I know, I know, when Millie Bobby Brown announced the release of her debut novel, Nineteen Steps, we all kinda assumed she wouldn’t be the one writing it, but we didn’t expect it to be this blatant.

So, Millie announced:

“I’m thrilled to be announcing my debut novel, Nineteen Steps, which will be publishing on 12th September 2023. Nineteen Steps is a historical novel about an amazing, courageous 18-year-old woman called Nellie Morris, who lives with her family in Bethnal Green, in London’s East End, while the second world war rages on around them. When a tragic accident occurs during an air raid one night, the consequences are catastrophic – and life will never be the same again for Nellie.

Writing Nineteen Steps has been a really special project for me. The story is inspired by true events and my own family history. I really hope you will find the true spirit of love and strength in Nineteen Steps, and I can’t wait to share it with you. It’s available to pre-order now.”

Unfortunately, writer Kathleen McGurl has since posted: “I was sent a lot of research that had already been pulled together by Millie and her family, and plenty of ideas, and we had a couple of Zoom calls… And then I knuckled down and wrote the first draft, while Millie continued sending more ideas via WhatsApp. The book went through several drafts since then, as we refined the story.”

So it’s ghostwritten.