Sudden Superstar

An adventure-filled story of accidental stardom and viral fame in the age of social media, set in the most unexpected cities of Asia and Europe.

What happens when one goes from obscurity to celebrity, overnight?

Thirty-year-old Arya Alvarez is a travel manager at Isle Z, a luxury travel company in Singapore where she creates bespoke trips for celebrities and influencers. Discretion is her specialty at work and personal life—few people know that she's fled her home city, Manila, to get away from the scene of a devastating break-up.

When she travels to Svaneti, in the Republic of Georgia, Arya briefly encounters the mysterious Dave in a remote village high up the Caucasus mountains. Intrigued, she posts his photos on Instagram—which goes viral the very next day. Turns out, Dave is Davit Nadibaidze, a famous yet reclusive artist who'd retreated from the public five years ago, and Arya is the first person to see him since he disappeared.

In less than 24 hours, Arya gains hundreds of thousands of followers. She's deluged with invitations to talk shows, influencer parties, and celebrity junkets, all as her social media apps overflow with DMs, tags, and comments, both nice and nasty. Men are suddenly vying for her attention, including her ex, Jake.

Arya tries her best to step up, but she also struggles. What she really wants is to finally get over her painful break-up, find herself, and a fresh start. But can she really, when she's caught in this complex whirl of viral fame?

Sudden Superstar by Claire Betita de Guzman explores these thrilling twists of fate and the irresistible allure of an unexpected lifestyle.