As an adjacent fan of NKOTB ( my sister was completely obsessed with them) and having seen them twice in concert - the second being the Mixtape tour which I consider one of the best shows I’ve been to -, I truly enjoyed this book! Definitely recommended to any fan

Thank you for the opportunity to read before publication

Description

A must-have for every New Kids fan, this beautifully designed volume traces 40 years of the groundbreaking boy band through photos, interviews, and all the fascinating facts.

Donnie, Danny, Jonathan, Jordan, and Joey: they are Boston’s own New Kids on the Block, an iconic boy band that sprang to the top of the charts (and into the hearts of millions of global fans) in the 1980s. Though each of the “kids” and the band itself has faced their ups and downs in the four decades since they came together, they continue to release new music and maintain a loyal fanbase lovingly known as “Blockheads.”

In New Kids on the Block 40th Anniversary Celebration, music journalist and proud Blockhead Selena Fragassi delves into the band’s origins—from their manager Maurice Starr bringing them together and their earliest influences—to their biggest successes in the 1980s and ’90s, to their continued achievements today and the lasting legacy they’ve left in the boy-band canon. Along the way, readers will also explore:

The creation of NKOTB’s biggest hits, such as “Please Don’t Go Girl” and “You Got It (The Right Stuff)”
The fan culture that built up around the band, from the small gigs and mall tours of their earliest years to their inaugural fan convention in 2023
NKOTB’s influences, from R&B to pop, and their place in a boy-band history that begins with the Jackson 5 and continues in the modern day with bands like One Direction and BTS
The lasting legacy of a band proudly celebrating their fortieth anniversary

Step by step, through interviews, photos, and sidebars full of fun facts and trivia, you’ll learn something new about the band on every page. This book is the perfect companion to your everlasting love for NKOTB!
My thoughts:
Nothing makes you feel as old as being around for 40 years of something right? However, here we are. 40 years since "Please Don't Go Girl" hit the airwaves on the radio. This book drips nostalgia, in a good way. Stories and facts that we soaked up as we poured over every Tigerbeat (and others like it) magazine article we could find. Photos from tours and behind-the-scenes exclusives that we would rip out of those magazines and cover our walls and lockers with. "Bring Back The Time" indeed. This book also has content from when the band got back together and started doing sold-out shows and sold-out cruises again.

If you're a diehard "Blockhead" you may know a lot of what is in this book but you're going to get yourself a copy anyway. Just like you're going to visit Wahlburgers whenever your travels take you to a location that is lucky enough to have one. You might even take a copy of this book with you on the next cruise or during the tour for an autograph.

The photos in this book are nice and crisp. Many I haven't ever seen and some I haven't seen since I had to take everything off my walls and be an adult. The layout is fun and colorful, but not childish. There are some stories and tidbits that the author put together nicely. It's a great way to condense a 40-year anniversary into one special volume.

*The only thing I did like about this book is the "Jonathan's coming out" section. I just didn't think it needed to be there. Hopefully, it will shed some light on how things were in the 80s-90's. On the AIDS crisis which is mentioned.
I don't know. I just didn't think it was relevant when a simple story about Jonathan and Harvey would have been more fitting. Like was done for the other bandmates. Maybe I'm just fiercely protective of all LGBTQIA+ members. Maybe I'm too sensitive.


I received this book from NetGalley for this review. I was under no obligation to give a review. All opinions are on my own. I am disclosing this per the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I thought this book was beautiful and so well done. I loved the layout and how went chronologically through the bands history and even discussed tangential parts of each members careers and life. The styling was nostalgic and perfection. I really loved how it reminds me so much of a book I would have owned in 1992, but with just a ton more, and new, information.

I was a little girl when New Kids on the Block formed, I was a few years younger than Joey, and it felt like the perfect time to enjoy their music. I really grew up with it. And I really, truly, understand the loyalty and nostalgia for the New Kids.

This book was so much fun and so informative! I learned so many things about NKOTB. As I said, I was quite little when the band came out. I didn’t know nearly as much about the group members or the group origins as I would have thought I did.

There were so many interesting stories in this book. I felt myself repeatedly thinking, “I didn’t know that!”

I am already recommending the book to friends. It’s a must read for New Kids fans.

It’s very readable and I loved the pictures too.

It also is great to see that these guys are every bit as nice as they always seemed. I loved reading their stories.

I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley. Thanks!

I was such a fan of New Kids On The Block back in the day. This is an awesome book for Blockheads .

I do highly recommend.

I appreciate NetGalley and the author allowing me to preview this book. As a lifelong Blockhead, most of this information was a nostalgic review of my early to mid teens. Selena does a great job recreating the atmosphere and memories from then and the photos are great. I will be purchasing a copy when this is published and if you are a blockhead, you should get one too! Highly recommend!

40 year? What???
While I am still in disbelief, I can say this book made my teenage heart light up! What a fantastic celebration of New Kids on the Block! Recommend for any fan!

NKOTB is the first musical act that I can remember being a fan of, so this book is incredibly nostalgic for me (40 years??? Really???) There’s history of the group and tons of photos, interspersed with musical context from each decade and content from recent years. I especially appreciated the timeline at the end, a nice summary of the book-length walk down memory lane. If only I still had my cassette single of “Cover Girl”!

Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Good read for any new kid on the block fan. Interesting facts, great photos, a well out together book.

Kudos to the author for starting off giving props to some of the original boy band groups before starting the History of NKOTB.
Also talking about what teens were watching and listening to as the band came out. It was fun reading all that happened in the 80’s and 90’s at the height, then new directions, the comeback and what’s ahead.
If you know an NKOTB lover, this book is for them. I will be buying this for my sister for her bday.

Thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley for this fun advanced reader copy.

First I must thank Selena Fragassi, Quatro Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.

Calling all die hard Blockheads this book is written for us!!! If you know me I am a HUGE New Kid On The Block fan since 1989! Saw them at Darien Lake with the late Tommy Page in 1989! My walls were plastered with New Kids On The Block posters! I had all the cassettes and watched them whenever they came on tv! I have seen them 4 times in concert and the Mixtape Tour with Debbie Gibson and Tiffany was the best ever!! Why? Because I spent 12 hours outside in the back of Key Center in Buffalo, NY just waiting to get a glimpse of the boys. Now prior to this I had met and got a selfie with Donnie…but Joey was the one I really wanted to meet. Never in a million years did I ever think I would meet him or anyone else in the band. You should have seen my shocked face!! I was literally crying my eyes out with happy tears as I had a total crush on him for years. He and the New Kids music got me through a very difficult time in my life. That day I got to meet Joey, Danny, and Debbie Gibson and got selfies with all of them! So…that being said when I saw that Selena Fragassi was writing a new book about The New Kids On The Block The 40th Anniversary Celebration It was a no brainer that I had to read it!!

Selena blew me away on how knowledgeable she was on the boys. Not just what happened inside the group but with their solo projects as well. I never knew that Jennifer Lopez was a backup dancer for the boys! I was shocked to hear that!

Their Super Bowl Halftime Show was mentioned in the book including pictures. It is probably the only time The Buffalo Bills were in the Super Bowl! I can remember I was at a Super Bowl Party and so excited to see the halftime show!! However, the local stations had broken into the halftime show to show news!! Needless to say I was madder than mad!!

I also loved and appreciated how Selena talked about Jon coming out of the closet. I knew he was gay but never really knew the whole story of him coming out. So thank you for including that. I adore him and Harley together!

Selena incorporated many pictures, quotes, timelines, history, personal stories and a discography! It truly is a must read for any die hard blockhead out there!

I received a free copy of, New Kids on the Block 40th Anniversary Celebration, by Selena Fragassi, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The kid in me would of loved this in the 80's and 90's, I was such a fan, Joey was my favorite. I loved looking at the pics, some of them I never saw before. This is a great book, I really enjoyed it.

I absolutely loved this book! My 11-year-old self is so happy right now. I have loved New Kids on the Block since the 5th grade. I had all of the merchandise - posters, binders, pens, blankets, and even the lunch box. Jordan Knight was my man and nobody could convince me otherwise. This book transported me right back to my childhood. What a time to be alive! The history, memories, and photos are amazing! This book is so fun and is a must-read for all NKOTB fans.

Perfect book for any NKOTB fan! Informative and a nice look back at the history of New Kids on the Block. Includes everything from pictures to list of videos etc. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.

Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group – becker & mayer!, Epic Ink and to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I have been a fan of New Kids on the Block since the beginning, and I was really excited to see this book to request.

This book was really great. It had beautiful photos in it, and the text was great too.

If you are a fan of New Kids pick this one up. I will definitely be purchasing a physical copy

I loved this book. It took me back to my childhood when I was a big NKOTB fan. Yes, I was one of those people with their posters plastered all over my bedroom! Love their classics, but also the new stuff. A great book for NKOTB fans!

Oh my goodness! This book had me in all my feels taking me straight back to my room as a teenager wanting to take in every detail! This is a must have for all the NKOTB fans out there!

OMG! I feel like I just took a Time Machine back to the early 1990’s. Let me set the scene for you- I am sitting in my room with my NKOTB posters adorning my walls, I have my NKOTB bedding, my NKOTB dolls are all set out and I am reading Tiger Beat while wearing my NKOTB nightgown. I was obsessed. This book brought me back to my days as a 10 year old obsessed with New Kids on the Block and Joey (Swoon).

This book was fun to read and learn some of the backstories I didn’t know about as a young girl.
While it was total nostalgia, I also learned some fun facts and like how it spanned their early careers as well as where they are now.

Things I really liked about this book:
* the pictures
* how it was sectioned
* the index (to look up specific things)
* timeline
* discography
And so much more!

If you were a NKOTB fan then this book is for you!

Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for letting me voluntarily read this book and give an honest review.

This was so fun! It took me right back to being 12 years old, listening to Hangin Tough and kissing my Donnie posters! The pictures are gorgeous and the nostalgic, teen magazine feel was so fun! A must for any Blockhead!!

A must have for any New Kids on the Block fan.
Gorgeous, full page, full color pictures and great pictures throughout. Thorough history of the band from where they started up to the current tours. Loved being able to read about and see pictures from the past 40 years, hard to believe that it's been that long since I fell in love with "Please Don't Go Girl".
Will highly recommend in all my NKOTB groups.