How thankful I feel to read books like this one. Books that, at their core, display the deep intricacies of womanhood. Of relationships. Of growing up too quickly!! Of insecurity, toxicity and the foundation of steady love. Of the depth and complexity of female friendship!!! Was this book about a mega popstar in the early 2000s? Yes. Am I a mega popstar from the early 2000s? No. AND YET???? I felt such an intense connection to Amber. I felt like she was in my head, and I in hers. There are aspects of Amber in all of us and the ability to form this connection to the readers can only be credited to an author who allows for the audience to experience these tender moments of an extraordinary life that they can easily compare to their own.
We follow Amber as she navigates the malignance of show biz. There is no shortage of men waiting to use her for personal gain. No shortage of girls to compare herself to. No way of avoiding the standard horror of growing that one may think a beautiful, famous popstar may easily surpass. This story is not simply Daisy Jones for the early 2000s. Amber is no Daisy Jones, and that is NOT a negative. Not Brittany Spears or Hilary Duff. Yet, she is part all of these women while simultaneously being something entirely new. Just as each of us who have been influenced by these teenage fixations have found ourselves through them. How beautiful is it to see the reality that we are fully ourselves and yet also partly all of the women around us.
One of the things I really enjoyed in this book was the candid reality of developing sexuality. I saw a review that asked why Amber was “obsessed” with sex. That review is one that exemplifies why this novel is so important. So many of us grow up with the flawed idea that we are the only one who thinks about sex. The only obsessed weirdo with questions and fears. Amber’s ideas and fixations on sexuality are a window into the mind of many of us. Amber is a girl who is so exceedingly extraordinary and yet totally normal. Her connection with sex and development of intimacy throughout the novel are SO important. They are raw and real. Sex can be fun. Sex can be a connecting factor. Sex can be terrible, alientating, terrifying.This conversation has nuance and it is so important that we continue to read and advertise novels that exemplify the female mind and all of its complexity. No one is alone in this conversation or in their thoughts.
The novel hosts a variety of characters who we often feel conflicting things about. Never are they flat and stagnant. You may hate someone that you love the next minute. Character wise, this book develops a beautiful female friendship that is rooted in mistakes and forgiveness. There are connections that are made and broken. There are events you will feel shock at and there are moments you will allow you to deflate with relief.
A strongly written story filled with stunning characters and paired with song lyrics, magazine excerpts and more allow for “Honey” to be a story I will remember for a long time to come!!