For anyone who ever filled out a celebrity crush quiz in J-14 magazine or rushed home after school to catch TRL live, the '90s nostalgia of Honey will have you from page one. Honey follows Amber, a rising pop star in the late 90's early 2000s, as she navigates her personal relationships, media portrayal, and evolving inner voice.

I thought the author did a good job illustrating the dark side of celebrity culture, especially regarding young women. I especially related to Amber as she grew from making decisions for others to learning to make them for herself.

Considering the heavy subject matter, the book's concise writing style and sometimes eerie tone are a perfect match. The multi-media format is a fun addition. I also loved the strength and consistency of the female friendship in this book. The ending left me feeling hopeful.

I was lucky to receive an ARC of this book as part of a Book Huddle retreat in April thanks to Celadon and later received a digital ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I really liked this one!

As someone who grew up in the ‘90s and 2000s, pop princesses and boy bands reigned supreme—and this book brought me right back to my pre-teen self, screaming lyrics on repeat in my poster-covered bedroom.

While I did enjoy the storyline and trip down memory lane, I do have to agree with some of the reviews that said the characters fell a bit flat and felt one-dimensional.

Loved the female friendship, though!!

(Thank you, Celadon Books and NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.)

Seems like this was around maybe around my age so 90s/2000s? I really wanted to like it but it didn’t touch much in the heavy subject that it brought on and it was messy…

Loved this book! The references to the 90s brought back so many memories and I loved living through the main characters experiences. Such a fun read!

I love the concept of this book, but unfortunately the execution didn't work for me. The book revolves around Amber as she is a rising pop star. I thought this would read either like a memoir or an interview style (TJR's Daisy Jones), but it was all over the place. I felt like the serious themes in the book were brushed over quickly and I ended up just not getting emotionally invested in the characters. This wasn't "bad", but it was not a book I would recommend to friends.

3 stars...more like a 2.5

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy in return for an honest review. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Throughout following ambers career you are always rooting for her. You’ve seen the storyline of the music artist done before, and to be honest I thought this one was going to crash and burn Britney style but she surprisingly didn’t. Really well done.

Man, I’m really torn on how I feel about this book. There was so much that I really loved but equally stuff that I didn’t like. Ugh.

The book follows Amber, a rising pop star in the late nineties and early 2000s. It focuses on her relationships, her perception in the media, and her struggle with finding herself.

This has the makings of a book I would love, set in the time period I grew up in, and felt like it could be the 90s/00s version of Daisy Jones. But I think the ideas were there but it just suffered in the execution, it felt really disjointed, and had a bit of an identity problem—the focus was lacking in characterization and plot. I also wasn’t a huge fan of the songs and interviews and other elements, they didn’t add anything for me, there needed to be more or less of them.

I did love the discussion around the expectations of women in the media, and how that compares to the expectations of me. Especially during this time period—we’ve all seen the Brittney doc—and this felt like a cool fictionalized experience of what girls like her likely went through. I loved the time period references, and the exploration of the strength of female relationships (like with her and Gwen). I liked that it really picked up in pace and kept me turning pages, but then it didn’t go anywhere, which made all this cool tension and build up just fall flat.

Thanks NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

"Am I who other people say I am, or am I who I say I am? Lolli's version of me would take Wes's face in her hands. She wouldn't be rejected--she can't even conceive of that kind of terror."
"As music swells from the speakers, they recognize my song. The waves of validation batter me. For once, I think: I might be gorgeous, might have talent, this all might be mine."

Isabel Banta's debut novel is a coming of age story set in the 90's and early 2000's, chronicling Amber Young's rise as a pop star. And, it is nothing short of amazing. I won't lie and say that it didn't hurt my heart to see a book set in that time period classified as historical fiction but I loved the memories this book woke of music and how it has always made me feel more alive. This story really gave me the vibes of watching that show "Behind the Music" and it was such an interesting peak into the music world. Amber's journey was so emotional and raw as she had to learn how to navigate the music world and all the expectations upon her, being famous and the weight of having everyone's eyes on her, and as she learned who she really is as a person. She made mistakes and learned from every single one. I love how Amber's voice was so incredibly distinct and how her personality shines through, even as she isn't completely sure how much of it is really her instead of how much of her persona is merely what's expected of her. I think it would be incredibly difficult to have to go through that journey of self-discovery with the world watching and judging everything I did. This was such a beautiful, nostalgic, emotional read and if this is indicative of Isabel Banta's talent, I can't wait to read more from her!

Thank you, Netgalley, Celadon Books, and Isabel Banta for gifting me a copy of this incredible novel!

Thanks for the review copy. I’m sure others will like this book more than I did. I’m sorry to only give it two stars but it was hard to read. I didn’t care about any of the characters.

I’m honestly speechless… I haven’t read a book written this beautifully in a VERY long time. I don’t even know where to begin on describing it!

Everything is concise and short sentences which apparently work really well in my brain (I finished this book faster and easier than I’ve ever finished a book before).

The descriptions of literally everything are so beautiful and poetic, and the way the author writes the dialogue is different but clean (not confusing).

I also love the little additions of lyrics and interviews here and there throughout the book.

The characters (especially the main one from which the perspective of the book is written) are so honest, it’s refreshing— there’s no beating around the bush at all in this book. It’s full of raw thoughts, actions, and emotions… very “human”.

The overall vibe of the book is unexplainable until you read it. The time jumps are just so perfectly well done I barely notice them, and the author doesn’t drone on about stuff in the 90s/early 2000s pop world that we already know.

You can tell @isabel.banta did so much research on pop stars of that era— it shines through in the best way possible.

I feel like the ending could have been better, but this is a very “real human” type of book and so I guess the ending fits.

I flew through this book. The mixed media aspect worked so well in telling the story. I think it would work equally well in print. My favorites were the magazine quizzes (I used to love those quizzes. Are they still a thing??) The layout is genius how the sections are broken up like the parts of a song.
I’m a millennial. I grew up admiring Britney, Mandy and Jessica, daydreaming over The Backstreet Boys — the story felt relatable from a fan perspective. It also read like a factionalized version of a pop stars memoir ( I loved Jessica Simpson’s book).
.

It’s a story about music and fame but also love and friendship. Amber Young has always dreamt of becoming a famous singer. She gets the chance to join an up and coming girl group and becomes friends with Gwen, another young singer who is destined to make it big. Once Gwen leaves the group, Amber decides she wants to do the same. Honey is essentially Amber’s memoir with the majority of the story taking place from 1997-2003

2.5 Stars

I thought this would be a 4+ star based off the coming of age, girl group, nostalgic vibe based odd my expectations from the description but, I found it lackluster. Maybe it was my mood, but I just did not connect on any level with Amber or anyone else from Cloud9 really.

It definitely highlighted some of the darker, unfortunate parts of the music industry/business but I feel like it was just missing something. I feel like the relationships needed to ne deeper, and story could've flowed better, but I certainly had some nostalgic related feelings occasionally.

Like a mid 90s pop version of Valley of the Dolls but slightly missing the mark.

Happy publication day to Honey! A fun read, nothing poignant but full of nostalgia for boy bands and pop princesses along with all the blatant misogyny that came with growing up in that era.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the arc!

So many things that I liked about this book. It mixes the 1990-2000 everyone wanted to be in a girl group or boy band. But the rising fame and all the things that come with it, It's that question what will you do? Public opinion I'm not sure it would be worth the fame. But I liked the story and characters we have the protagonist, the best friend, the bad boy, the manager and the wild card. It was interesting and it did keep my attention as a big TRL fan back in the day, I think that helped me relate. Over all I liked the story.

Absolutely obsessed with fictional celebrity BTS/tell-alls and this one did more than hit the mark. It was written so beautifully and gave me so much more than I was expecting; I went in wanting a little celeb tea sesh and came out SO EMOTIONAL! I'm so so attached to all of the characters, I was riding so hard for our FMC, and even though I was never an aspiring pop star, the coming-of-age story hit so close to home in so many ways.

sabel Banta’s debut novel, "Honey," is a captivating exploration of Amber Young, a rising pop star in the 90s, and the challenges she faces as a woman in the spotlight during that era. From the very first pages, I knew "Honey" would either have me eagerly turning pages or savoring each word—and it turned out to be the latter. I wanted to linger over every beautifully crafted sentence.

"Honey" delves into a wide range of issues, including the objectification and unfair treatment of women by the media, societal divisions among women, double standards, misogyny, power dynamics, and more.

One aspect I particularly loved about "Honey" was Banta’s vivid characterizations. The characters felt so real that I found myself wanting to Google their names. Banta brings the world of '90s pop stars to life, making Amber’s experiences feel both relatable and eye-opening. It’s a stark reminder of how poorly society treats women in the public eye. The novel reads like a memoir, with the same atmospheric and evocative quality found in "Daisy Jones & The Six" and "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo."

Through Amber’s journey, readers gain insight into the dark and exploitative aspects of Hollywood and the silent suffering of many women in the industry. "Honey" portrays the real and raw struggles women endure to succeed, while their male counterparts often benefit from their exploitation. I felt a profound frustration on Amber’s behalf as those around her constantly tried to control, reshape, and silence her. The traits she was praised for were used to bring her down. The story highlights the myriad ways to be a woman, yet none seem to be enough. Amber’s story echoes themes found in Britney Spears’ memoir, "The Woman In Me," underscoring the need for society to apologize to women in the spotlight. While Amber’s 90s pop-star tale is unique, the issues addressed in the novel are universal, resonating with many readers.

It's astonishing that "Honey" is Banta’s debut novel. Her writing feels like the work of a seasoned author, showcasing her exceptional talent and making her a once-in-a-lifetime writer.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! Honey is a coming-of-age story that profiles young talent in the music industry. It shines a light on the control of labels, managers, agents, etc. and how it affects the kids who just want to be loved, accomplished and accepted. Many are treated like objects to be molded into success. And who is helping these kids grow up when they are sheltered from normal, every day life? The main character is Amber, and we get to see her and others grow from pre-teen to adult in this industry with all its highs and lows.

Banta's writing is superb as she put the reader into Amber's place. I love the descriptions of what she feels, sees, hears and imagines. Amber's observations and interpretations about the others around her are fabulous too. I really like seeing her mature, gain confidence and learn as time goes on. Bravo to Isabel Banta for an excellent and entertaining debut novel! And thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the digital ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon for the eARC.

I flipping loved this. I loved the characters, the development, the relationships over the years. I loved being a part of the story of how Amber found herself and I am so glad that she did. All the stars.

This book gives Daisy Jones & The Six mixed with I'm Glad My Mom Died.

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.

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.

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.

If you have been on a kick of reading works about 90s pop stars, like Paris: The Memoir or The Woman in Me, then Honey is the book for you.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for sharing this digital ARC with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Honey is available now wherever books are sold.

📚Review: Honey by Isabel Banta📚

Out now!

A big thank you to @isabel.banta @celadonbooks and @netgalley for the free arc as well as @macmillianaudio for the free alc💖.

✨What it is about:
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 superstardom.✨

💭My thoughts:
This story was so nostalgic for me. It’s a turn back to the days before social media really took over everything, and we had DJs and shows like TRL manning music news. It was the time boy bands were super popular, and girls like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Jessica Simpson rose up as huge superstars in the music business. At that time, these superstars were both idolized and hated, as well as over sexualized and underestimated. This story really goes deep into all the different scenarios of the time, and gives us perspective into what the artists could have dealt with themselves. It was an interesting dive into the past, and into the lives of people we would never otherwise be able to really know about personally. It was sad to see how distorted things can get thanks to the media, and how mistakes can be amplified, and how one little thing can make or break your career in a blink of an eye. The audiobook was narrated by Brittany Presley and I feel she did a great job portraying the voice of the main character. I also really liked the different voices for the interview segments, and articles within the chapters, and the way the author sprinkled lyrics throughout to kind of link and emphasize the events as they were happening. I feel if the premise is interesting to you, you will really enjoy it, though the plot might not hold up on its own completely if you don’t feel a certain connection with that era. I loved this moment in time and really enjoyed this story.

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you like:
💿 90s super stars
💿 Coming of age stories
💿 Pop culture/music
💿 Nostalgic reads
💿 Daisy Jones and The Six vibes

⚠️CW: Abortion, misogyny, sexual content, abandonment, addiction.