Once More from the Top

Emily Layden is the author of All Girls, which she developed and wrote an adaptation of for HBO. A graduate of Stanford University, Emily has had her writing appear in The New York Times, Marie Claire, The Billfold, and Runner's World. A former high school English teacher, she lives in upstate New York.

"Emily Layden has written a rock and roll thriller drenched in love, humanity, and the ferocious power of female friendships." - Jessica Anya Blau, author of Mary Jane

"Lyrical, graceful, utterly propulsive, in Once More from the Top Emily Layden charts the meteoric rise of American megastar Dylan Read. With her effortless, confessional prose, Layden draws back the curtain of fame, asking us to consider how much female celebrities in particular have to sacrifice in the name of ambition, how much we expect them to reveal, or, in Dylan's case, conceal. Both an origin story and a fable, the last notes of this compulsive novel played in my head long after I'd put it down." - Ellie Eaton, author of The Divines

"A deliciously insider-y peek into the music industry and fame - Layden has a gift for making the world and her characters feel wonderfully real. You won't be able to put it down." - Rufi Thorpe, author of Margo's Got Money Troubles

"A juicy mystery filled with gossip-and music you can almost hear." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"A powerhouse....Megan Abbott fans will devour this." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A perfect, lyrical gut-punch that probes desire and ambition, what it means to be a "good girl" and the necessary armor that requires...At once fast-paced and richly textured, ONCE MORE FROM THE TOP is one of the most significant works about the creative process, memory, friendship, and coming-of-age that I've ever read." - Rachel Kapelke-Dale, author of The Ballerinas

"In Once More From The Top, Emily Layden has crafted a propulsive and clever mystery where the complications of ambition, fame, and female friendship are as compelling as the question of what exactly happened to Kelsey Copenstenke. The prose sings and the secrets simmer in this atmospheric, powerful novel." -