As soon as I saw girl band , late 90's early 2000's and music I knew this would be my kind of read and I wasn't wrong. I grew up in 90s and loved the spice girls and thought me and my school friends would be in a girl band, we practised every lunchtime! The book follows singer Amber who lives in America and all her life has wanted to sing and be famous. She begins in a band but then goes solo and tours with a band across states and the world. I really loved the friendship she had with fellow pop star Gwen. I liked how the topics covered girls growing into womanhood and how men sexualise girls in the industry and in general. I loved the style and writing and will be recommending this book to others. Any book that makes me cry gets a 5 star. Me crying to this book was so expected that I was finishing the last 4 pages in a café on a Saturday day time, very busy and out of no where at the end of the book I just got all the feels and was sobbing in public, testament to how much I grew to love Amber as a character

I will probably flesh out this review further at a later date, but this book really surprised me in a positive way. The writing often and surprisingly veered towards the lyrical and didn’t feel sugar coated or simplified for a younger audience. Then again, I’m not too sure as a whole this should be shelved in the Teens and YA section. The character in the present time of the book is 42 which is nearly my age - I think the target audience would be people born in the 80s maybe up until 1990. I’m really enjoying reading about unflinching female friendships recently and it was totally believable that these two characters who were constantly being pitted against each other were in fact best friends,

Isabel Banta’s, Honey, is a beautifully written debut novel that follows Amber Young, a rising pop-star in the 90s’, and the fluctuations of being a woman in the spotlight, especially during this period of time. I knew within the first few pages of this novel that Honey would be a book that enthrals me, and it would have me either devouring the pages or taking my time to appreciate the beauty and magic behind every sentence. It surprisingly turned out to be the second option, I wanted to savour every last moment of the book.

Honey covers an extensive range of topics such as the objectification and the unfair treatment of women by the media, how society often sows dissension between women, the contradictory standards for men and for women, misogyny, the power of dynamics, and much more.

One of the main things I loved about ‘Honey’ was the vividness of Banta’s characterisation. It had me wanting to google the characters’ names as I was utterly convinced they were real people. Banta made the vision of the world of ‘90s pop stars come to life in a way that made the unfortunate events Amber found herself in seem relatable, yet I simultaneously felt as though I was learning something new. It made me realise just how badly we as a society treat women who are in the spotlight. It read very similar to a memoir, but with the atmosphere and the evocative beats of Daisy Jones and The Six and the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

Through Amber, the reader gains an insight into the often dark and exploitative world of Hollywood and the silent suffering of many women who dare to venture in. ‘Honey’ showcases the real and the raw, the often difficult methods women have to implore to reach the top, as their male counterparts benefit from their exploitation. I felt a sense of exasperation on Amber’s behalf for the way in which the people around her persistently tried to control her, convert her image, and suppress her voice. How some of the things Amber was continuously admired for were used to raze her to the ground. How there are so many possible ways to be a woman, yet none of them ever seemed good enough. I found Amber’s story bears a resemblance to the things Britney Spears shares in her own memoir ‘The Woman In Me’. I think we owe so many women who are in the spotlight an apology. While Amber’s story of being a pop-star during the 1990’s is such a unique premise, I think many of the themes that were discussed in the novel are universal and I’m sure many people who read the novel will be able to resonate with at least one part of the story.

I can’t recover from the fact ‘Honey’ is Banta’s debut novel. She is a once-in-a-lifetime talent and the way she writes makes it feel as though she has been publishing books for years. Please buy this book when it’s released so I have even more of an excuse to talk about it!

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Bonnier Books and Isabel Banta for providing me with the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I can’t wait to read more of Banta’s work in the near future.

Publishing date: 25 June 2024

I really loved this book. Everyone has dreamt of being a pop star!
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy this ARC ebook.

I really enjoyed this book. I will look the others books of the author
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

As a 90s baby I dreamt of becoming a famous popstar so this sounded right up my street.
The storyline was good, less drama than I expected but enough happening to hold my attention.
The characters overall were likeable and had growth.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t my cup of tea. I got through 35% and then just skipped to the end to find out what happened. There was nothing wrong with it. I think other people will enjoy it.- but for me, it just felt really unsurprising? It’s the story of a pop star - it felt like Daisy Jones and the Six (book, not TV show) but that had already been done so brilliantly that this felt like a pale imitation.
The two stars are because I could see it wasn’t badly written at all; just not my thing.

I really enjoyed this book, I found the writing style very immersive. I was hooked in to Amber's story and was rooting for her the whole time. I liked how we experienced Amber's growth as the story follows her through her blossoming career. The characters were well written and developed, I especially liked Gwen and her storyline. I think this book is a great insight into the harsh reality of lifestyle as a popstar and shows the ups and downs of this life in a relatable way. I would recommend this book and will definitely be reading the authors next release.
4.5 stars rounded up.

An interesting take on the life of a female pop sensation, although in the current (or emerging) "Me Too" climate there wasn't a focus on that at all in this but an idea of how lonely this life could be and why so many of these "stars" seem to submit to alcohol or drugs.
Quite a well paced tale overall.

Not particularly the type of book that would have me desperately awaiting the author's next story but overall an engaging read.

This is about a girl who recognises her dreams as a singer. The path to greatness is beset with pitfalls though - like the manufactured “sexy” image she is given. Of course being young and pliable, she doesn’t get what she wants straight away. And the boy she initially falls for starts dating her best friend because that’s what the public seem to like. With her spirit though, I found myself gunning for her to find her own way. It was easy to get into the hectic life Honey leads and there is a pop style to the way the narrative is presented, interspersed with interviews and viewpoints. I enjoyed reading this.

This book was great, I found that I was cheering Amber on to be successful, even though it was inevitable, Banta makes sure she keeps Honey grounded throughout. Reading this I felt invested within Honeys life, she wants stardom, but what does she want? The rest of the characters Banta created were interesting too. It was a great read and I think this is going to be one of 'the' best sellers of 2024!

This was a poetic take on the music industry that held me fascinated over two days. I could see where some high profile artists had been used as the initial base for characters, but they were always developed into different, unpredictable directions. I found them believable and rounded and cared about their progress.

The author's use of language elevated this novel beyond a simple tale of show business. I liked the linear structure, but felt that there was no conclusion to the book. That may have been the point, that their lives continued and this was just a glimpse of their past and present

A beautifully written book that provides a nuanced take on the life of a young female pop star in the late 90s/early 2000s. I couldn't put it down. Isabel Banta perfectly captures what it's like to be a teenage girl and I loved seeing Amber discover who she is and what she really wants.

I loved this book in all honesty.

A very different perspective of teen starlets and since im of roughly the same age it all resonates with me.

Its a journey with Amber to discover herself, she wanted this life but what does she want from life. The book keeps you turning the pages and I was hooked with the storyline. Almost like the magazines of the time, will this romance last will her album chart how will it work out for her.

Well...read it and find out !

This was a ok book, the premise of reassessing of 90s/noughties pop culture is a fascinating one, especially given we’re hearing more and more about the dark side of the industry from former pop stars these days.

The story of a teen pop stars, Amber, Gwen and Wes and the author does a good job of exploring the highs and lows of the bright lights of fame but it does feel a little childish at times so I had to skim read some of it to reach the end.

Hi, thank you for allowing me to be an arc reader for this title. Unfortunately I just can’t seem to gel with the writing style with this one and am just not sure if it’s for me, it’s a bit too blocky for me in terms of the way it reads.
Thanks you so much anyway!

I am a 80’s baby and 90’s teen so the premise of the book sounded so good for me. My only trouble was the execution of the book. I like how she humanise the fame and give literally humanity to the “fame” and the cost of that one. The book is well written, characters are very will created and they evolve in a interesting way. The book gave me the sense of going to slow and pace was to slow to. But I do like it in general and I Belive it will be a good book of 2024.

I never like to write negative reviews as I know how hard it must be to be an author. So I will just say, although this bo9k had a lovely story line, it wasn't for me.

The current reassessing of 90s/noughties pop culture has been as fascinating as it is vital, something which continues with this wonderful book. The story of a teen pop star, Banta does a wonderful job of exploring the highs and many lows of the bright lights of fame. So compellingly written, I couldn't put it down.

Honestly, not really what I expected, I was kind of hoping for more drama or interesting things to happen, but overall it just fell flat. You can see comparisons to Popstars from the early 2000's and that was very interesting, but I really wish just more happened