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.

3.5 stars rounded up
A coming-of-age story of the pop sensation Amber Young as she navigates fame, life, and relationships in the late-90s/early-2000s.

This one was full of nostalgia from my childhood, the age of boy bands, Britney, and Christina. I appreciated the commentary around child stars, especially young girls as they grow up in the public eye - oversexualized and shamed in the most vulnerable time of their lives.

I enjoyed the story, but at the end of the day I just didn’t feel invested in the characters or their relationships. The writing was well done but the narrative was very matter of fact as a series of events. I just wanted…more. What was it like being famous, rich - who was she outside of the media/her relationships. There was plenty of drama, but the delivery was surface level.

🎧 The audio narration by Brittany Pressley was great and kept me listening. It reminded me of I’m Glad My Mom Died, meets a Behind the Music documentary.

All in all a solid debut, I’ll be looking forward to more from Banta.

This book COULD NOT be better timed with the current hype around Female Pop-stars. Think of your favorite fictional celebrity dramas — Daisy Jones & the Six… Verity… Never Lie… The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Most of these start with the story of the author/interviewer before jumping into the subject’s life. I usually find the subject to be the more interesting timeline.

“Honey” skips the interviewer and jumps straight into the subject’s story. I enjoyed this style waaaay more! Amber is telling her life in her words 🤩🤩

Amber wants to sing. It’s the only thing she’s passionate about. She meets Gwen when they audition for a girl’s group but separate to be solo artists instead. Gwen is picked up immediately with her pink hair, wholesome image and dance skills. Amber’s career lulls behind because the label markets her as the sexy & worldly opposite. But she hustles and goes on tour with the boy band ETA, and her childhood crush Wes… who is in a fake relationship with Gwen.

But this is more than a romantic drama. Since it’s first person pov, you get all of Amber’s thoughts on girlhood. I was highlighting every other line! She really took me back to my teens and 20s. The “mortifying” stage of life between girl and woman. Everyone’s commenting on your body and policing your identity before you’ve even had the time to explore your own morals and opinions.

This novel is thoughtful and reflection AND delivers adult romance so thoroughly. You will be taken back to the years you pined for NSYNC (or the Backstreet Boys, respectfully) while marveling at Brittany and other young 'divas'. Best of all, there is a HEA for all involved and it has a healthier resolution than I would have anticipated from the genre. I think I'm going to reread it -- that's how deeply it's burrowed into my mind.

If you grew up in the 90s listening to spice girls, Christina, Britney or Alicia then this book will be so fun and nostalgic for you, throwing you right back into that magical era.

The plot follows a singer named Amber who is “discovered” at a young age and thrown into the chaos and glam of being a famous pop star on the rise, all the hurdles and challenges she has to overcome and how the industry can be corrupt and toxic especially towards young susceptible females.

It reads as a coming of age story along with some heavier important topics which ring true specifically now when we are seeing the dark side of the fame industry on the media on a daily basis and witnessing the likes of Beiber and others open up about what they went through at a young vulnerable age, it seems like a very apt time for this book to come out.

Thank you Celadon Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Publish date: available now

Honey is about a young girl in the 1990's who escapes her life through singing, and is discovered at a talent show. After Star Search and a brief stint with a girl band, she sets out as a solo artist. She's a self-reflective person...which sometimes made me as a reader forget that she was so young throughout the book. Her mom's character was disengaged. Her best friend was somehow a relationship that often rang false. Her relationships are a mess. Most of that seems congruous with a very young adult on her own in a difficult, demanding career. I enjoyed most of this book, but I never really connected with Amber or any other character. I couldn't make myself care about what happened to her or most of her vapid friends. A decent debut though, and I would read other future works from this author!

Growing up in the 90’s and loving the pop music back then, reading this book was so nostalgic for me! It had total Britney and Christina vibes and I was here for it! This coming of age story was different than others as it followed the rise of pop singer Amber Young and how she handled fame at such a young age. Banta did a fantastic job of showing how the music industry sexualized these young girls and put them against each other to sell albums. I felt like the misogyny was accurately portrayed in this book and at times it was tough to read.

While I loved this book and how it invoked wistful memories of my younger years, I can see how this might not be for everyone. If you didn’t grow up in this era then you may feel lost at times reading it. However, I think that it’s a poignant story and one that females of all ages can relate to.

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

A debut novel by Isabel Banta, "Honey" brings readers through the life and career of Amber Young in her attempted rise to stardom.

What I really enjoyed about this novel was the focus on growing up in the spotlight. Amber Young starts off innocently enough, auditioning for her dream roles and, ultimately, getting denied in favor of more youthful talent. When Amber eventually gets her big break in a girl's group called Cloud9, her adventure really begins. I loved how Amber took on this career on her own- her mother was supportive in the beginning but with rejection after rejection, eventually mom fades away and allows Amber to truly seek her own path.

The focus of this novel is on Amber's rise to stardom. The thing is, her stardom isn't unrealistic. She doesn't immediately rise to number one. In fact, she never gets to number one. Instead, Banta details the sacrifices and lifestyle changes Amber has to make in order to become famous in a mid-tier celebrity category.

The relationships in this book led much to be desired. While it was a nice balance between career talk and romances/friendships, the relationships as a whole did not feel fully developed. It left me wanting to know more about these characters long after the novel drew to a close. I also wished Banta touched a little more on situations that popped up throughout the book- the mental turmoil experienced with negative press, binge eating and anorexia, more serious issues to shed light on.

Overall, this book was fun pop bubblegum to sit back and enjoy. Banta puts together a solid debut novel that remains realistic on the path to stardom.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

I DNF'd at 40%, unfortunately this book was not for me.

You might enjoy if you like:
-coming of age in the spotlight
- stories of pop stars
- nostalgic, 90's vibes

Thank you so much for letting me read this fantastic story! I felt like I was reliving high school - in a good way! The details of the 1990s/2000s was perfect. I adored each of the characters, and hope there is a sequel! I'm impressed with the amount of research this author did, since the details were fantastic.
Thank you again!

Honey is an intimate look behind the scenes of stardom.
Thank you to Celadon for my gifted ARC for review!
Amber Young wants to be a performer. Famous. Her mom takes her to auditions for acting roles, but it becomes clear Amber is meant to be a singer.
Amber joins the girl group, Cloud9, then embarks on a solo career. She goes through the teenage norms of making friends and navigating love and relationships, but in the 1990s and early 2000s public eye. Magazine features, news articles, song lyrics and such appear between chapters.
I'll admit, it took awhile for some of the characters to grow on me. Meeting them through the lens of the main character who is living her own experiences, keeps them at arm's length from the reader, to a degree.
I very much enjoyed what debut author Isabel Banta has created here, and look forward to reading more from her.
Recommended!
For release on June 25.

Sometimes a song sounds exactly the way you want your life to feel.

So says Amber Young, a teenaged girl with a fantastic voice and a desperate desire for a better, happier life. In the early 1990’s, she lives with her divorcée (and alcoholic) mother and older brother in a small and pretty crappy apartment. She developed early and her body readily attracts boys to her, and she figures that her looks and her voice are basically all that she has to offer the world. When she performs in her school’s talent show, an agent (Angela Newton) there to cheer on a young relative is impressed enough with Amber to contact her and offer her the opportunity to formally audition for her. Angela offers to represent Amber, and her first attempt to chase her dream of singing stardom begins. After multiple failed auditions, she is offered a slot on Star Search…..but comes up short, losing out to boy singer Wes Kingston. Her mother decides that its time for Amber to return to reality, but six years later Amber returns to Angela with new demo tapes and begins to carve out a career. With a new agent, Sonny, she lands a place in a four person girl band called Cloud9 where she meets Gwen Morris, another member of the group. Gwen, more driven and focused on her career than Amber, becomes a mentor, and before Cloud9 can even launch Gwen has decided to leave the group to pursue a solo career instead. Amber follows suit, . It is the heyday of girl pop singers and boy bands, and while Amber and Gwen are friends they are also de facto rivals. The boy Amber met years ago, Wes, is now part of boy band ETA, and his management company publicly link Gwen and Wes together as a couple. It is also decided by the older men who run the music studios and the careers of these young artists that Gwen is the good girl (her first single is tellingly called “Bubblegum”), while Amber (her single: “Sweat”) is the sexy bad girl who mothers and critics love to hate. Unfortunately, Gwen and Wes have no attraction to one another, while Amber and Wes definitely do….but business trumps romance, and the public pretense continues. The truth sneaks out eventually, the country despises Amber for “breaking up” the perfect couple, and the girls’ friendship becomes the first casualty. From NYC to LA to Oslo, albums are recorded, worldwide tours spool out, and each singer will work to carve out a career that they control, and secure the happiness in life they assumed would come with fame but instead seems to be precluded by it.
If you ever read teen magazines, watched MTV’s TRL, or remember the days when Britney Spears and Cristina Aguilera, Debbie Gibson and Tiffany, and ‘NSync and the Backstreet Boys ruled the airwaves, Honey is a must read. What propelled these talented young kids to the heights of stardom….parents looking to profit from their childrens’ gifts? The sometimes sleazy people (mostly men) in the music business who played God with these vulnerable people, warning them that there were hundreds of equally talented performers just waiting to take their place if they didn’t blindly follow the adults’ guidance? In Amber, there’s a young girl who has been abandoned by her father and whose mother’s addiction makes home a less than happy place to be….she wants attention, love, and a life better than what she has. Gwen, Wes and the others in their orbit all have their own motivations and pressures, but to achieve success they will have to play the game according to the rules set forth by people who do not have their best interests at heart…all at what will become a high cost. For readers who enjoyed Taylor Jenkins Reid’s “Daisy Jones and the Six” or Caroline Leavitt’s “Days of Wonder”, or couldn’t wait to watch Andrew McCarthy’s documentary “Brats”, looking back at the Brat Pack, grab yourself a copy of this novel that combines nostalgia for a time in cultural history with a realistic look at the less-than-glamorous underbelly of the industry that fed children into a virtual wood chipper by those looking to capitalize on the latest trend, Many thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for allowing me access to an early copy of Honey and for taking me back to the days of pop princesses and harmonizing boy bands.

Amber Young was a young teenager when she was scouted by an agent. She was just performing at a school talent show when another parent heard her sing and thought she had talent. She spent the next several years going into New York City for audition after audition. She even made it onto Star Search. But Amber lost to a young singer named Wes Kingston. She even gave up for a while, letting go of the auditions and just spending time being a high schooler.

But she wasn’t happy and decided to give fame another try. But no more auditioning for commercials or for musicals. She wants to be a singer. And she gets an audition for a producer who was putting together a girl group. Amber made it into the group and quickly made friends with another girl there, Gwen Morris. Gwen helps Amber with the choreography, and after a couple of months of long days working with the group, Gwen tearfully admits the truth to Amber. She’s leaving the group. Gwen’s mother thinks that she’ll do better as a solo artist. And she thinks Amber should do the same.

It’s the 1990s, and one of the hottest new acts is a boy band named ETA. They’re a bunch of clean-cut guys who are finally getting some attention with their album Lightning in a Bottle. Gwen and Amber get a chance to meet the ETA, and Amber is happy to recognize one of them, Wes, who beat her on Star Search. As Gwen and Amber start on their solo careers, their lives intertwine with the ETA guys through their tours, recording, TRL on MTV, and awards shows. Publicly, Gwen and Wes are together. But Gwen isn’t interested in him that way, and Amber is, making it look in the media like Amber is the bad girl, trying to come between America’s Sweethearts.

As the years go by, Amber has to fight to find her voice, to tell her story. The media sexualize her, her fans worship her, record labels want to market her package her to sell, and producers tell her what to perform. But she is a smart woman, despite not finishing high school. She has her own opinions about her music, about her sexuality, about her future. Amber knows what she wants, and she is willing to sacrifice to get it. But is she willing to sacrifice her friends? Her family? The man she loves?

Teenagers and then 20somethings, growing up in the spotlight, working almost constantly, the life of a pop star is insane and complicated. And the 1990s exploded with young pop stars all over. Honey offers up a behind-the-scenes view of all those young pop stars who took over the music industry for a while, the boy bands and the teen magazines with their posters and the girls screaming and the mall tours. All of it comes to life in author Isabel Banta’s coming of age novel that brings to mind all those kids who grew up in the spotlight, singing and dating and dancing right in front of our eyes. And seeing it from their eyes is quite a ride.

I listened to the audio book of Honey, with narration by Brittany Pressley. I thought the reading of this book was just marvelous. Pressley brought the voice of Amber to life, and I could feel her passion through each chapter. I really liked Honey. It’s an enjoyable read with a lot of interesting characters. I will admit that I expected more drama, more scandal, but then this is the week that a very famous former boy band singer got pulled over for a DUI, so maybe it’s good that fiction is less like real life in this instance. I admired Amber for her personal convictions, for how hard she worked to find her own voice, and for her dedication to her friends. This is a lovely story of a young woman finding her voice in a male dominated profession, but I did think it lacked a little of the public drama of the actual era of the young pop stars.

An early copy of the audio book for Honey was provided by Macmillan Audio, and egalleys were provided by Celadon Books, both through NetGalley, with many thanks.