In their quest to become even more famous than their older Kardashian sisters, Kendall and Kylie Jenner have written a book. You might assume that as young celebrities famous since their childhoods, the book is about their lives, or fashion, or what Kris Jenner is really like as a momager, but you'd be wrong. Kendall and Kylie's book is a YA dystopian thriller and as of Tuesday, it is available for purchase. While the thought of Kendall and Kylie taking time from their modeling and reality TV careers to write a novel is surprising, they're not the first celebrities to randomly write a novel, plenty of other stars had tried their hand at fiction too.
The world of celebrities-turned-authors doesn't end at memoirs or how-to books. And as the dystopian plot of the Jenner sisters' Rebels: City of Indra: The Story of Lex and Livia proves, some celebrities can even write books about things they're not very familiar with. Of course, celebrity novels often include an additional co-writer, in the case of Rebels that would be Maya Sloan, and their success varies. Some celebrities manage to write bestselling novels, while others fall flat.
Here are some other celebrity works of fiction and how they fared.
Dollhouse by Kourtney, Kim, and Khloe Kardashian
Who better to start with than Kendall and Kylie's older sisters? After releasing their bestselling memoir, Kardashian Konfidential, in 2010, Kourtney, Kim, and Khloe gave fiction a shot the following year with Dollhouse—sort of. The novel is about "an exciting, high-profile, complicated family with a huge heart and a lot of love... a delicious glimpse that goes behind the glitter of fame into the hearts of three sisters fiercely devoted to one another and the family they love." So technically fiction, but not really.
The Result: Dollhouse did make it to the New York Times Best Sellers list, but not quite as high as the number four ranked Kardashian Konfidential. Both were successful enough to warrant another book, but it seems like the Kardashian sisters were out of ideas. Maybe someday we'll get a Kimye memoir.
The Hottest State & Ash Wednesday by Ethan Hawke
So Ethan Hawke is a published writer, apparently. He's written two books, neither of which seem to be based on him, or if so, not very heavily. First was The Hottest State in 1996, about a 21-year-old guy named William who, "is so used to getting what he wants that he has never been able to care too deeply for anyone. But all of that is about to change. And it is Sarah--bold and shy, seductive and skittish--who will become William's undoing and his salvation." Then in 2003 there was Ash Wednesday, which follows AWOL soldier Jimmy and his pregnant girlfriend on a road trip across America.
The Result: Hawke adapted The Hottest State into a movie and neither the book nor the movie was very successful. Ash Wednesday never made it to film and got pretty awful reviews too. Since then, it seems Hawke has learned to stick to acting.
The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie
In 1996, a pre-House Laurie wrote The Gun Seller , a funny take on spy thriller novels. It's about a former Scots Guard named Thomas Lang who is asked to kill someone but decides to warn him instead, and the repercussions that follow.
The Result: Considering how great the reviews are, it's surprising that The Gun Seller hasn't spawned a movie or sequel in the 18 years since its publication.
A Mother's Gift by Britney and Lynne Spears
After co-writing Britney's biography Britney Spears' Heart to Heart , Lynn and Britney teamed up for the novel A Mother 's Gift, which sounds pretty similar to Britney's real life, save for a birthmark and hidden secret.
Holly Faye Lovell sure can sing. Everyone in Biscay, Mississippi, knows that. And when at fourteen she becomes the youngest student ever to win a scholarship to the prestigious Haverty School of Music, her dream of pursuing a singing career is on its way. But for the first time in her life, Holly must leave behind her mother, Wanda. Although they don’t have much in the way of money, there’s always been plenty of love . . . and there’s always been Wanda’s birthmark, an ugly red scar on the side of her face that makes people who don’t know her turn away. Now that Holly's off with her posh new friends and new life, she’s ashamed to find herself embarrassed by her mom and their humble background. And Wanda finds herself wanting to reveal a long-hidden secret . . . a secret that could destroy their bond forever.
We get it guys, you were really close in the early 2000s.
The Result: A Mother's Gift was turned into an ABC Family movie called Brave New Girl, which pretty much says everything you'd need to know.
Shopgirl by Steve Martin
Apparently, Steve Martin is good at everything he does. In 2000 he wrote the novella Shopgirl , about a young woman who works at Neiman Marcus and begins a relationship with a much older, wealthy man.
The Result: Not only did Shopgirl get very good reviws upon publication, but it also made it pretty high on the New York Times Best Seller list. In 2005, Martin adapted it into a movie starring himself, Claire Danes, and Jason Schwartzman, which also received many positive reviews and was a success.
The L.A. Candy & Fame Game Series by Lauren Conrad
The most surprising thing about Lauren Conrad's author career isn't that it exists, but just how expansive it is. Since 2009, the Laguna Beach and The Hills star has written three YA novels in the L.A. Candy series and another three in the spinoff series, The Fame Game. Both are very similar to Conrad's own life, following the lives of young women cast in a reality series.
The Result: The L.A. Candy series has been extremely successful, with the first book debuting at number one on the New York Times Best Seller list and the other two making it on the list as well. The Fame Game was also successful, just not to the extent of L.A. Candy.
Let's hope that Kendall and Kylie got some advice from Conrad when they wrote Rebels, because she's someone who knows how to turn a reality show into a multi-faceted career that includes a bestselling YA book series. Not many people can say that.
