Honey tells the story of Amber Young in the nineties and early 2000s. Singing is the only thing she is good at. She enters a show called Star Search when she is young but loses to a boy called Wes who can't believe his luck, as he thinks Amber is a fantastic singer.

At the age of seventeen, Amber is put into a girl group called Cloud9. There, she becomes good friends with bandmate Gwen, and the Cloud9 girls open for boyband ETA, Wes's band.

The novel follows Amber leaving the band and making it as a solo artist. The vibe feels nostalgic and it focuses on the industry, tabloids, the sexualisation of female artists. She is competing against other female solo singers (including her best friend Gwen), her relationships are highly publicised, people online say things about her.

There are some aspects of mixed media in there too and whilst I love that, I would have enjoyed an extra chapter on Amber now in her forties with her husband and child and how that came to be, rather than it being akin to a Wikipedia article.

I really enjoyed this book and it is a great, easy to read debut.

A debut novel set in the 1990’s-2000’s and largely in the USA music industry. In 1997 after dreaming of being a pop star Amber Young is chosen as a member of new girl group Cloud 9. After some success the band member start to leave to pursue solo careers, including Amber. I’m sure this is going to be repeated on a regular basis, but I couldn’t help myself thinking about Britney Spears virtually from the start of this book and I’m not really sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. The use of mixed media was an interesting addition - Sony lyrics, media stories and Wikipedia - although I wasn’t over enamoured with some of the song lyrics. I found this quite slow moving and not my normal read but I can see that for anyone growing up in this era it will be a fascinating book.

Briefly, another member of the band was Gwen Morris and although they didn’t meet regularly she and Amber became friends. Amber had met Wes Kingston at an audition as a child and she never forgot him. Their paths crossed again when he became a member of boy band ETA. However, although he started dating Gwen the attraction between Amber and Wes was simmering and when they were on tour together her passion got the better of her conscience.

The characters are so young when they start the path towards living their dreams of fame and fortune. But what they never realised was how the industry would exploit and mold them as they desired, in Amber’s case she was sexualised and labelled a ‘bad girl’. I get the feeling that this is probably quite true to the experiences of many hopefuls in the music industry. Amber’s is quite a sad story, a coming of age for a girl who just wants to be loved and I did enjoy her friendship with Gwen after her less than happy childhood. Entertaining.

3.5⭐️

Its 1997 - and Honey is the story of Amber Young, a girl who would do anything to be famous. She has a pretty tough upbringing, her father has left home and her mother turned to booze to see her through, but Amber keeps on going, sending tapes off to record labels, applying to talent shows and everything in-between. Each step gets her that bit closer to where she wants to be, bathed in adoration and adulation.

She gets to the live rounds of TV talent show, losing out to Wes (remember that name, he's going to be important!) but gets picked for girl group Cloud 9. The group has all the usual 90s stereotypes, the virginal one, the innocent one, and Amber who has been designated the sexy one. They are often paired up with boyband ETA which includes our boy Wes. Their tours start off small, playing to arcades and shopping malls across America but slowly growing in popularity and moving to arenas.

The book follows Amber's career including Cloud 9's trajectory and what happens when Amber and fellow Cloud9-er Gwen decide to go solo. Gwen and Wes become a media couple, with a host of articles dedicated to their romance. Amber too has her eye on Wes, sensing a connection between them, but doesn't want to hurt her friend's feelings. She has other relationships along the way, claiming the sexual identity that she's been given and owning it. This stands in sharp contrast to Gwen and fellow singer Savannah who have been lauded as innocent pure role models. The industry managers completely mould the girls into marketable commodities, with their outfits, their performances and their songs all playing to their allocated roles.

Through the story we see Amber's growth, both as a person and as an artist, dealing with the demands and restrictions made by the music industry and by the media. Its fascinating watching her discover who she really is and what she can achieve, and I had to keep reminding myself just how young she was when she was reaching such stardom. Her relationship with producer Axel is a pivotal one for her, as she can move into a more grown up sound and image with his backing.

I liked the mixed-media approach, the inclusion of song lyrics, media articles and interviews with Amber or about Amber really added to my understanding of her as a character.

I would recommend this to fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid and that vibe of book; it was a great read with lots to say about the pop industry.

This has been one of my anticipated reads this year, so I was excited to get stuck into this one.

I loved the nostalgia of the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. The story is told from the POV of Amber Young who is discovered at a young age. She ends up in girl group, where she meets her best friend Gwen.

I liked Amber and she reminded of both Britney and Christina at times. For how the media criticized them for how they dressed and acted. I really liked the friendship between her and Gwen it seemed really genuine it was good that they had each other to turn to.

The mixed media was another thing I really enjoyed within the book, the magazine articles, song lyrics, emails and the Wikipedia page at the end was brilliant!

Thank you to Compulsive Readers for having me on the tour and to the publisher for the gifted copy of the book.

I was expecting a nostalgia tinged addictive read from Honey and, don’t get me wrong, it totally delivered on that. However, Honey was actually far more introspective and deep than I had anticipated and I’m so glad I had the chance to read it because I found it completely enthralling. Honey is about so many things, primarily the way women’s bodies and personalities are often treated as a commodity, especially in the entertainment industry, and the way society often vilifies young woman with any sense of agency over themselves in a way it has never done to young men. It is also about love and respect, for the people you care about but for oneself especially.

Amber is a deeply compelling character, and one who I found really easy to root for throughout. I desperately wanted her to understand her own worth and value in a world that often makes it hard. I also loved her friendship with Gwen and really appreciated the way Isabel Banta handled their relationship when she could easily have taken a more typical but less meaningful route with it. I really think Honey is the perfect read for summer. It will feel especially resonant for anyone who, like me, grew up in the late 90’s/early noughties but I genuinely think everyone will find something to enjoy in this fabulous read. Sensitive, incisive and beautifully observed – Honey is not to be missed.

As a debut, this is a well-structured read. Is there room for improvement? Yes, of course! Does some of it feel like it’s been done before? Yes, again! Did I enjoy it? Surprisingly, yes, I did, more than I thought I would.

Told through multiple media points, this tells the story of Amber, a girl with a natural talent for singing, who is selected to join the girl band Cloud 9. The concept may not be original, but I think Amber is a very complex yet entertaining protagonist — credit to the author for this creativity. There is much more to her than I initially anticipated, and readers, like myself, who can read between the lines will appreciate this. It’s not a case of what the author tells us; it is what she doesn’t that kept me engaged and addicted enough to finish within 24 hours.

If you're a fan of coming-of-age stories with a splash of romance, glitz, scandal, and a love for music-themed novels, this book will surely captivate you.

I eagerly anticipate more from this author in the future, as I believe they have the potential to create more engaging and thought-provoking stories.

Having seen this described as for lovers of Daisy Jones, I knew I had to pick it up, but unfortunately, this set it up to fall short for me.

I'm sure there will be people who absolutely lap this book up, but it was just missing a certain sparkle. I didn't feel like I connected with the characters & the relationships & any adversity they faced was very surface level or very quickly skimmed over. It did give me a little anxiety, but that was more to do with the late 90s/00s judgement on body image & celebrity.

I'd love to have seen Amber's friendship with Gwen further explored, the relationship breakdowns & certain aspects of the story, which were glossed over, could have been examined more thoroughly.

I buddy read this & know the others enjoyed it more than me, so I know my issues with the book were a me thing.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this book for a fair and honest review.

Having this book described as similar to Daisy Jones and the Six made me request this, however, there was absolutely no comparison at all. This was just a way to sell the book I feel. It was not well written and the characters were not developed at all. Amber could have been described more to enable some like ability but she wasn’t. It was like a homage to Britney Spears with other not so successful individuals involved. This had potential but failed badly i am afraid.

🎧Audiobook Review🎧

#adprproduct

I want to thank NetGalley for approving me for an ARC of this book. Special shout out to the Tsundoku Squad, for the buddy read.

🎶Music
⭐Fame
👧🏻Coming of Age
💞Friendships

I found this book to be a quick listen. Amber's story and her friendship with Gwen, particularly intrigued me. It had the vibes of the 90's pop stars, over-sexualised young girls, captured by fame and fortune. If you're a fan of Daisy Jones or Songs In Ursa Major then you will enjoy this one.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

It’s the 90s and Amber is about to become a star. She had the voice, the body and the look, however it is the drama that really gets her recognised. The reality of being famous and the not so glamorous behind the scenes is the real focus of this book and the importance of real relationships.

I was really looking forward to this book as it’s my era and I love Daisy Jones & Britney Spears (the cover recommendation), and although at times it really sparkled it just didn’t hit the mark in the way I really expected. It definitely had however potential to be amazing though!

The premise seemed promising but sadly, Honey missed the mark for me. I really struggled to finish it. It started off reasonably well but then the storyline and the writing both went downhill. The book seemed heavily inspired by the likes of 90's pop icons such as Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera.

There was no depth to Amber's character at all. She came across as lacklustre. She was okay with everything that was happening with her and she didn't feel the need to stand up for herself. The whole Amber, Wes and Gwen thing was just odd.

The writing was all over the place and mediocre at best; rushed in some parts, but slow in other parts. It was like reading a really bad version of Daisy Jones and the Six. It may have been a coming of age story, but nothing really happened.

I was really looking forward to this book.
It sounded like it had all the promise to be a potential 5 star.
However for me personally I felt it just didn’t hit the the mark, I felt it lacked the emotion I was after from Amber, I found the story lacked growth and was mediocre in the middle.
I did enjoy the vibes it was trying to give to people back in the 2000s.
Overall I would rushed to recommend but equally it wasn’t as enjoyable as I would of liked

DNF. There is a cross-section of readers who will absolutely gobble this book up and they are 'Britney Spears fans' and 'Sally Rooney lovers'. It's an odd subsection, I don't know how many people actually exist in it, but they'll love this. By the time I got to the teenaged first-person female lead casually lending an air of ennui and intellectual superiority to objectified women on the covers of magazines and then leaping to talking without a single ounce of irony about her own nipples, I had checked out. When I tell you it felt like a man writing Amber, you might get a sense of what I mean.

The connection to Daisy Jones is not at all useful - both books are about music and that's where the similarities end. I think you'd be far more inclined to enjoy this book if you enjoy literary fiction, character-focused books that have an edge to them that you don't often get in celebrity stories. Personally, I think books about famous people, especially musicians, have to tread a very thin line between cringe and authenticity, particularly because most authors are writing from research, not experience, and Honey just wasn't successful for me. Maybe I need to stop reading books about fictional famous people.

This is such a great story on so many levels. It is enjoyable as just a great sexy summer read to enjoy by the pool but it is also so much more and can be enjoyed at a much deeper level too. It is a coming of age story, it’s about being a young girl, it’s about being a young woman, it’s about finding out who you are. It’s about the toxic environment of the music environment but it’s also a really lovely love story. It is incredibly relatable and I loved every second of it.

Honey - Isabel Banta 🍯

⭐⭐⭐⭐

After reading the blurb for this one I immediately had to get my hands on it and I'm so glad I did.

Really enjoyed this and the layout/format that it was written in. The CD tracks and Wikipedia type pages about the characters were really interesting.

This book portrayed the hatred and sexism that female celebrities felt in the late 90's and 2000's really well. It also made me feel nostalgic when Tamagotchi's were mentioned.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own*

#honey #netgalley

Honey is a fascinating behind the scenes look at the life of a fictional popstar, from her early days of auditions to being a multi-platinum selling solo artist. It details the highs and lows of being in the spotlight with the world watching your every move, and mirrors real life singers that are still active today.

If you have even a passing interest in the music industry, then the story of Amber Young is definitely one for you. There are parallels to stars like Britney Spears and boyband N*Sync, and if you lived through the late 90s then you’ll know all about how obsessed the world was with these artists. Honey does a great job of recreating that nostalgia, while keeping a sense of reality at the same time.

Amber’s whole life is governed by the people around her, and none of her relationships are easy, whether it be with best friend Gwen or eventual boyfriend Wes. Everything they do is scrutinised and written about, and there’s very little leeway for living a normal life. This all made me stop and think about how we perceive people in the public eye, and how much the tabloids lie and embellish the truth.

I enjoyed this coming of age story, though I wish I’d related to Amber a bit more. It’s a very topical story at the moment, especially with the likes of Taylor Swift dominating world news 24/7, and I particularly liked the inclusion of lyrics and media excerpts peppered between chapters. I recommend Honey to anyone who likes music and anyone who’s ever had an obsession with a popstar… this book will take you back, and it may even open your eyes to what goes on behind closed doors!

3.5/5.

Amber Young , a young wanna be singer is devastated when she loses a singing competition to Wees Kingston. A few years later they meet again when Wes is performing with successful boy band ETA and Amber as part of girl group Cloud9 are supporting them. When Wes meets Cloud9 member Gwen, the three lives are forever linked.
This is more than just a rock star story. The lyrical narrative is at times at odds with the conflict between the characters and the range and intensity of emotions are cleverly designed to have an emotional effect on the reader..
The characters set out in search of fame and fortune is that what they really want? Or are they looking for security, praise, acceptance and love.
Does anyone really know what they want at 16?
This is a really interesting read especially for the dynamics between the parents and the children.

I enjoyed this book, but I felt it lacked emotional depth. While it was easy to read and engaging, it often skimmed over the protagonist's feelings, preventing me from fully immersing myself. I really liked wanted to feel the darker aspects of fame, the raw grit and seediness - but it only ever seemed to scratch the surface.

I did enjoy the friendship between Gwen and Amber. Despite the media's attempts to pit them against each other and their limited interactions, their bond remained unbreakable. I appreciated how the book portrayed a positive female friendship in an industry notorious for promoting rivalry among women.

An interesting aspect, I found, was Gwen’s sexuality. Although a minor part of the story, it felt very real to the time with how the industry suppressed her identity and relationship with Tammy. It definitely added a layer of realism to the story.

However, I wished for more insight into Amber’s reactions and emotions. The scenes moved too quickly, leaving little room for her to process events. The focus on her "daddy issues" felt limiting and didn't provide the emotional range I was hoping for.

Overall, while the book was interesting, it didn't resonate with me as much as I had hoped.

I liked the first half of this novel but it seemed to get a bit flat in the second half. And I thought the ending was really rushed but it was a good read and can tell it had been influenced by the early 00's singers like Britney Spears.

I enjoyed this book, but I found it a bit lacking in emotion. It was really easy to read and get into, but there wasn’t enough about what the character was feeling. It seemed to cut away from her emotions a bit too much. I wanted to get caught up in the dark side of fame and I just didn’t get that from it.

Two things I did enjoy about this book though was the friendship between Gwen and Amber, which was so strong even through everything, even when the media were pitting them against each other, even though they weren’t actually seeing that much of one another. I loved that this book showed a positive friendship in an industry that is so keen to have females be enemies to each other.

The other thing was Gwen’s sexuality, which even though it was a small part of the book, was really interesting to see. There were glimpses into the industry not allowing her to be gay and not allowing her to be with Tammy and honestly I could have read a book all about them.

I just wish we could have seen more of Amber’s reaction to things. That the scenes didn’t move on so quickly and we could actually see her processing. The only emotion came from her daddy issues and I really wish that hadn’t been the case.

It was an interesting read, but not one for me really.