Thank you partner, Celadon Books for the gifted ARC of Honey by Isabel Banta
Honey follows Amber Young during the late 90’s - early 2000’s as she pursues her goal of becoming a famous singer. Hustling to auditions, she faces many rejections before landing a spot in a girl group. She quickly learns that everyone is replaceable and that pop stars are a commodity controlled by male record executives. As a teenage girl becoming a woman, she is often objectified as the world feels entitled to comment on her body and her clothes. Recording and touring is exhausting and media outlets create the stories that will best sell magazines and merchandise. All that glitters isn’t gold, and Amber knows that her career could be snatched away at any moment.
My favorite parts of the book were the radio and magazine interviews, teen magazine features, and Wikipedia articles that felt nostalgic and made Amber and her fellow pop princesses and boy band friends seem real.
This book was gritty and strongly delivered the message that pop star life isn’t as glamorous as it seems. I was hoping for something a little more fun (Does anyone remember the 2001 movie Josie and the Pussycats?).
I recommend this book to fans of shows like VH1’s Behind the Music and anyone who enjoys peeking behind the scenes.
Honey follows Amber Young during the late 90’s - early 2000’s as she pursues her goal of becoming a famous singer. Hustling to auditions, she faces many rejections before landing a spot in a girl group. She quickly learns that everyone is replaceable and that pop stars are a commodity controlled by male record executives. As a teenage girl becoming a woman, she is often objectified as the world feels entitled to comment on her body and her clothes. Recording and touring is exhausting and media outlets create the stories that will best sell magazines and merchandise. All that glitters isn’t gold, and Amber knows that her career could be snatched away at any moment.
My favorite parts of the book were the radio and magazine interviews, teen magazine features, and Wikipedia articles that felt nostalgic and made Amber and her fellow pop princesses and boy band friends seem real.
This book was gritty and strongly delivered the message that pop star life isn’t as glamorous as it seems. I was hoping for something a little more fun (Does anyone remember the 2001 movie Josie and the Pussycats?).
I recommend this book to fans of shows like VH1’s Behind the Music and anyone who enjoys peeking behind the scenes.