As a 90s kid and a huge fan of pop stars and boy bands this brought me back. I really enjoyed the behind the scenes of being a pop star and dealing with criticism from the paparazzi and everyone else always having an opinion of your life! I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

Honey by Isabel Banta is a delightful read. The story is engaging and the writing is enjoyable. This book offers a wonderful reading experience that is sure to please a wide range of readers.

The moment I read the synopsis I knew I wanted to read Honey. I was so excited to receive a copy. This book will definitely take you back to early 2,000s music. I enjoyed the book a lot and would recommend it to people who grew up listening to Britney Spears, etc in the early 2000s and anyone who loves music.

Honey has a fast-paced narrative that often feels like it rushes through moments, leaving me wanting more detail and depth. Despite this, the story is usually engaging. The raw and genuine descriptions of the main character's experiences offer a glimpse into the lives of 90s pop stars. The ending comes abruptly, feeling inconsistent with the book's hurried pace which made it seem like it was trying to get somewhere. Overall, it's a decent read, though it didn’t leave a lasting impression.

Honey by Isabel Banta - I wanted to love this book but this book was painfully slow. Nothing happening, random banter. I took breaks and came back to this book multiple times and I just could not do it. It was a DNF for me and I rarely DNF books.

Honey by Isabel Banta is a coming of age story set in the savage world of pop stardom during the 90s and Y2K. This is a sad read at first that ends up being a heartfelt account of personal growth, the power of female friendship, strength and even survival. Amber Young, the main character, and her best friend Gwen, with the pink hair, wouldn’t have made it out alive of the music industry if it wasn’t for the strong bond they formed. They each helped other grow up in the public eye and navigate the real world since their naive preteen years, when they first met in a thrown together girl pop group. They both quit and began their solo journeys into trying to make it to the top. This reminds me a bit of how Beyoncé was born out of Destiny’s Child.

Honey is a fairly accurate depiction of how things really were back then, especially after the truth came out. I was a teenager during these years and remember everything; like how very young, impressionable girls, girl pop groups, and boy bands were groomed by either their own parents, managers, and record labels and pushed to do whatever it takes to make it to the top of the Billboard charts or onto Total Request Live with Carson Daly.

The story is set during a unhinged period in music industry. It was scandalous, full of drama, creepy managers, skeezy producers, massive fandoms, MTV, sexualization of kids to make millions, mental breakdowns, paparazzi, and one hit wonders. Amber was recruited at her school talent show at age 7 and made it on Star Search. She is from a broken home with an abusive alcoholic mother, absent father, and zero positive role models. Remember how many kids were recruited from The Mickey Mouse Club? All of this is within the pages of Honey, which made the subject matter relatable and fascinating.

Amber is branded as a sexpot instantly by her record label Lolly, because she kind of of had sex, agreed to admit it, and her competition didn’t. Her entire persona, songs written for her, fashion, videos are all about sex, which blurred the lines between who she really was and what she was showing the world - sex, which she knew nothing about but was obsessed with. This put her through multiple heartbreaks, publicity stunts, and fake narratives pushed by her label all with the singer of a popular Boyband. She was hated, loved, then hated again. Sound familiar?

At some points I just wanted to stop and shake some sense into her. As the story goes on we learn that none of the characters had any real life experience and rarely saw the outside of their tour buses, besides what they were told. NO SOCIAL MEDIA! They didn’t know who they really were, especially Amber and Gwen.

Honey isn’t plot driven, most of it is written in dialogue. It’s a deep character sketch told in first person. Banta’s unique style of writing made me fall in love with the characters and eventually Amber once she realized she could take control of her own life, learned that she wasn’t just a sex symbol, and started working with a producer that believed in her talent and respected the real her.

I highly recommend reading Honey, for anyone who lived through Y2K or wanted to. Thank you to NetGalley, Isabel Banta, and Celadon Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you grew up in the'90's then this book is for you! Think Brittany Spears, Jessica Simpson, and the Backstreet Boys and 'Nsync...teens who find themselves gaining popularity in the music industry. These stars must learn how to navigate stardom while still being true to themselves. What tabloids plaster all over and the reality of their lives don't match. But it's devistating to some.

This book was so nostalgic! I wanted to pull out 'NSYNC and blare them!

I loved this just as much as I thought I would! Isabel Banta's debut novel is beautifully written, drawing readers into the world of pop icons with a very vivid Y2K vibe.

It follows popstar Amber Young, a teen singer who rockets to fame as part of the girl band Cloud9 during the peak of boy and girl band mania. We follow Amber through the highs and lows of being a celebrity, especially a teen one, as she grapples with public scrutiny and wrestles with her own wants for acceptance and love.

I loved that each section of the book was separated into the verses of a song, painting a picture of growing up under the flashbulbs of fame and the impact that others' expectations can have on one's self-discovery. An amazing coming of age story! <3

Honey is a compelling debut novel that follows Amber Young as she rises to stardom! Throughout the story, she finds her voice in more ways than one. I found Honey to be extremely well written. The layout of this book is unique, because it includes song lyrics, wiki articles, and press articles about Amber, which I thought added a lot to the overall feel of the book. The story felt a little slow when Amber started her journey to stardom, but it quickly picked up. I found myself loving the relationships she made along the way, specifically with Gwen and Axel.
This book had such a fun Y2K vibe and left me wanting more. I recommend this to anyone looking for their next summer read! Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Honey follows a rising pop star as she comes of age in the late 90s. The story provides thought-provoking commentary on the mistreatment, pressure, exploitation, and anxiety that comes with being a young woman in the entertainment industry. I highly recommend for fellow 90s kids, fans of pop culture, or juicy novels that read like celebrity memoirs.

"Honey" by Isabel Banta offers a nostalgic dive into the glittering world of late-1990s and early 2000s pop music, following the career of superstar Amber Young. As a millennial who grew up idolizing pop icons like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and the Backstreet Boys, the premise of this book was immediately appealing. Banta effectively captures the essence of that era, drawing clear parallels between Amber and the real-life pop legends of my youth. The novel’s backdrop, filled with the highs and lows of the music industry, evokes a wave of nostalgia, making it a delightful read for anyone who lived through those vibrant years.

However, despite its promising concept, "Honey" fell short in a few areas. The narrative occasionally felt lackluster and, at times, a bit boring. I found it difficult to connect deeply with any of the characters or become invested in their relationships and struggles. The emotional depth that could have elevated the story was missing, making the overall experience somewhat underwhelming. Additionally, the book’s tone and style leaned more towards young adult fiction, which might not resonate as strongly with readers looking for a more mature take on the glitzy pop scene. Overall, while "Honey" has its nostalgic charm, it may not fully satisfy those seeking a deeper and more engaging read.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this one! I enjoyed following Amber’s career and seeing her become a star. The story definitely intrigued me & I’m happy with how everything came together in the end.

I really, really enjoyed this book! I think those who like Taylor Jenkins Reid would want to pick up this one as well. Unfortunately, the climax and end fell a little flat for me, but overall it was enjoyable and it kept me flipping the pages! I'm excited about future books from Isabel Banta - really enjoyed the writing style and story telling.

I had a good time with this! I've read enough pop star memoirs/fictionalized accounts of pop stars to be pretty familiar with the beats of this but I liked Amber's voice.

If you like the kind of book this is, you will like this book.

This is the first book I've read in a long time that I literally devoured in a single day—I have no complaints whatsoever. This book was magical, fun, heartbreaking, and so many things to me. Its commentary on women and society’s distaste for them, whether they are “modest,” confident in their sexuality, or simply existing, was so REAL and almost relieving to see in a book, despite the unfortunate reality of these occurrences.

The story follows Amber, who becomes a pop star in the late 90s and early 2000s, and explores how she is treated throughout her career as the “overtly sexual” female pop star of her time. This book evoked a range of emotions in me—anger, sadness, and happiness—and the writing was exceptionally well done. If you enjoyed The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, I definitely recommend this book!

(And who doesn’t love a book with a bold pink cover?)

So grateful to have received this as an ARC! I could tell within the first few pages Britney and Jessica Simpson were part of the inspiration.

This books follows Amber Young’s journey from her talent being discovered as a young child to her career path as an adult.

I did not expect Axel to be the love interest! I smiled so hard at the last few pages.

Honey is Isabel Banta's debut novel. I experienced an array of emotions while reading this. For a debut, the writing, I feel, is excellent. As an English nerd, I look at things such as sentence structure, descriptiveness, usage of figures of speech, etc. I was impressed by those elements.

Honey is the story of Amber Young, a fictional, wanna be pop star of the mid 1990s. The book, in fact, follows Amber from 1990 (age 10) to 2004 (age 24).

During this book, the account of a teen trying to break into the music industry can be seen as sometimes stark, sometimes bleak, sometimes very poignant, and sometimes I am thinking, sadly realistic. Think Britney Spears. This novel is by no means based on her, though; I am simply referring to the industry and the time setting.

It is pretty graphic in areas. I think it will be more popular with the younger crowd. Personally, for me, I think it should have come with a warning saying...You are too old for this book...recommended for ages 50 and under. I am kidding, but I would also be lying if I said that thought didn't cross my mind a time or two while reading it.

It is receiving a 3.5 stars from me because I was impressed with the author's story and style, especially for a debut. Thank you, NetGalley and Celedon Books, for this realistically raw story.

Isabel Banta's debut novel, "Honey," is an ambitious reimagining of the rise and fall of pop icons in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The story follows Amber Young, a small-town girl who receives the chance of a lifetime to join the girl group Cloud9 in Los Angeles. This opportunity thrusts her into the world of fame, where she quickly encounters the highs and lows of the music industry.

Banta excels in capturing the era's zeitgeist, vividly portraying the heady mix of ambition, desire, and vulnerability that defines Amber's experience. The novel shines in its exploration of the dichotomy between Amber's public persona and her rich interior life. That said, "Honey" sometimes falters in its execution. The narrative occasionally feels disjointed, with pacing issues that detract from the overall impact of Amber's story. Certain plot points and character developments could have been more fleshed out, leaving several threads feeling underdeveloped.

What a surprise this book was! I feel like this story was targeted directly to me as someone who grew up in the 90s/ early 00s. But when I went into it I was expecting a fluffy pop star story, but this turned into a insightful and deep character study about that era and the struggles faced in the music industry and as a famous person in general. I think many people forget that these people are human with their own insecurities and especially when you are younger and just want to do something you love, the result of fame can be ugly. The industry is full of people who want to exploit and sexualize the performers, and they want to create a persona that may not be the entirety of who that person is. I loved this book and how it was written. Even though I personally related to it because I grew up in that era, I think anyone would enjoy reading about the seedy underbelly of fame and success. Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of this book.

Honey, by Isabel Banta, tells the story of Amber Young, an aspiring pop star in the late 1990s, and goes through her rise, her success, and her personal life. This novel has a very 90s feel, with both the intense sexualization of young women and the faux-concern over young girls’ purity. This was an amazing setting, it made me remember how awful radio DJs, talk show hosts and magazine interviewers could be to girl musicians in the 90s. So many very personal, very sexual questions on air and then the faux concern over skimpy clothes. I cringe at it now, but I really had no idea anything was weird at the time, teenage me read loads of magazine celeb features and didn’t think there was anything odd about how young women were often asked about their sexual status, partners, positions, etc., when that article was supposedly about a new album…

It also made me remember the excitement of buying or listening to a new CD and of discovering a new pop group at that time when music is really intense.

While the setting in Honey was vivid and compelling, I wasn’t really drawn in by the characters or main storyline. It’s a novel about Amber’s rise to fame, but there was an odd lack of tension in the book because I never wondered if she would succeed. Some of it is the flash-forwards, and some of it is just that there was nothing else in the book, so there was no feeling that Amber could find a different career or fail. This made the scenes of her career “struggles” less impactful.

For example, teenage Amber loses on Star Search, but I didn’t feel like it was a real setback, and then Amber is recruited for the girl group Cloud9, but she decides to strike out on her own — I didn’t feel like it was a real risk. It was clear that attempting a solo career was going to lead to the rest of the book.

Somehow, Amber’s character felt slightly static despite all the exciting events of the novel. The supporting characters, especially the other girl pop stars, were fun but slightly flat. Amber is marketed as the bad girl pop star, a contrast to the sweetly virginal Savannah and everyone’s-beloved-girlfriend Gwen, since as we all know there are only a few archetypes for pretty girl stars. Unfortunately, I found the creative collab section dull, too. I didn’t really buy that making music was essential to Amber, mostly because we never really saw her writing songs and feeling good until that point.

Still, these slightly flat characters worked well as methods to examine and discuss 90s pop culture. This made for a fun read, there’s a compelling mix of the critical and nostalgic takes. I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes of musician life and pop culture, perhaps from reading all those magazine features in the 90s.