"Boom Town" is a “missing person” mystery set in and around a “gentlemen’s club” featuring exotic dancers in Atlanta. It’s a novel that deals with sex, race, lesbian relationships, strip clubs, the seedier side of life, and the exploitation of women. It includes graphic sex and language.

Author Nic Stone’s strongest suit, at least in this novel, is her ability to create captivating characters with distinct voices and compelling relationships—people readers can care about. And her settings are very well rendered.. Readers will come away with a good idea of what it's like to work in such a club and how some dancers feel about what they're doing and the people they are entertaining.

However, her plotting and storytelling can be confusing, which sometimes makes for a frustrating read. In particular, her choice to employ multiple names for various characters and to transition among different points in time may, periodically, leave readers scratching their heads, asking: Where are we, now? Who are we talking about?

My thanks to Net Galley, author Nic Stone, and publisher Simon and Schuster for providing me with a complimentary electronic ARC. All of the foregoing is my honest, independent opinion.

Thank you NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Nic Stone for the opportunity to read this e-ARC!

I was so excited to read Nic Stone's debut adult novel. I was hoping it would be as pivotal as her YA novels, but while I did get into this novel, it didn't pack as big a punch. It was a bit confusing keeping up with stage names that sounded similar (Lucky and Lyric) as well as remembering the women's personal names. But I do enjoy reading about topics that I don't know much about, and this book delivered in that regard.

I adore Nic Stones YA books so I was very excited for her adult debut. We follow the story of three women who are sex workers in Atlanta, two of those women go missing and Lyriq tries to solve the mystery. I was really attached to Lucky’s story and I also really liked Lady Josephine (even though she only has like three chapters). There are times when the time jumps aren’t clear within the chapter (when there is a short flash back), but overall I enjoyed the story.

This was a fast-paced thriller that kept me on my toes. I don't know much about Atlanta's past, but this book showed me a side that I don't want to revisit.

I have mixed feelings about this one, at times i struggled with it, not being able to keep track of the story, all the names and who was speaking but i pushed through and ended up liking it, it was moving and disturbing. Parts of it will stay with me for awhile.

I did not enjoy this book as much as I anticipated. When I read the summary of this book, I was a very excited to read a story that was going to be different from other novels. I had also never read any books by this author. Unfortunately, the book was very hard to follow due to how many girls were involved in the book all of them having stage names and then also their real names.

I absolutely loved this book! Definitely have the mystery, stripper, p-valley vibes I was looking forward to! I loved the twists and turns. My only issue with it was the stage names and actual names of the two MC women , I kept getting them confused. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this!

This is my first time reading anything by this author. Boom Town is an okay read. Here are my reasons why.

What had drawn me to the book was the beautiful cover. It had this mysterious look, and I yearned to read it. When I read the synopsis, I appreciated it a lot because it’s not often reported in the news about missing Black women. Nic Stone brought that part of the story to light, and I found that refreshing. Here’s where things get tricky for me, though.

I had a difficult time getting into the book. What distracted me was the characters’ stripper names and their real names. It was hard to remember who they all were. I had to keep going back and rereading to keep track.

Also, there were some spots where the story slowed down. It became a huge distraction, distancing me from the story.

The twist at the end was good, though. I liked it a lot.

After deep consideration, I decided to rate Boom Town 3 stars. The novel is okay.

I recommend this book to others to see if they come to the same conclusion.

⭐⭐⭐

3.5 stars— I liked this but didn’t love it. It took me a minute to get into; the two timelines/voices weren’t super distinct and I found myself having to keep checking to see whose chapter I was reading. Once I got into it, it was a super quick read and I appreciated what Stone was trying to do, it just didn’t fully land.

2.5
Nic Stone ily but this one simply did not work at all for me
The writing was strong as always and well-adjusted for an adult readership, but I have never struggled to follow a mystery/thriller this much. There are so many timelines, so many different POVs, and every character has a birth name and a dancer name, which are thrown around interchangeably. By the end of the book, I could tell that lines were presented to be a big reveal, and I truly could not make any sense of what was happening.
I seem to be somewhat in the minority thus far, so hopefully I am just dumb and this can find a home among readers who are smarter than me (and/or are willing to take notes)

Boom Town was one of the most engaging books I've read in a while. I received an ARC from Netgalley, so there were some typos and an incorrect chapter heading, but that didn't take away from the fast paced story.
If this were a longer book, or somehow broken up into 2 books, I feel that it would have made the second part a lot more interesting for me. It was a quick read for me and the first part of the book pulls you in, but from part two and on, it sort of felt rushed to tie everything together. Possibly less journal entries and more flashbacks and full background on background on the main characters could have made the book continue to read more like a movie for me, like it did in part one. .
All in all, I still enjoyed the book very much and I do plan on reading it again once it is published (I typically don't reread books but I'd love to see what changes have been made between now and release date).
Thank you to Netgalley, Nic Stone, and her team.

This book was really interesting! I enjoyed the plot and the characters, and I would absolutely recommend it to others!

The most infamous Atlanta strip club features the dynamic duo of Lucky and Lyriq, until one day Lyriq suddenly stops dancing and Lucky has gone missing. Months later, Lyriq is back working at Boom Town and has hired a new dancer, who is eerily similar to Lucky. As much as she doesn’t want to think about Lucky again, she is forced to when her newly hired dancer goes missing under suspicious circumstances.

What follows is a story with a lots of twists and turns, and an ending you won’t see coming. This story does a good job highlighting the underrepresented group of exotic dancers, women of color, and sex workers who do not get their stories told. I enjoyed hearing things from their prospective and the lengths they need to go to to get justice. Stone writes with such intensity, it keeps you engaged throughout the whole time even during the slower parts of the story.

I would recommend this book to someone who is looking for a gripping thriller, and story about the underrepresented community and what they go through when one of their own goes missing.

Really solid read! The story kept me interested, and the characters had depth. Some parts moved a little slow, but overall it was engaging and thought-provoking. A good mix of heart and tension. Thank you for allowing me to read this in advance @NetGalley

Friends, this book was not for me. This is a novel about a group of exotic dancers at a club in Atlanta called Boom Town. I really appreciate that the author wanted to tell the story of women who go missing that are the ones no one talks about. Women of color, exotic dancers, sex workers. However, I had a hard time following this one.

The main reason why is because I had a tough time keeping the character straight. All of the women dancers have a given name, as well as a stage name, and sometimes also a nickname. I could really remember their storylines and kept having to go back and re-read. The narrative also jumps back-and-forth between the present time and a year ago, and reading on Kindle. It was easy to get mixed up in what time period i was reading. I also Didn’t really visualize the age differences appropriately, which made the ending a little more confusing.

The characters in general just didn’t seem well developed to me, and I did find the nature of the book to be a bit disturbing.

So while this story wasn’t my favorite, I could see others enjoying it due to the provocative, gritty setting.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC. Book to be published 10/14/25

Rating: ★★★★★
Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Contemporary Fiction
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

“Boom Town” is Nic Stone’s powerhouse debut into adult fiction, and she absolutely delivers. Cinematic, raw, and unflinchingly bold, this book reads like a thriller with a message. It’s giving P-Valley meets a slow-burn Southern noir — where danger lurks in every shadow, and sisterhood is both a weapon and a lifeline.

We follow three exotic dancers — two go missing, and it’s up to the third to uncover the truth. As the story unravels, so do layers of secrets, manipulation, and systemic neglect. The suspense is perfectly paced, and the twist? Jaw-dropping. Stone builds tension with precision, leading to a finale that’s both satisfying and haunting.

What hit hardest was the commentary: how often Black women and girls disappear without so much as a headline. Stone doesn’t just tell a story — she demands attention to a real-world crisis. And she does it through characters that feel achingly real.

Also, Thomas? A predator in plain sight. But it’s his wife who gave me chills — the way she cloaked herself in sisterhood just to serve her husband’s violence was next-level villainy. I loved hating her.

Nic Stone came to adult fiction swinging. I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time.

This book reminded me of a salacious Tyler Perry situation. It was gritty and engaging but also lacked something that I truly can’t put my finger on. The transition between characters were a little clunky and the plot has been seen before. I think Nic Stone is an amazing author but it also felt kind of strange to read the adult works of a middle grade author. (Which is how I was introduced to her catalogue) Like it just didn’t fit ? I think if she continues writing more adult books, she can find her niche but right now it was a struggle with a recycled plot.

Michah "Lyriq" Johanssen works at Boom Town. When Damaris "Carm" Wilburn is missing from her shift and then Lyriq`s former headline partner and lover Felice "Lucky" Carothers also vanishes she decides she is going to find them. This is about money, misogyny and power. Where these women are often overlooked and forgotten. The mystery kept me reading and it was dark at times. There were many POVS though which was confusing at times and I wish we knew more about the characters that disappeared. Wish there was more to the ending as well. Overall this book is important and I am glad I read it.

Thank you NetGalley for sending the email letting me know that this book was available for 24 hours. I immediately added it to my shelf and have been reading it for the past three days. Nic Stone is a name that I’ve heard of over the years. I met her years ago at a convention but have never read her work. That is until now. I’m so glad that there are YA authors writing New Adult fiction. Quite a few of these stories over the years. All of which are really good. Boom Town is officially my favorite and dare I say it’s one of my favorite books in 2025. The story is about an exotic dancer whose friend and fellow dancer who one day doesn’t show up for work. It seems like she just up and left but then another dancer (newly hired), disappears as well. Something isn’t right.

Stone’s writing draws you into a world that the reader may not be familiar with but are eager to learn more about. Each character is realistic and and well fleshed out. The pacing is medium. The settings are lush and the descriptions are captivating. I rated boomtown five stars out of five. Boomtown will be released as a novel in October and I’m eager to pick up a copy as I said before it is really cool that there are young adult authors who have decided to dip their toe into a different more adult genre. I will be recommending this novel to fans of thriller and the TV show P Valley.

I honestly didn't know what to expect, when I heard Nic Stone was writing an adult novel. I knew it would be good, because well...it is Nic Stone. I just didn't know Boom Town would be this good! 

Boom Town is one of the hottest strip clubs in ATL, and the dancers are top notch, especially Lyriq and Lucky. Then enters Thomas, a new patron to Boom Town, who drips of money, power and White boy swag. Not long after Thomas starts patronizing the club, Lyriq disappears. A couple years later a new dancer named Charm gets hired at Boom, and Thomas reappears. After a few months of working at the club Charm also disappears, and so does Thomas...again. This time Lyriq decides things are more than a coincidence and decides to look for Charm, and her friend Lucky. As the story unveils, so do the secrets, bribes and relationships.  

This story isn't just about a strip club. It shines a light on the way Black women go missing without people blinking an eye. It shows the silent struggles Black women face when they are afraid to be vulnerable, or have no one to be vulnerable with. It unearths the secret, disturbing underbelly of strip clubs that include assault, power, misogyny, and privilege.

In addition, I appreciate how Nic gives life to these characters. They aren't "just dancers", they have families, they are educated, they are human. Far too often dancers are looked down upon by society, and people want to justify wrongdoings by their line of work. If you've read anything else by Nic, you know she tackles these issues head on. This book is definitely a must-read.