In 2002, Amber Young is looking at herself on the cover of Rolling Stone. Even at her still young age, it’s been quite the road to becoming a star. Going back in time, Amber’s more than decade-long journey is revealed. It starts with frustrating auditions and setbacks. Amber's trajectory takes a turn when she is chosen to join the girl band Cloud9. There she meets Gwen Morris, who quickly decides to go out on her own and encourages Amber to also pursue a solo career. The two become successes as the PR teams and media pit them against one another. One as innocent, the other as seductive. As a result, their true identities are no longer their own. Amber’s talent and the music itself seem to take a back seat to her yearning to simply be loved.
In the 1990s, Britney, Christina and Jessica needed no last names. These were iconic pop princesses who dominated MTV and TRL, set trends and sold tons of CDs. Only now are we learning details of what this generation of musical talent went through behind the scenes. In her impressive debut novel Honey, author Isabel Banta vividly captures the spirit of this period. I observed this time through the eyes of a parent, monitoring its impact on my young daughter. Whether this was your era or not, this is a powerful a coming-of-age story.
Many thanks to Celadon Books for the opportunity to read this book in advance of its release.
Rated 4 out of 5 stars.
General Fiction.
Publication Date: June 25, 2024.
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