I had high hopes for this book, but unfortunately I didn’t love it. I was excited for the nostalgia as I was born in the early 90s, and while there was some of that, it definitely wasn’t as “feel-good” as I thought it would be. Or at all, really. I almost stopped reading it a few times, but I am glad I stuck with it.

This book follows Amber’s rise to fame as a pop star, showing allllll the nitty gritty, at times heartbreaking and painful parts that came with that. I never had aspirations to be famous, but this book solidified that for me. It did truly break my heart for what these KIDS went through to get to the top! It was very eye-opening in that regard.

Overall, while I didn’t love the book, others may. I definitely think this author has promise!

Thank you Net Galley and publishers for the advanced copy!

If you grew up in the late 90s/early 2000s, you were possibly hit by the pop fever of female singers. Christina Aguilera, Britney, Jessica Simpson, etc. they make up the character that is Amber Young. She was really a mix of Christina and Britney. She loved singing and found it as a way for her to find affection. When she decided to make it into a career, Honey shows the ups and downs of that choice.

I had higher hopes for Honey, but parts of it fell flat for me. I was glad to have the incorporation of the music in the book as it showed not only Amber's changes as a singer but also those of the pop behemoth she was a part of. There were a lot of characterizations that I didn't understand the motivation for. At times the characters, even Amber, came off as very one note. I wish we could have seen past the early aughts and into Amber's future life, as highlighted by the Wiki page insert at the end.

Honey is the debut novel for Isabel Banta. I think she holds a lot of talent for future novels. I'm intrigued to see what she writes next.

Rating: 3.5

I think books that center around music, musicians, and a fictional journey just aren’t for me. I will say that this book is written well, and for the most part I did enjoy it.

This rating is coming more from a Fave storyline Fact that it wasn’t a good book. It was!

For someone like me who was in high school in the early 2000's...I truly lived and breathed all the boy bands and female pop stars as they rose to fame. I loved NSync, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, etc. and could still to this day give you way too many details about each of their lives. This book was so much fun to read, because it  took me back to those times, and made me feel like I was reading the story of another up and coming pop star that I somehow had forgotten about. 

The author does an incredible job of creating this character's story as if she was truly real, along with all the other performers and groups that are of course fictional, but pull so many details from the real thing back in the day. I loved the super short chapters and the way months would elapse to get you to the next important thing happening, as it kept the book moving along at a fast pace. This book definitely had Daisy Jones and The Six vibes, just told during the 2000's instead. 

If you are an elder millennial like myself I think you will enjoy and appreciate this book. And if you're not, I still think you will find this story pretty entertaining. Read it regardless for a fun escape!

It took me a little while to get into this book, but once I did I was flying through it. Overall I did enjoy the book, but I do think some of the chapters were a bit flat

2⭐️. I found these characters to be pretty insufferable and vapid. I could see the broader messages and context the author wanted to touch on….because it was blatantly written. I wish we had more character development, just let dialogue to let us really get to know the characters and have more depth into the word. This had so much potential, but it was written more in a YA lens than I would’ve liked.

Thank you to Celadon Book and NetGalley for an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

"Honey" by Isabel Galant is a nostalgic dive into the late '90s and early 2000s pop era, capturing the behind-the-scenes struggles and triumphs of Amber Young as she rises to stardom. The book vividly portrays the music industry, the pressures on young female artists, and Amber's journey of self-discovery and personal growth. While the pacing felt uneven at times and I wished for deeper character exploration, the inclusion of period-specific articles and interviews added a rich layer of authenticity. Overall, "Honey" is an enjoyable read that beautifully evokes the era's spirit and offers a heartfelt coming-of-age story.

Thank you Celadon for the gifted ARC!

HONEY was a highly anticipated read for me. I am always searching for a book to give me the same feelings DAISY JONES AND THE SIX did. With HONEY being set in the late 90s/early 2000s, I was even more hopeful this would be a major win for me.

While I enjoyed this overall, it isn’t a new favorite. Something was missing for me.

I enjoyed following Amber on her coming-of-age journey and her rise to stardom. I thought the music industry pieces, especially the parts about the press and the stories the record companies want released about their artists, were incredibly interesting. I enjoyed the friendship between Amber and Gwen. I enjoyed Amber becoming more comfortable with her talent and wanting to take over more of her career. I loved the inclusion of articles, interviews, and sites like Wikipedia to add to the story. And I really loved the ending.

I still feel like it needed something…more. I had some issues with the pacing and I didn’t really find myself invested until about halfway through. I also feel like we didn’t really get to know Amber, which is odd considering we’re hearing the story from her.

With that said, I still enjoyed the read and the nostalgia it gave me.

I really loved this book! Love that it was set in the 90s so I could relate to the throwbacks and get a glimpse into what it might’ve been like for young girl stars at that time. Amber Young’s personal growth was fun and beautiful to watch, and the support of specific people who were part of her growth was really lovely too. Very Taylor Jenkins-Reid-esque which I love! Really impressive for a debut novel from Isabel Galant!

Five stars for this debut novel which is powerful in its realistically gritty portrayal of young teens fighting for fame in the world of pop music. I placed the book cover into my photo from South Africa because the protagonist's God-given singing voice is what opens the window of opportunity for her to pursue her dreams. One thing I really liked about author Isabel Banta's story telling was her ability to describe difficult situations without gratuitous shock value. Every curse word or crude behavior is needed: from a mother's alcoholism and resulting cruel, cold-hearted behavior that hurts her own daughter to the take-no-prisoners fight for fame in recording studios, casting couch rooms, and agent interviews. Light touches of history are interspersed among the page-turning story of teenager Amber Young's attempt to make a career for herself with what she loves to do-sing. The historical references include some popular song titles of various years to occasional references to big national news. All of these flow smoothly with the plot. Nothing seems forced; nothing interrupts Amber's narrative. Of course, readers also share Amber's heartbreak with attempts to find romance and her disappointments with physical intimacy. I highly recommend this book. While some readers may feel that Honey is not timeless literary fiction, it is a book I recommend ! Honey is absolutely entertaining, has many insightful moments about relationships, a touching ending, and has the potential for easy adaptation to the big screen or a streaming TV series!

I wasn’t prepared for the amount of quotes I’d be highlighting in this one! 😂

💋 Amber Young is working her way through stardom in the nineties reflecting on her identity along the way. 💋

Let me begin by saying wholly nineties nostalgia! This book brought me back to what it felt like to be watching these stars rise from the outside.

This story takes you behind the scenes of what could have been your favorite artist’s world… think Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Mandy Moore but it also holds up for more recent artists as well.

I loved how Amber struggled with love throughout the entire story; how to love herself and what it means to be truly loved by someone else.

There were so many moments that made me feel seen and were hard to read because they hit so close to home at times.
Her struggles with self image and self worth were so easy to identify with.

I’m a sucker for romance so if you’re like me I will say there is some spicy romances and soul sucking romances in the book but only one had my heart and I appreciated the mock Wikipedia entry at the end!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

🫧 Nostalgic
🌱 Growth
💋 Romance
💖 Friendship
📸 Celebrity
🎭 Character Driven

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

👉🏼 #bookstackcityreviews

🎁 Thank you @celadonbooks for the #gifted copy of #HoneyBook (6/25)!!

❓Do you like to reflect on the past or do you prefer to just keep looking forward?

As a millennial, I was really excited to read Honey and travel back into the time capsule of the late '90s and early 2000s pop era. I don't think anybody growing up in that time didn't watch MTV, music videos, TRL, and relish in the feeling of what it would be like to be famous—a pop star in a boy band or girl group, buying magazines, and having posters on the wall. With the current hype of memoirs and documentaries highlighting the behind-the-scenes traumas and dramas of that time, I was even more excited to see what would happen in this book.

I think Honey is a chill read and enjoyable enough to pass the time. Unfortunately, I don't think the author pushed it as far as she could have. The early 2000s was a time when misogyny was rampant. The expectations of women in the media were not only clearly sexualized but stereotypical. We saw this in multiple formats of entertainment, not even touching on issues of sexuality and body image. While it felt like the author started to say something, she never pushed the conversation far enough, ultimately making the book feel very safe.

I even felt Banta’s choice to choose a white celebrity was safe, knowing there were groups like TLC and Destiny’s Child around this time. Shows like Making the Band, solo artists like JLo and Selena, and young TV stars becoming pop stars offered so many interesting angles she could've explored. This isn't to say that our main character doesn’t face obstacles, or that the characters around her don’t. It just felt like a lot of the issues weren’t unique to the industry and the main character’s voice never felt personalized or deep enough to deliver the messages the author was scratching the surface of, or to connect with.

Many of her relationships were overly sexualized, which seemed like a missed opportunity to explore other facets of misogyny in the industry. It felt like the author used sex to display misogyny when there were so many more examples that could've been used. I thought maybe the boyfriend might try to steal a song or she might have to battle with going independent, but it seemed like the most challenging aspect of her career was a relationship she knew wasn’t good for her, and the byproduct of that. Though we do see the author begin to explore themes of optics, male gaze, and sexual identity. It all came back to another hookup. For instance, when introduced to Axel, I hoped for a platonic relationship that would focus on Amber’s growth, but it turned into another physical relationship. There was also the introduction of another relationship that felt random, and unnecessary.

Even the side characters with their obstacles and issues were quickly resolved or dropped. For example, Gwen, who could’ve potentially sabotaged Amber’s career, gets an easy forgiveness without true conversational understanding. For me, this book played it safe. With a topic and an era that went so big all the time, I expected so much more.

However, I did enjoy the detailed capture of the time. The interviews, the songs, the magazine clip questionnaires really transported me back. The audiobook enhanced this experience, capturing that 2000s feeling with different voices making it feel like an episode of TRL. One thing I would've liked was actual singing for the songs. It felt odd to have music but then just spoken lyrics over top.

In general, this book is a celebration and a shining light on the 2000s and what it meant to be a rising star. In some ways, it reminded me of watching Crossroads, watching young kids find themselves, discover each other, and mature in the public eye. While I may have wanted something edgier, I think this will be successful, and I hope to see more from this author in the future.

Thank you to Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for this ARC!

I really wanted to love this one, since I grew up in the 90's pop ers, but unfortunately I just couldn't get into Honey and didn't end up finishing this one, and put it down at about 30%.

What a great read to have right before its publishing date! 3.5 stars.

I loved the nostalgia this one brought back and the Britney/justin undertones that came along with it. If you want to relive those early days of boy bands and late 90s hairdos, this one is for you. My inner child is fangirling all over the place - and be sure to pick it up for any of your friends that are complaining about back pain….its right in their age range!

Honey by Isabel Banta was a fantastic read! I am extremely surprised this a debut novel.

Amber Young is a rising pop star in the 90s who was first discovered by Angela Newton.
It takes Amber a few years to end up with Cloud9 where she meets her best friend Gwen Miller. This is where Amber meets the famous band group ETA and comes in contact with boy band idol Wes Kingston, who she realizes looks so familiar. This novel follows her music career from childhood to early adulthood and so on.
This book covers how unfair women are treated by the media and the impact they have on how other people view those that are in Hollywood.
Amber was portrayed differently by the media due to her body being more developed than other female artists in the industry. Amber had to suppress who she was and had to be who her label wanted her to be in order to sell her to the people. Amber found herself despite the public’s perception of her, the complex relationships she came across and the search for parental acceptance. She gained strength and determination to improve her career.

I like that the book was set up as a timeline for each chapter. It gave a better vision of when events were happening.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing me with a chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honesty review.

3.5/5, fun for anyone who grew up loving the pop girlies of the 90s/00s

I do wish the relationship with Axel had been explored more, as well as Amber's relationship with her own family.

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Through this story we get to see how Amber grows into herself and her music. We follow her story starting as a young girl wanting to sing for a living.

I loved watching Amber learn to advocate for herself and her music as she got older. It was great to see how the relationships between characters developed as they grew into adulthood.

The storylines did feel a little jumbled and unfinished at times. The plot started to fall apart a bit in the second half of the book and I found it harder to want to pick it back up and keep reading.

If you’re a fan of the 90s, pop music, and coming of age stories, this one’s for you!

Thanks to Netgalley and Celadon Books for the e-copy of this one!

Being that my coming-of-age time was in the '90s, "Honey" by Isabel Banta wasn't what I was expecting. The book had so much potential but missed the mark for me. The idea of a young girl turning into a mega pop star sounded exciting, but the execution was lacking. The characters, especially Amber Young, didn't feel fully developed, making it hard to care about their journeys. Important parts, like what it's truly like being famous, felt only halfway done.

The ending was also a letdown, using an article to wrap things up instead of a proper conclusion.

honey by isabel banta 💓 a coming-of-age story that follows the rise of singer amber young as she navigates fame in the late-90s and early-2000s era of pop music superstardom 🎤

on the surface, this novel is about how our characters handle their fame and the struggles that come along with it but looking deeper its a raw portrayal of insecurities, shame, and the relentless desire for love. this was a real reminder of the objectification endured by women, from struggles with eating disorders to societal pressures on female sexuality. honey was a nostalgic gem without being ✨cringe✨

brittney pressley’s narration was chef’s kiss, the perfect voice for this story! the audiobook also featured radio clips, song lyrics, music backdropped as if you were listening to amber’s latest hits and gossip magazine snippets which really made this story seem SO real. I caught myself wanting to google these characters!

all of the J-14 magazine talk had me reminiscing on my childhood 🥹 the fact that the magazine is discontinued now (as of jan. 2024) is a CRIME. honey was an unexpected five star read for me & I’m looking forward to what’s next for this author!

I enjoyed this coming-of-age story way more than I expected to! It was a journey reading all about Amber Young’s career from when she started out auditioning for Star Search to being one of the biggest pop singers in the world. It feels like you are reading an autobiography.

As someone who grew up in the 90s watching TRL after school with it filled with all the boy bands and pop singers, this book will give you all the nostalgia feels.

I was happy to see her friendship continue to grow between her and another pop singer, Gwen. They both had each other to lean on in this music bubble, which looked like it was much needed.

I enjoyed the lyrics, magazine interviews, and quizzes nestled in the end of most chapters.

I am very excited to see what the author will write next because I thought this was a fantastic debut novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.