Prompt 42 – A debut from the second half of 2024

I saw this pop up on the NetGalley shelves and it immediately appealed to me. Published at the end of June, I’ve read Honey by Isabel Banta for this prompt.

What it’s about?

A coming-of-age story that follows the meteoric rise of singer Amber Young as she navigates fame in the late-1990s and early-2000s era of pop music superstardom

It is 1997, and Amber Young has received a life-changing call. It is 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.

Isabel Banta’s debut novel redefines the narratives of some of the most famous pop icons of the 1990s and 2000s. It reimagines the superstars we idolized and hated, oversexualized and underestimated, and gives them the fresh, multifaceted story they deserve.

What I think:

This took me right back to the world of late 90s pop music.

Amber has the world at her feet. She’s a small town girl who is making it big. Her face is everywhere and you cannot turn on the radio without hearing her songs. But along with the fame comes a level of scrutiny and intrusion that she is not prepared for and knowing who is genuine becomes increasingly difficult

There is definitely some Britney Spears inspiration in Amber’s story: boy band boyfriend dramas, rival stars and Rolling Stone covers.

As her career progresses and she learns more about the music industry and the media, Amber is fighting to be taken seriously as an artist and break out her pop image.

There are some great moments in this book. Parts of the story are  vivid and alive – you’ll want to check that the characters aren’t real. I didn’t always like Amber. She makes some really selfish decisions. Sometimes she is determined and hardworking, and others it almost seems like she isn’t quite sure what she is doing .

I liked the hidden gay relationships which rang true. And I did fly through this as it was very readable.

Thank you NetGalley for my gifted digital copy of Honey.