Sloan uses thoughtful cultural touchstones to enhance the reality of her experience ... While not exactly a modern-day Valley of the Dolls, Hayley Aldridge Is Still Here does make an effective argument that audiences should be more thoughtful about the kinds of media they consume.
As in in real life, some of the stories Hayley tells are hard to imagine and difficult to read but will genuinely make readers care about her. Even when she is making mistakes, they will root for Hayley until the very end.
