Honey
Books | Fiction / Coming of Age
3.8
Isabel Banta
*Named a best book of the summer by PEOPLE, ELLE, PureWow and Our Culture, Electric Lit, and a Goodreads Editor's Choice and IndieNext Pick*A coming-of-age story that follows the meteoric rise of singer Amber Young as she navigates fame in the late-90s and early-2000s era of pop music superstardomIt is 1997, and Amber Young has received a life-changing call. It’s a chance thousands of girls would die for: the opportunity to join girl group Cloud9 in Los Angeles and escape her small town. She quickly finds herself in the orbits of fellow rising stars Gwen Morris, a driven singer-dancer, and Wes Kingston, a member of the biggest boy band in the world, ETA.As Amber embarks on her solo career and her fame intensifies, her rich interior life is frequently reduced. Surrounded by people who claim to love her but only wish to exploit her and driven by a desire for recognition and success, for love and sex, for agency and connection, Amber comes of age at a time when the kaleidoscope of public opinion can distort everything and one mistake can shatter a career.With the captivating style of Stephanie Danler’s Sweetbitter and the raw honesty of Jennette McCurdy’s I’m Glad My Mom Died, Isabel Banta’s debut novel, Honey, redefines the narratives of some of the most famous pop icons of the ’90s and 2000s. It reimagines the superstars we idolized and hated, oversexualized and underestimated, and gives them the fresh, multifaceted story they deserve.
Coming Of Age
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More Details:
Author
Isabel Banta
Pages
336
Publisher
Celadon Books
Published Date
2024-06-25
ISBN
1250333466 9781250333469
Community ReviewsSee all
"I loved this! It’s about a young pop star growing up in the 90’s and early 2000’s and all she goes through. Definitely recommend!"
Skye Edelson-Bennett
"It was fine. Didn’t love, didn’t hate. I think I had different expectations."
Courtney W
"OMG! Such a nice escape from reality! Took me back to the good old days✨ This is a coming of age story of a Pop-Star that takes place in the late ‘90’s and early 2000’s. The protagonist is a nod to Britney Spears / Christina Aguilera / Jessica Simpson / Pink / Mandy Moore / and all the other vocal queens of that time period🎶🎤
#historical_fiction #coming_of_age #music #YA #90’s #Y2k"
Katie
"This book gives [b:Daisy Jones & The Six|40597810|Daisy Jones & The Six|Taylor Jenkins Reid|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1580255154l/40597810._SY75_.jpg|61127102] mixed with [b:I'm Glad My Mom Died|59364173|I'm Glad My Mom Died|Jennette McCurdy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1649286799l/59364173._SY75_.jpg|93537110].<br/><br/>Honey is about the coming-of-age and rise to fame of fictional pop star, Amber Young, set in the late 90s and early 2000s. It stands out from Daisy Jones & The Six because it's about 1) a different musical period and 2) the rise to fame of an individual star versus an entire band. It's similar to I'm Glad My Mom Died not just because of the complicated parent dynamics, but because of how honest and raw the narrator is about the price of fame.<br/><br/>Banta's writing is beautiful and lyrical, which is fitting considering the subject matter. The story offers an interesting perspective on the lives of the real life pop princesses from that era, and it really makes you wonder how much we actually knew about them behind closed doors.<br/><br/>The main reason that it's not a 5 star for me is because of the more "salacious" (as one review put it) scenes. I know it goes along with the themes of the book, but I don't think much would have been lost had those scenes not been included. So that's a disclaimer for anyone who prefers closed door/no spice reads.<br/><br/>If you have been on a kick of reading works about 90s pop stars, like [b:Paris: The Memoir|61812425|Paris The Memoir|Paris Hilton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1677603541l/61812425._SY75_.jpg|97453641] or [b:The Woman in Me|63133205|The Woman in Me|Britney Spears|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1689090540l/63133205._SY75_.jpg|95308537], then Honey is the book for you.<br/><br/>Special thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for sharing this digital ARC with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.<br/><br/>Honey is available now wherever books are sold."
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Amber Smith
