Necessary People is another one of those books that sat on my nightstand for probably close to a year before I finally picked it up and read it. And of course it was so good. I’m beginning to wonder if books, like wine, age in storage on my shelf so that when I finally pick them up after they sit for a good long time, that’s why they’re so good?
Probably not. But worth throwing out there. For every book I just have to read immediately that sucks, there are probably 2-3 that I put off for whatever reason that are amazing.
Necessary People would make an absolutely fantastic Lifetime Movie. I mean that as a compliment, because those are the best kind of movies. And in quarantine, I may have re-subscribed to Lifetime Movie Network. Maybe Lori Loughlin could play Violet’s mom? I mean, after she gets done serving her time…
From the Publisher:
Stella and Violet are best friends, and from the moment they met in college, they knew their roles. Beautiful, privileged, and reckless Stella lives in the spotlight. Hardworking, laser-focused Violet stays behind the scenes, always ready to clean up the mess that Stella inevitably leaves in her wake.
After graduation, Violet moves to New York and lands a job in cable news, where she works her way up from intern to assistant to producer, and to a life where she’s finally free from Stella’s shadow. In this fast-paced world, Violet thrives, and her ambitions grow — but everything is jeopardized when Stella, envious of Violet’s new life, uses her connections, beauty, and charisma to get hired at the same network. Stella soon moves in front of the camera, becoming the public face of the stories that Violet has worked tirelessly to produce — and taking all the credit.
Stella might be the one with the rich family and the right friends, but Violet isn’t giving up so easily. As she and Stella strive for success, each reveals just how far she’ll go to get what she wants — even if it means destroying the other person along the way.
My Review:
Stella is the absolute worst. Think Valerie from 90210 or Regina George from Mean Girls, or Heather Chandler from, well, Heathers. And she is totally Peach Salinger from You. Totally. Just a girl that you can’t help but hate with every single fiber of your being.
But for Violet, although she absolutely hates Stella, she is also her best friend. And it’s one of those friendships that goes way back to the point where your friend is the worst person ever, but your lives are so entangled together, its hard to find a way out. You basically just have to deal with both loving (and mostly hating) that person.
Stella backstabs Violet, she steals love interests, she lands a job working for the same company where Violet has finally found herself, and then proceeds to start encroaching on everything Violet loves about that job.
The worst.
Anna Pitoniak does an amazing job writing the complicated, competitive, messy, relationship between Stella and Violet with such an honesty that I wonder who the Stella in her past was. I don’t want to give much away, but if you love a good drama, and love to hate a character so much they actually piss you off, pick this one up. Necessary People is out now-has been for awhile.
Order your copy from your favorite independent bookstore!
Indiebound
Women in Trouble Book Blog 
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