What do you think?
Plastic
Dr. Harry Previn, the renowned Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, is secretly called in to operate on the disfigured face of the ravishingly beautiful teen pop star Fay Wray following an assault. Surrounded by image makers who value beauty over all else, he soon fears Fay is in mortal danger. Will he risk everything to save her beauty, her life, or himself?
Plastic is a novel of psychological suspense about a heinous crime that leads to a desperate Hollywood cover up. Welcome to “The Capital of Good Looks,” an ephemeral world of celebrity and beauty crashing at the intersection of Hollywood and rock and roll.
Plastic is a novel of psychological suspense about a heinous crime that leads to a desperate Hollywood cover up. Welcome to “The Capital of Good Looks,” an ephemeral world of celebrity and beauty crashing at the intersection of Hollywood and rock and roll.
312 pages, Paperback
First published June 11, 2019
About the author
Frank Strausser
3 books85 followersFRANK STRAUSSER is a playwright and novelist. His first novel, "PLASTIC" became a #1 Bestseller. "Who Loves The Son" his second novel is slated for release in 2022. He is most known for his comedy Psycho Therapy which ran for over three months Off Broadway at the historic Cherry Lane theatre after a five week developmental run in London’s West End. His first play The Powder Room starred Academy Award best actress nominee Sally Kirkland. Strausser studied story and character development with Robert McKee and most notably scene study for two and a half years with the late Milton Katselias at the Beverly Hills Playhouse. He completed the Radcliffe Publishing Procedures Program at Harvard University and majored in English Literature at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He divides his time between Los Angeles and Palm Beach with his wife and son.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
October 4, 2019
Here's what the book should have focused on:
A prominent plastic surgeon is blackmailed into keeping his silence while helping a beautiful pop star that has been brutally assaulted with a wine bottle to her perfect face.
“It’s a rare man who can heal a woman with a knife.”
She and her handlers are at a loss as to what is going to become of her career and are willing to go to extraordinary lengths to keep the cash flowing.
Cool premise, huh?
Here's what the book actually focused on:
The surgeons career
his car
his house
his marriage
his patients
his pretentious sculpting
his soon to be ex wife
her failed fertility treatments
her 20lb weight gain
her hormonal meltdown
her fledgling art career
did I mention she's gained 20lbs?
There's way too much superficial background noise and not enough focus on the meat of the story.
This might fly for a Netflix series, but not as a book.
A prominent plastic surgeon is blackmailed into keeping his silence while helping a beautiful pop star that has been brutally assaulted with a wine bottle to her perfect face.
“It’s a rare man who can heal a woman with a knife.”
She and her handlers are at a loss as to what is going to become of her career and are willing to go to extraordinary lengths to keep the cash flowing.
Cool premise, huh?
Here's what the book actually focused on:
The surgeons career
his car
his house
his marriage
his patients
his pretentious sculpting
his soon to be ex wife
her failed fertility treatments
her 20lb weight gain
her hormonal meltdown
her fledgling art career
did I mention she's gained 20lbs?
There's way too much superficial background noise and not enough focus on the meat of the story.
This might fly for a Netflix series, but not as a book.
Read
October 30, 2019
When the plastic surgeon won't let the patient look in the mirror, you know there is a problem!
The creepy cover is what initially caught my attention. I knew I wanted to know more. It reads like a Hollywood drama and seemed like it could be a story on the nightly news. I wondered how I would react to several of the situations that were less than ethical. How far someone will go to achieve beauty/perfection. Beauty is the end all in their world of being camera ready at all times.
I was curious to see how the plastic surgeon, Dr. Harry Previn would handle the cover up. He was pulled into the drama when a beautiful pop-star is disfigured. How much would he risk? Would he put his reputation on the line?
When it comes to social pressures and being a famous celebrity, looks are paychecks. No matter what the cost, some are willing to chance it all....
A bit more name dropping drama then thriller, but definitely some cringe worthy moments.
I would recommend to fans of the plastic surgery show Nip/Tuck and Celebrity reality shows. I was left wanting more thriller.
The creepy cover is what initially caught my attention. I knew I wanted to know more. It reads like a Hollywood drama and seemed like it could be a story on the nightly news. I wondered how I would react to several of the situations that were less than ethical. How far someone will go to achieve beauty/perfection. Beauty is the end all in their world of being camera ready at all times.
I was curious to see how the plastic surgeon, Dr. Harry Previn would handle the cover up. He was pulled into the drama when a beautiful pop-star is disfigured. How much would he risk? Would he put his reputation on the line?
When it comes to social pressures and being a famous celebrity, looks are paychecks. No matter what the cost, some are willing to chance it all....
A bit more name dropping drama then thriller, but definitely some cringe worthy moments.
I would recommend to fans of the plastic surgery show Nip/Tuck and Celebrity reality shows. I was left wanting more thriller.
October 30, 2019
Oh, such a creepy thriller! It rivals its cover for creep factor!
Dr. Harry Previn is a top-named Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, and along with that titles comes top secret surgeries. His most recent is Fay Wray, a teen pop star who has been assaulted.
Even though the assault is behind her, Harry is worried Fay is still in danger. He has choices to make over next steps: saving her beauty, saving her life, or possibly saving his own.
Plastic is full of drama and the Beverly Hills scene comes to life. Plastic surgery seems to intrigue many of us, myself included. I found this a quick read with a great pace.
Overall, the story kept me hooked, as I found the storyline intriguing and Harry was a sympathetic and well-drawn main character.
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
Dr. Harry Previn is a top-named Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, and along with that titles comes top secret surgeries. His most recent is Fay Wray, a teen pop star who has been assaulted.
Even though the assault is behind her, Harry is worried Fay is still in danger. He has choices to make over next steps: saving her beauty, saving her life, or possibly saving his own.
Plastic is full of drama and the Beverly Hills scene comes to life. Plastic surgery seems to intrigue many of us, myself included. I found this a quick read with a great pace.
Overall, the story kept me hooked, as I found the storyline intriguing and Harry was a sympathetic and well-drawn main character.
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
October 16, 2019
The moment I saw the cover of Frank Strausser’s novel Plastic, I wanted to read it. The cover has that sort of campy satire vibe, but the book itself is a bit more serious. Dealing with themes of fame, beauty, and aging with a contemporary twist and a touch of irony, this was a commentary on The Scene prevalent in society and particularly in cities like LA, with a fun and engaging plotline and a leading duo that I really enjoyed.
Going in, you’d think the two main characters would be unlikable. An attractive, successful LA plastic surgeon whose gorgeous wife is divorcing him. But Harry and Helen do not necessarily fit the stereotypes. When we open, their marriage is in trouble. After miscarriages and fertility issues, the couple that was once so in love is completely disconnected.
Helen is a natural beauty—one of the few who hasn’t been touched by plastic surgery. But after her most recent round of fertility drugs, she’s gained weight and doesn’t feel like herself. She never really paints anymore—something that was once her passion. And after so much disappointment, Harry doesn’t seem to be with her anymore. He’s thrown himself into his work, leaving Helen feeling alone.
On the morning after Helen meets Harry for dinner and serves him divorce papers, Harry has a surgery that doesn’t go well. The patient dies, and Harry is worried that his emotional state may have been to blame. But all of that will fall by the wayside when a beautiful young singer is brought to him for emergency surgery. Fay Wray appears to have been assaulted, but her managers want it kept underwraps. They enlist Harry to try and repair her famous face. The most beautiful face.
But there seems to be more to this request than meets the eye... Conspiracies, the value of beauty, and suspense drive this novel forward. When I found out the author is a playwright, it made sense to me. The book has a very on-stage feel to it. The characters are truly characters, the leads grow over the course of the book, and the narrative is heavy with dialogue over internal monologue.
A quick read with an interesting premise. I think those interested in the glitz, glamour, and gritty underbelly of Hollywood will enjoy this. I liked the message on the value of beauty and what sacrifices are made to preserve it. I also liked the focus on what your worth is if you lose the thing that makes you who you are.
Thank you to Suzy Approved Book Tours and Rare Bird for my copy. Opinions are my own.
Going in, you’d think the two main characters would be unlikable. An attractive, successful LA plastic surgeon whose gorgeous wife is divorcing him. But Harry and Helen do not necessarily fit the stereotypes. When we open, their marriage is in trouble. After miscarriages and fertility issues, the couple that was once so in love is completely disconnected.
Helen is a natural beauty—one of the few who hasn’t been touched by plastic surgery. But after her most recent round of fertility drugs, she’s gained weight and doesn’t feel like herself. She never really paints anymore—something that was once her passion. And after so much disappointment, Harry doesn’t seem to be with her anymore. He’s thrown himself into his work, leaving Helen feeling alone.
On the morning after Helen meets Harry for dinner and serves him divorce papers, Harry has a surgery that doesn’t go well. The patient dies, and Harry is worried that his emotional state may have been to blame. But all of that will fall by the wayside when a beautiful young singer is brought to him for emergency surgery. Fay Wray appears to have been assaulted, but her managers want it kept underwraps. They enlist Harry to try and repair her famous face. The most beautiful face.
But there seems to be more to this request than meets the eye... Conspiracies, the value of beauty, and suspense drive this novel forward. When I found out the author is a playwright, it made sense to me. The book has a very on-stage feel to it. The characters are truly characters, the leads grow over the course of the book, and the narrative is heavy with dialogue over internal monologue.
A quick read with an interesting premise. I think those interested in the glitz, glamour, and gritty underbelly of Hollywood will enjoy this. I liked the message on the value of beauty and what sacrifices are made to preserve it. I also liked the focus on what your worth is if you lose the thing that makes you who you are.
Thank you to Suzy Approved Book Tours and Rare Bird for my copy. Opinions are my own.
October 14, 2019
You can read this and all of my reviews at Lit·Wit·Wine·Dine.
When I first noticed Plastic being posted on Instagram a couple of months ago, I knew I had to read it. I was absolutely thrilled when Suzy of Suzy Approved Book Tours asked me if I wanted to participate in the blog tour.
I was drawn to this book, as I suspect many readers will be, because of my interest in society’s obsession with plastic surgery and the real or perceived need for Hollywood’s elite to maintain a certain level of youth and/or beauty to maintain their careers and continue feeling attractive to their partners. This book contained all of those elements with some darker twists that made it quite unique.
Dr. Harry Previn has a lot going on. His marriage is falling apart and he can’t seem to grasp why that is. One of his patients has recently died. His world is slowly coming apart at the seems.
When he is summoned to help a beautiful, young actress who has sustained some pretty horrible facial injuries, he begins his journey into a darker part of Hollywood life. Are Fay’s “people” benevolent friends and business associates looking to help her avoid unnecessary negative press and stress? Or is there something else going on?
Plastic was a very quick and very interesting read. Even if I didn’t know that Frank Strausser was a playwright, I’d say this book would easily lend itself to film adaptation. I do hope that it gets optioned if it hasn’t already. I would definitely read Frank Strausser’s work in the future.
Many thanks to Rare Bird Books and Suzy Approved Book Tours for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
When I first noticed Plastic being posted on Instagram a couple of months ago, I knew I had to read it. I was absolutely thrilled when Suzy of Suzy Approved Book Tours asked me if I wanted to participate in the blog tour.
I was drawn to this book, as I suspect many readers will be, because of my interest in society’s obsession with plastic surgery and the real or perceived need for Hollywood’s elite to maintain a certain level of youth and/or beauty to maintain their careers and continue feeling attractive to their partners. This book contained all of those elements with some darker twists that made it quite unique.
Dr. Harry Previn has a lot going on. His marriage is falling apart and he can’t seem to grasp why that is. One of his patients has recently died. His world is slowly coming apart at the seems.
When he is summoned to help a beautiful, young actress who has sustained some pretty horrible facial injuries, he begins his journey into a darker part of Hollywood life. Are Fay’s “people” benevolent friends and business associates looking to help her avoid unnecessary negative press and stress? Or is there something else going on?
Plastic was a very quick and very interesting read. Even if I didn’t know that Frank Strausser was a playwright, I’d say this book would easily lend itself to film adaptation. I do hope that it gets optioned if it hasn’t already. I would definitely read Frank Strausser’s work in the future.
Many thanks to Rare Bird Books and Suzy Approved Book Tours for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 25, 2019
In this day and time it seems almost everyone is obsessed with Plastic surgery. So this book is going to be one sought after book. Strausser did not disappoint, all my thriller fans will find this book to be one of the books on their to be read pile.
I will say it is a fast read notvery long at all, but full of fun.
I gave this book 4 stars and I can't for to see what is next from Strausser.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.
I will say it is a fast read notvery long at all, but full of fun.
I gave this book 4 stars and I can't for to see what is next from Strausser.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.
October 27, 2019
Who Are You?
With more personalities than Sybil, this book didn’t seem to know what it wanted to be.
I thought I was on the Mystery/Thriller train based on the premise. However the book focused on the doctor’s failed marriage, his and his wife's separate artistic pursuits, and the shallowness of Hollywood. Not to mention that he was without emotional depth himself.
I was put off by the doctor's attitude toward his patients and especially when one takes an unfortunate turn. His character was written with sympathy but I felt anything but.
So, in writing this I figured out what this book was: Superficial and empty despite the words on the page. Great cover though.
I'd settled in for a thriller so I didn't finish.
With more personalities than Sybil, this book didn’t seem to know what it wanted to be.
I thought I was on the Mystery/Thriller train based on the premise. However the book focused on the doctor’s failed marriage, his and his wife's separate artistic pursuits, and the shallowness of Hollywood. Not to mention that he was without emotional depth himself.
I was put off by the doctor's attitude toward his patients and especially when one takes an unfortunate turn. His character was written with sympathy but I felt anything but.
So, in writing this I figured out what this book was: Superficial and empty despite the words on the page. Great cover though.
I'd settled in for a thriller so I didn't finish.
November 20, 2019
Would you ever get plastic surgery? Or have you!?
I actually have! Not for the reason you'd think - I ended up slicing my eyelid open when I was 14 during a freak accident in a grocery store. True story - I swear. So I needed my eyelid fixed by a surgeon. I'd like to say I wouldn't voluntarily - but I love having the option if I decide I need a little nip or tuck one day!
How about this cover? All the feels and uncomfortable vibes, but WOWSA is this a story that will have you turning pages!
Dr. Harry Previn, renowned Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, is secretly called to fix the disfigured face of teen pop star Fay Wray following an assault. Surrounded by image makers who value beauty over all else, he soon fears Fay is in mortal danger. Will he risk everything to save her beauty, her life, or himself?
This had all the makings of a E! True Hollywood story! When fame, reputation and vanity clashes with morals and integrity, you know it's going to be a page turner. These highly vain, but vulnerable characters, were so compelling on this explosive journey of a hidden celebrity scandal, and I loved seeing how far they would go to cover things up for their own beauty and benefit.
A wild ride, a delicious amount of REAL celebrity name-dropping, and a fun and satisfying look into the superficiality of the rich and famous.
I actually have! Not for the reason you'd think - I ended up slicing my eyelid open when I was 14 during a freak accident in a grocery store. True story - I swear. So I needed my eyelid fixed by a surgeon. I'd like to say I wouldn't voluntarily - but I love having the option if I decide I need a little nip or tuck one day!
How about this cover? All the feels and uncomfortable vibes, but WOWSA is this a story that will have you turning pages!
Dr. Harry Previn, renowned Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, is secretly called to fix the disfigured face of teen pop star Fay Wray following an assault. Surrounded by image makers who value beauty over all else, he soon fears Fay is in mortal danger. Will he risk everything to save her beauty, her life, or himself?
This had all the makings of a E! True Hollywood story! When fame, reputation and vanity clashes with morals and integrity, you know it's going to be a page turner. These highly vain, but vulnerable characters, were so compelling on this explosive journey of a hidden celebrity scandal, and I loved seeing how far they would go to cover things up for their own beauty and benefit.
A wild ride, a delicious amount of REAL celebrity name-dropping, and a fun and satisfying look into the superficiality of the rich and famous.
November 20, 2019
Story begins with Dr. Harry Previn a well renowned plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills. While he spends his days making other people look beautiful, his own life starts to unravel. His personal life is in disarray when his wife ‘Hellie’ decides to divorce him, after multiple rounds of fertility treatment, miscarriages and an unfulfilled marriage. His professional life is also at risk after the mother of a famous actor’s mother dies after surgery.
What a thrilling and exciting ride this book was for me! As an Angeleno and having lived in Tinseltown most of my life, obsession with beauty and having your own plastic surgeon on speed dial is as normal as having Turkey on Thanksgiving.
This book was an amazing read, with complex and troubled characters, a dialogue that can only be delivered by Strausser, an amazing playwright - and a masterfully built world full of suspenseful and thrilling dark side of how achieving beauty and perfection is in Hollywood.
However, it goes deeper than that and the story dives into a man who is deeply troubled and going through morality of his actions in a thrilling and thought-provoking story.
What a thrilling and exciting ride this book was for me! As an Angeleno and having lived in Tinseltown most of my life, obsession with beauty and having your own plastic surgeon on speed dial is as normal as having Turkey on Thanksgiving.
This book was an amazing read, with complex and troubled characters, a dialogue that can only be delivered by Strausser, an amazing playwright - and a masterfully built world full of suspenseful and thrilling dark side of how achieving beauty and perfection is in Hollywood.
However, it goes deeper than that and the story dives into a man who is deeply troubled and going through morality of his actions in a thrilling and thought-provoking story.
November 24, 2019
Whoever said beauty is only skin deep needs to read this book! Part thriller, part Hollywood drama. Vapid characters, tense situations, and questionable actions. Frank Strausser is a screenwriter and that really came through in the story, I think it would play out very well on the big or little screen. And these characters while unlikable will probably be a lot of fun to play if you were an actor/actress. Entitled, shallow, and completely unself-aware. Fast paced with a storyline that I got completely caught up in. Plastic surgery, coverups, the famous, murder, blackmail, infertility, beauty. There was a lot packed into this book and sometimes it was a little overwhelming. I was 100% invested in the story, however I would’ve maybe like a little more thrills and a little less Hollywood drama.
This book in emojis: 👨🏼⚕️ 🕶 🎬 🔪
*** thanks to Rare Bird for my gifted copy ***
This book in emojis: 👨🏼⚕️ 🕶 🎬 🔪
*** thanks to Rare Bird for my gifted copy ***
October 28, 2019
I saw this book, and read the synopsis and really thought this sounded like a story I'd love. This book started out pretty good!! It deals with the issues of beauty in our society. The lengths people will go to preserve their looks, especially those involved with Hollywood! I found this book intriguing, and totally think it would make an excellent TV series no doubt! I felt the book strayed from the main plot a little too much, but I thought this was a quick read with Interesting characters. I feel like if you enjoyed the show Nip/Tuck or Greys Anatomy, you will probably like this one.
June 30, 2019
If you're the kind of reader who likes a conspiracy theory, you'll love this book.
Plastic is a very well-written thriller about a plastic surgeon who finds himself immersed on a conspiracy to cover up for a crime.
Frank Strausser did a pretty good job in describing how sometimes undesirable things happen around us that feels out of control and how we can suddenly be caught up on situations we never thought we would.
I also liked how the characters change over the course of the story, realizing how far life had brought them away from their ideals and how important is to get back there.
I really enjoyed the read of Plastic.
Plastic is a very well-written thriller about a plastic surgeon who finds himself immersed on a conspiracy to cover up for a crime.
Frank Strausser did a pretty good job in describing how sometimes undesirable things happen around us that feels out of control and how we can suddenly be caught up on situations we never thought we would.
I also liked how the characters change over the course of the story, realizing how far life had brought them away from their ideals and how important is to get back there.
I really enjoyed the read of Plastic.
November 27, 2019
When I first saw the cover of Plastic , I was immediately captivated as well as creeped out. It's so incredibly jarring and reminds me of something out of a slasher film.
This book was definitely a wild ride into the privileged lifestyles of the rich and famous. Dr. Harry Previn is the epitome of vain. As a plastic surgeon, he thinks of himself as an incredible artist because the human body is his canvas that he sculpts with his hands. When he describes how pliable skin is once his patient is under the knife, it definitely made my skin crawl.
Harry's picture perfect life and over inflated ego comes to a crashing halt when his wife serves him divorce papers over dinner and he finds out that one of his patients died following a routine procedure. With his back against a wall, Harry feels like he can't turn away his lawyer who essentially blackmails him into working on a teen popstar who was assaulted. When Harry starts to question the details of the assault, he begins to wonder if he's been lied to and if he's cover up something bigger.
This book definitely takes a more satirical approach to the dark side of Hollywood that most turn a blind eye to. There's lots of twists and turns that aren't necessarily believable but entertaining nonetheless. With so many unlikable and troubled characters, I definitely think that this is one of those books that would make for very entertaining tv.
Thank you to Rare Bird Lit and Suzy Approved Book Tours for providing a copy for review. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
This book was definitely a wild ride into the privileged lifestyles of the rich and famous. Dr. Harry Previn is the epitome of vain. As a plastic surgeon, he thinks of himself as an incredible artist because the human body is his canvas that he sculpts with his hands. When he describes how pliable skin is once his patient is under the knife, it definitely made my skin crawl.
Harry's picture perfect life and over inflated ego comes to a crashing halt when his wife serves him divorce papers over dinner and he finds out that one of his patients died following a routine procedure. With his back against a wall, Harry feels like he can't turn away his lawyer who essentially blackmails him into working on a teen popstar who was assaulted. When Harry starts to question the details of the assault, he begins to wonder if he's been lied to and if he's cover up something bigger.
This book definitely takes a more satirical approach to the dark side of Hollywood that most turn a blind eye to. There's lots of twists and turns that aren't necessarily believable but entertaining nonetheless. With so many unlikable and troubled characters, I definitely think that this is one of those books that would make for very entertaining tv.
Thank you to Rare Bird Lit and Suzy Approved Book Tours for providing a copy for review. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
November 21, 2019
⭐️ / 5
Plastic by Frank Strausser was such a disappointment for me. I saw a lot of reviews compare this book to Nip/Tuck but I got about 49 pages in and had to DNF it. It was just so disjointed and I didn't think it stayed on track like it should have. I didn't have any interest in what was happening since it was so hard to follow. Hopefully it will work better for others! I had really hoped for an awesome book.
Plastic by Frank Strausser was such a disappointment for me. I saw a lot of reviews compare this book to Nip/Tuck but I got about 49 pages in and had to DNF it. It was just so disjointed and I didn't think it stayed on track like it should have. I didn't have any interest in what was happening since it was so hard to follow. Hopefully it will work better for others! I had really hoped for an awesome book.
October 16, 2019
I thought this book was a fun and quick read but also a bit terrifying. It begins with Dr. Previn losing a patient due to stress/personal issues causing him to be careless. You think it couldn’t get worse than that for him, but OH, IT DOES!! Soon, he’s involved in a cover-up and he’s forced to make some difficult choices. I thought the characters were realistic and intriguing. It was like watching a show of Grey’s Anatomy and you scream at the characters to just stop because they will regret it. Oh wait, y’all don’t do that? (Insert nervous laughter here.) It’s definitely a book you should pick up because I just described the beginning here and don’t want to give anymore information. It’s always much more fun going in to books blind.
November 6, 2019
1.5* review to come
Blog | YouTube | Instagram
The fact that this book somehow combined plastic surgery with a mystery really intrigued me. And for the entire book, I was so invested and curious with who was behind the attack and why Fay was in mortal danger.
I thought the author did a fantastic job with the suspense and mystery element. I honestly never saw the ending and figured out the culprit! The one downside to the suspense/mystery element was the fact that it was incredibly slow. This book had a very slow pace and it took me almost 3/4 of the way before I got into it.
It was also interesting to find out that this book also discussed marital issues and how Harry was trying to work things out with his wife. However, to be honest, the martial issues took me away from the book and the thriller plot because I didn't expect that going in. And I really couldn't care less about his issues with his wife because it didn't really seem pertinent from the original storyline. I actually thought it made things more messy.
Overall, this book was intriguing but with the slow pacing and the unnecessary marriage issue, I didn't really enjoy it as much.
Blog | YouTube | Instagram
The fact that this book somehow combined plastic surgery with a mystery really intrigued me. And for the entire book, I was so invested and curious with who was behind the attack and why Fay was in mortal danger.
I thought the author did a fantastic job with the suspense and mystery element. I honestly never saw the ending and figured out the culprit! The one downside to the suspense/mystery element was the fact that it was incredibly slow. This book had a very slow pace and it took me almost 3/4 of the way before I got into it.
It was also interesting to find out that this book also discussed marital issues and how Harry was trying to work things out with his wife. However, to be honest, the martial issues took me away from the book and the thriller plot because I didn't expect that going in. And I really couldn't care less about his issues with his wife because it didn't really seem pertinent from the original storyline. I actually thought it made things more messy.
Overall, this book was intriguing but with the slow pacing and the unnecessary marriage issue, I didn't really enjoy it as much.
July 14, 2019
What starts off as a marriage in trouble - leads to a thrilling conspiracy about celebrity, beauty, and art. This book reads like a play so no surprise the author is actually a seasoned playwright. Fay Wray (love the name) is a victim of a horrible crime that takes her plastic Surgeon on a wild and dark Hollywood ride. The dialogue is rich and the pacing is really solid. I read this in one sitting and have already recommended it to my friends looking for a fun summer read.
August 1, 2019
Just getting started here on GRs.
While on vacation in LA, I saw this new title in a bookstore and snapped it up with a bunch of other thrillers. I didn't know much about it, but the cover caught my eye. It was a solid read and became very popular with the "LA folks" sitting around me at beach who were all interested in a story set in their town. So I guess if you live in LA - you will want to check this out!
While on vacation in LA, I saw this new title in a bookstore and snapped it up with a bunch of other thrillers. I didn't know much about it, but the cover caught my eye. It was a solid read and became very popular with the "LA folks" sitting around me at beach who were all interested in a story set in their town. So I guess if you live in LA - you will want to check this out!
October 15, 2019
Thank you GetRed PR for my free copy in exchange for my honest review.
Unfortunately this book did not work for me. I was very intrigued by this one after reading the synopsis, but I just couldn't get into the story and put it down. It felt very choppy to me and took awhile to get into the story. I didn't like the characters, which also didn't help, so I have put it down and will not finish. I have head of many people really liking this one and still would say to check it out for yourself because you may enjoy it! Maybe I will come back to this one at another time.
Unfortunately this book did not work for me. I was very intrigued by this one after reading the synopsis, but I just couldn't get into the story and put it down. It felt very choppy to me and took awhile to get into the story. I didn't like the characters, which also didn't help, so I have put it down and will not finish. I have head of many people really liking this one and still would say to check it out for yourself because you may enjoy it! Maybe I will come back to this one at another time.
October 19, 2019
Plastic has a very interesting synopsis and the cover is super creepy (as you can tell). I was definitely intrigued to read this, and I was excited when I got the opportunity to read it. The story started off strong; there were many events taking place that were the set up for a potentially great story. Dr. Previn and his wife go through a split, plastic surgeon, wealthy family, superstars, accidental death... so many good things, right?! Somewhere along the line, this story started unraveling and falling apart for me, and it never quite came back together. I didn't really care for any of the characters, and they were all highly unlikable and entitled, which made it hard to feel invested in the story. In a way, I think there was too much going on. None of the plot lines developed properly; I think it would have been better for the author to focus on one or two storylines and develop those. 3/5
August 25, 2021
The premise had promise and maybe the story is good, but I just couldn't get past the writing. Felt super clunky. I kept having to re-read sections because it was hard to follow what was going on. I didn't like any of the characters. They were either boring or WAY too exaggerated. I gave up halfway through.
October 27, 2019
Dr. Harry Pervin is successful plastic surgeon, he is married to Helen and as we see they have a lot of martial issues. Helen has had miscarriages and fertility problems; all the stress has caused her to gain weight and not feel comfortable in her own body. Even though married to a plastic surgeon she has never had any touch ups of her own, she is naturally beautiful. With all the stress their marriage has been under Helen decides it’s time for them to divorce. After receiving divorce papers from Helen unexpectedly Harry has been a bit emotionally unstable; things only get worse for him after one of his patient die after surgery.
Fay Wray a young, beautiful singer has been attacked and her face has been brutally ruined. Fay’s management team wants to keep this all on the down-low, so they rush her to Harry so that he can work his magic and repair the beautiful stars face. What Harry was not expecting was to be caught up in a Hollywood mess with this superstar. Plastic is a great conspiracy theory plot that will keep you entertained until the last page
Fay Wray a young, beautiful singer has been attacked and her face has been brutally ruined. Fay’s management team wants to keep this all on the down-low, so they rush her to Harry so that he can work his magic and repair the beautiful stars face. What Harry was not expecting was to be caught up in a Hollywood mess with this superstar. Plastic is a great conspiracy theory plot that will keep you entertained until the last page
October 21, 2019
This was an entertaining read. I was fascinated to read the behind the scenes stuff that goes on with these guys, because I’m guessing this was not too far off from reality. It was believable how extreme people will go to look young, and also how everything hinges on one’s reputation as a plastic surgeon. Harry is one of the best, but he is going through a lot lately in his personal life, and perhaps it has all caught up with him and he put someone under the knife that couldn’t handle it? That thought is plaguing Harry as one case goes awry and then he finds himself caught up in the current hot mess of a case, and he knows he is putting everything on the line but cannot figure out why. Everything is off, up is down, down is up and the puzzle pieces aren’t quite fitting together.
As he is racing to figure it out, as well as put his personal life back together, the absurdity of it all was really right up my alley. You all know how much I love my Bravo Housewives, so this was perfect for me. Was it a little extreme? Yes. But is LA / Hollywood extreme? Yes. So I didn’t expect anything less, and really enjoyed this one. The ending was brilliant too, as I wasn’t sure how everything was going to wrap up. Solid 3 stars and a great escape read (if you can get past the creepy cover)!
Thank you to Get Red PR for the free copy in exchange for my review, all opinions above are my own.
As he is racing to figure it out, as well as put his personal life back together, the absurdity of it all was really right up my alley. You all know how much I love my Bravo Housewives, so this was perfect for me. Was it a little extreme? Yes. But is LA / Hollywood extreme? Yes. So I didn’t expect anything less, and really enjoyed this one. The ending was brilliant too, as I wasn’t sure how everything was going to wrap up. Solid 3 stars and a great escape read (if you can get past the creepy cover)!
Thank you to Get Red PR for the free copy in exchange for my review, all opinions above are my own.
September 28, 2019
WOW! Frank Strausser, Author of "Plastic" has written a captivating, intriguing, intense, thrilling, suspenseful,page-turning, and thought-provoking novel. The Genres for this novel are Psychological Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Mystery and Fiction. The timeline for this story is in the present and goes to the past only if it pertains to the events or characters. The location of the story is Beverly Hills and Hollywood. The author describes his dramatic characters as complex, and complicated.
Dr. Harry Previn is known as the Plastic Surgeon that keeps the famous Hollywood set beautiful. Harry doubts himself and worries about his reputation after the mother of a famous actor dies after he does her plastic surgery. Harry is called in secretly to operate on a famous young singer, Fay Wright, after a terrible and traumatic incident. If Harry can't "fix" what is broken, it looks like Fay and other people will suffer damage to their careers.
This looks like only the beginning of Harry's ordeal. It seems that the young singer is being held captive, and everything is not so black and white anymore. This is Hollywood, where only the rich and beautiful do well. How much danger is Harry in?
I appreciate that the author discusses the question of what beauty is, and what is important in life. I would highly recommend this thrilling and thought-provoking story.
Dr. Harry Previn is known as the Plastic Surgeon that keeps the famous Hollywood set beautiful. Harry doubts himself and worries about his reputation after the mother of a famous actor dies after he does her plastic surgery. Harry is called in secretly to operate on a famous young singer, Fay Wright, after a terrible and traumatic incident. If Harry can't "fix" what is broken, it looks like Fay and other people will suffer damage to their careers.
This looks like only the beginning of Harry's ordeal. It seems that the young singer is being held captive, and everything is not so black and white anymore. This is Hollywood, where only the rich and beautiful do well. How much danger is Harry in?
I appreciate that the author discusses the question of what beauty is, and what is important in life. I would highly recommend this thrilling and thought-provoking story.
October 31, 2019
Happy Halloween. Check out this creepy cover. It's perfectly chilling to highlight a novel about our obsession with beauty. Frank Strausser's, PLASTIC (RareBirdBooks) will have you flipping pages until the very end.
When a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon is called in after a beautiful pop star is brutally assaulted, he thinks his job is to restore her looks, but soon fears he’s there to surgically erase all trace of the crime.
Plastic is a novel of psychological suspense about some desperate Hollywood image makers who conspire to do the ultimate cover up. When Dr. Harry Previn fails to restore Fay Wray, the ravishingly beautiful nineteen year-old pop star at the center of this predicament, a conspiracy ensues to fake her death offering her Marilyn Monroe-like immorality, but of course if she's dead, she can't press criminal charges. For Previn, beauty has become a life or death proposition because his patients are literally dying to be beautiful. Plastic explores the ephemeral world of celebrity and beauty at the intersection of Hollywood and rock 'n roll.
Reading PLASTIC gave me flashbacks to FX, NIP - TUCK and E's, BOTCHED. What could be more fun!
When a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon is called in after a beautiful pop star is brutally assaulted, he thinks his job is to restore her looks, but soon fears he’s there to surgically erase all trace of the crime.
Plastic is a novel of psychological suspense about some desperate Hollywood image makers who conspire to do the ultimate cover up. When Dr. Harry Previn fails to restore Fay Wray, the ravishingly beautiful nineteen year-old pop star at the center of this predicament, a conspiracy ensues to fake her death offering her Marilyn Monroe-like immorality, but of course if she's dead, she can't press criminal charges. For Previn, beauty has become a life or death proposition because his patients are literally dying to be beautiful. Plastic explores the ephemeral world of celebrity and beauty at the intersection of Hollywood and rock 'n roll.
Reading PLASTIC gave me flashbacks to FX, NIP - TUCK and E's, BOTCHED. What could be more fun!
November 1, 2019
Scary cover right? Plastic is about a well known and highly respected plastic surgeon to the stars. Anyone who is anyone wants Dr.Harry Previn to make them look young and beautiful. When a long surgery with multiple procedures goes wrong, Harry must make a deal with the devil to keep his good name untarnished. No good deed goes unpunished and unfortunately Harry is indebted to a man he thought his friend. One night Harry is called to his office after hours to perform emergency surgery on a young singer. Her once beautiful face is torn to shreds and nothing about the story of how it happened makes sense. Harry has no choice but to perform the surgery when his better judgment tells him to take her to the hospital immediately and wash his hands of any involvement. Unfortunately keeping his name out of the press means he has no choice but to be involved in Fay Wray’s surgery. At the same time Harry is dealing with his patients his wife up and leaves him and moves in with another man. Everything is going wrong and Harry won’t just sit back and let everyone use him. Dr.Harry Pevin will take control of the situation and figure out who did this to Fay and set his conscious free.
November 25, 2019
Hollywood: where good looks determine your wealth status, power and sex appeal. Harry Previn is the plastic surgeon to the stars, determined to eek out every last drop of their good looks. Due to the demanding work, Harry begins to lose sight of what is important to him, namely his relationship with his wife, famed painter Helen. The divorce leads to distractions which leads to the death of a patient. Sensing weakness, Harry is blackmailed into performing surgery on Hollywood’s latest It pop singer, Fay Wray. From the beginning, he suspects a deadly assault and has to make a choice between protecting his patient or protecting those who are blackmailing him. It becomes a story about ethics and goes a lot deeper than your standard Hollywood paper cut story. While I enjoyed the story, it felt very self-centered. There was no real sense of bonding with the patient, there was no deeper mystery: it became a story of how the male’s need for stability of power overrode the female’s sense of safety with her own body. It became a story about a man’s ego and the female characters who had been through such traumatizing events were addressed as hysterical, hormonal and abused.
August 22, 2019
I just recently read "Plastic" by Frank Strausser and loved this book. He brings together the worlds of Hollywood celebrities, rock stars, the art world and behind the scenes crime & intrigue.....along with the obsession of staying young and beautiful through plastic surgery.
I enjoyed the way the main character, plastic surgeon Dr. Harold Previn, seemed to get dragged into all this, while trying to somehow maintain a level of ethics. Not always an easy thing to do.
Having worked in entertainment myself, I recognized some of these characters as composites of real life people involved in that field. The author also references in some comparable real life scandal to balance out his fictional story lines.
I found the book refreshing and a great read. Is also a fun book to follow, despite its serious subject matter, which is very timely in today's culture.
I enjoyed the way the main character, plastic surgeon Dr. Harold Previn, seemed to get dragged into all this, while trying to somehow maintain a level of ethics. Not always an easy thing to do.
Having worked in entertainment myself, I recognized some of these characters as composites of real life people involved in that field. The author also references in some comparable real life scandal to balance out his fictional story lines.
I found the book refreshing and a great read. Is also a fun book to follow, despite its serious subject matter, which is very timely in today's culture.
November 21, 2019
Dr. Harry Previn is a well-known plastic surgeon in Hollywood. After a patient dies during recovery, Dr. Previn is black-mailed into performing a secret surgery on pop-star, Fay Wray, who has been assaulted.
Plastic is full of characters that I could not stand - Dr. Previn, Dr. Previn's wife, his attorney, an art dealer, a talent manager, celebrities, etc. These are the type of characters that I absolutely love to hate. The book is full of ridiculous twists and turns. It pokes fun at some popular celebrity conspiracy theories (Elvis is alive!) and I loved it. Plastic could easily be turned into a television series, I would be hooked by all the drama.
Plastic is a satirical roller-coaster and it left me chuckling over the exaggerated nature of it all.
Plastic is full of characters that I could not stand - Dr. Previn, Dr. Previn's wife, his attorney, an art dealer, a talent manager, celebrities, etc. These are the type of characters that I absolutely love to hate. The book is full of ridiculous twists and turns. It pokes fun at some popular celebrity conspiracy theories (Elvis is alive!) and I loved it. Plastic could easily be turned into a television series, I would be hooked by all the drama.
Plastic is a satirical roller-coaster and it left me chuckling over the exaggerated nature of it all.
November 4, 2019
Interesting insight into the life of a plastic surgeon
Good read! Good contrast between Fay and Helen's experience. As a nurse I really liked this book. And Harry came through in the end!
Good read! Good contrast between Fay and Helen's experience. As a nurse I really liked this book. And Harry came through in the end!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews