Review - Honey by Isabel Banta

 

 

 

Title: Honey

Author: Isabel Banta

Pages: 337

Publisher: Zaffre

Release Date: 4th June 2024

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

I didn't like to perform. I liked to be loved. 

It is 1999 and Amber Young is about to transform from nice New Jersey girl to one of the most infamous pop stars of her era. Enter Gwen Morris and Wes Kingston. Gwen has the top music video on MTV's Total Request Live. Wes is a member of the most popular boy band in the world, ETA. They're the American teenage dream, two perfect pop stars in love. In Gwen, Amber finds the first friend who can truly understand her - maybe the only person who ever will. But when Amber goes on tour with ETA as one of their opening acts, she develops an infatuation with Wes that threatens both her friendship with Gwen and the career she is so desperately trying to build. Under the spotlight, Amber must reckon with her own desires, agency, and sense of self-and how the kaleidoscope of public opinion can distort everything.  

Isabel Banta's debut novel, Honey, re-imagines the pop stars of the late 90s and early 2000s, who we idolized and hated, oversexualized and underestimated, giving them the fresh, multifaceted story they deserve.

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My Review:  

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley and Zaffre*

Teenager Amber Young loves to sing, and dreams of being famous.

When Amber's dream comes true and she's offered a record deal, Amber is thrust into the limelight with all the ups and downs that come with it.

Amber becomes friends with Gwen, another teenage singer, and Wes, who is part of a boyband.

As Amber's career takes off, she struggles with how the public perceives her and her desires.

As someone who grew up in the 90s and 00s listening to a lot of pop music by young singers such as Britney Spears, I was intrigued to read this book.

Amber was a mostly likeable protagonist. She hadn't had an easy childhood, and had some unresolved issues that affected her. I was rooting for Amber to be her own person and hoped that things would get better for her. There were a couple of times when her actions frustrated me, but she was very young. I liked Amber's relationship with Gwen, and how they supported each other.

The setting of the 90s was interesting and made me feel nostalgic.

The plot was interesting and held my attention throughout, but I wasn't gripped or surprised by anything that happened. I didn't feel overly invested in the characters. The pacing was pretty good throughout. I liked that there were song lyrics and articles scattered throughout.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.