesnât take long before the sunburned, white-sneaker-wearing masses realize the LA theyâre searching for does not exist there.
In a city that feeds off youth and beauty, Hollywood Boulevard more closely resembles a former screen siren whoâs seen better days. The incessant sunshine is a harsh and brutal companion, intent on magnifying every wrinkle, every age spot.
Yet for those who know where to look (and those fortunate enough to boast a spot on the guest list), it also serves as an oasis of the cityâs hottest nightclubsâa sort of hedonistic haven for the young, fabulous, and rich.
For Madison Brooks, the boulevard was everything sheâd dreamed it would be. Maybe it didnât look anything like the snow globe sheâd had as a kid, the one that showered small squares of golden glitter over a miniature version of the Hollywood sign, but she never expected it would. Unlike those clueless tourists expecting to see their favorite celebrities hanging by their Walk of Fame stars, handing out autographs and hugs to all who passed by, Madison knew exactly what sheâd find.
She did her due diligence.
Left nothing to chance.
After all, when planning an invasion, itâs best to familiarize yourself with the lay of the land.
And now, only a few short years after exiting that grimy bus station in downtown LA, her face was on the cover of nearly every magazine, every billboard. The town was officially hers.
While the journey was far more arduous than sheâd ever let on, Madison managed to surpass everyoneâs expectations but her own. Most merely hoped sheâd survive. Not a single person from her former life expected her to rocket straight to the top. Ultimately becoming so known, so lauded, so connected, sheâd command full, no-questions-asked access to one of LAâs hottest nightclubs long after it had closed for the night.
In a rare moment of privacy, Madison strode toward the edge of the vacant Night for Night terrace. The heels of her Gucci stilettos sliding gracefully against the smooth stone floor, she pressed a hand to her heart and bowed toward the skyline, imagining those flickering lights as an audience of millionsâcell phones and lighters raised in her honor.
The moment reminded her of a similar game sheâd played as a kid. Back when she staged elaborate performances for a crowd of grubby stuffed animals with matted hair and missing limbs. Their dull, unblinking button eyes fixed on the sight of Madison dancing and singing before them. Those tireless rehearsals prepping her for the day those secondhand toys would be replaced by real, live screaming fans. She never once doubted her dream would become a reality.
