Queen of the Universe: A Novel: Love, Truth, Beauty

When it comes to fame and fortune, how high a price is too high, and when do you know that you've paid too much? This debut novel by an actress and pageant title holder gives a window on the hidden rungs of that ladder, and on the pain that comes with slipping and falling.

Cleo is the family breadwinner, a girl whose modelling jobs have provided the necessities since she was in her teens. The estranged daughter of a prominent director, she tries to find forays into television and film, discover what she can do and how far she can go, and figure out how to reconnect with her father. The road is riddled with disappointments, frustration, dashed hopes and new ones taking their place. And the age-old question that keeps coming up - what is the price of fame and fortune? What happens when your choices compromise a relationship you thought was iron-clad? And what happens when they create the kind of relationships you'd rather not have?

When Cleo enters the world of beauty pageants she's confronted with the biggest and heaviest question yet: what happens when your choices compromise your relationship with yourself? As competition heats up and Cleo is exposed to the spiteful tricks and dirty ways a contestant might turn the odds in her favour, she must ask herself how much her own integrity is worth, and make the most difficult decision of all...

Set against the rich backdrop of Manila's urban life, Queen of the Universe is about remembering who you are in the dizzying world of fame and celebrity, told by an international influencer.