Member Reviews
Thank you to William Morrow and to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.
This book focuses on two girls coming of age in the 1970's in Los Angles. I picked this book because it seemed to have a simlar feel to Daisy Jones and the Six (which I loved) and the film Almost Famous.
This book was a fun, fast read with a bit of a dark twist to it. I loved that it focused on the friendship between Faun and Josie. I would definitely recommend this one and would also read another book by this author.
I requested this book because of the name and the cover...When I was younger, I thought it would be really cool to be a groupie so I figured this would be an interesting read...but I was wrong. As sad as I am to say it, there was nothing about this book that I liked other than the name and the cover... well, that and I liked the time period everything was taking place in...I couldn't stand any of the characters and I didn't like the writing style...about halfway through, I started to get so angry at the fact that I was still reading this book and I had to start reading only about ten or fifteen minutes a day...otherwise, I would just start to space out and get angry again...at some points, I literally started to feel like I was losing some brain cells....just completely not the book for me.
Being compared to Mary Jane and The Final Revival of Opal and Nev is veeeery big shoes to fill! I don't think this book was the same caliber as I gave both of those books a 5 stars. For me, Groupies is a 3.5 star read. I think this book is lacking soul, the reason my rating is as high as it is is because I like the setting! Not sure I would read this author again
If you are a fan of historical fiction, coming-of-age stories, or music, then I highly recommend Groupies by Sarah Priscus. It is a beautifully written and thought-provoking novel. Priscus does an excellent job of capturing the heady, dangerous glamour of the 1970s rock scene. She also creates complex and well-developed characters who are both relatable and unforgettable.
Here are some of the things I loved about the book:
-The writing is beautiful and evocative.
-The characters are complex and relatable.
-The plot is engaging and suspenseful.
-The book captures the heady, dangerous glamour of the 1970s rock scene.
3.5 stars.
Daisy Jones and the Six meets Almost Famous in this historical fiction novel. A bit of a languid stroll through the rock and roll scene of the 1970s from the perspective of Faun, groupie to the band of her best friend's boyfriend.
The writing in this novel was good and well constructed for a debut. Where I struggled was with some repetition in the plot and some slow pacing that made it difficult to stay engaged in the rather lengthy narrative.
I did enjoy the story and the atmospheric descriptions. There were a few characters who blended in with one another, but I didn't mind too much. Faun herself is a bit bland, just kind of going with the flow and mostly blending into the scenery or being a fly on the wall. This approach was definitely a bit different and gave an imbalance to the plot as those around her are full on into the hedonistic lifestyle and there is plenty of the famed drugs, sex, and rock & roll. It made for more of a removed experience.
Worth the read, just a bit slower and disconnected than I had in mind. Some grit, some colorful characters, and a slightly different spin on the wave of 70s band themed fiction novels, this is a decent read but unfortunately doesn't stand out among its competitors.
I love books about the music industry and any glimpse behind-the-scenes music world so this book appealed to me.
Not to forget the cover which absolutely smashing.
After the death of her mother, co-ed Faun, is now alone in the world, and travels across the country to reunite with her high school best friend in 1977 LA, the charismatic Josie who is dating Cal Holiday, the lead singer of Holiday Sun, an iconic pop rock band whose celebrity is waning. Faun, an aspiring photographer is soon inducted into the groupie way of life, partying the nights away and sleeping with men alongside a posse of other young women and girls. There was so much that I loved about this book. I loved the writing style, the characters and the atmospheric setting.
Overall this tale of sex, drugs and rock and roll was an enjoyable one. I liked that the author explored some interesting topics of fandom and obsession and the lengths that some will go to achieve fame or even be associated with it. The story felt real and I felt like I was in the 70s groupies scene!
Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I grabbed this one thinking it would be a great read alike to Daisy Jones, but its definitely much grittier. Not a priority purchase for most libraries
This was a DNF for me. I expected a much faster-paced novel, but this wasn’t so much that. The characters were also just kind of “meh” to me. I can see this being perfect for other readers, though! It’ll be exciting to see if the next book is more up my alley.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Almost Famous is my favorite movie of all time, so I tried going into this book with an open mind and an attempt to not compare the two. This book was like the quiet, bookworm second cousin of Daisy Jones and The Six. It encapsulates the 1970’s and the music and the times of that era but doesn’t really fully capture the excitement and the pizazz of the time in history. This felt more bland that enticing, more subtle than sexy. I enjoyed the writing and certain aspects of the story, but it’s not one I’ll be reaching for to reread. The cover, though!! The most gorgeous book cover of them all - 5 stars for it!
DNF. What if Taylor Jenkins Reid had infinitely less heart? You'd have this book. OK I'm sorry that felt a little mean, but I couldn't stop thinking about that as I was reading this. Maybe if I hadn't read Daisy Jones before this I would have enjoyed it more, but it felt like an imitation — not even close to Almost Famous, which is a movie that has much more of a understanding of music. There wasn't enough plot or a single compelling character I could hold onto. I did love the 70s vibes and I love the name Faun lol.
If you're looking for a book with wild and crazy groupie moments, then you'll be disappointed here. This book is definitely slow-paced, and I will say that not a lot really happens for the majority of it. I enjoyed this as a coming-of-age story, nonetheless. I found the writing style to be enjoyable overall and thought this was a solid debut.
Different strokes for different folks. I’m sure many will love this, but I couldn’t stand Faun and unlike Almost Famous these gals were most definitely not there for the music, they truly were groupies.
A really solid read! I thought this one was really interesting, the plot was well developed and I liked the characters!
I'm afraid this one just wasn't for me. I'm generally into books about fame, celebrity, etc, but this one just fell flat. I felt from the jump it was going for an Almost Famous kind of vibe, but it failed to capture the sincerity and earnestness that made the behaviors in that movie if not tolerable, at least forgivable or understandable.
Faun and Josie are both somehow exaggerated and incredibly bland and predictable, allowing for them to do anything and nothing without ever really defining them as full characters, aside from just being wildly unpleasant. The writing feels like it's trying to be deep and observant and delicate, but instead is incredibly heavy, laden with pointless detail meant to set an atmosphere that never really clicks into place. It lacks any kind of subtlety.
The plot is slow, and while there is a bit of a twist, it does nothing to pick up the pace or redeem the plodding, pointless, soulless story up to or even after that point.
I had pretty big hopes for this one, but it was a disappointment I can't recommend.
I was really excited for this book, but for a popular fiction book, I did not find the beginning compelling enough to continue. I’m really bummed because this is the exact type of story I like, it just didn’t draw me in.
A down and dirty Daisy Jones about the live behind a Groupie. Thank you William Morrow for the ARC for my honest review.
Major Daisy Jones & the Six vibes from this book. Was initially drawn to this book because of the cover, but the story itself did not disappoint!
After loving several music related books last year, I was excited to get back to that worth through Groupies. I really enjoyed the deep dive into the obsessions and debauchery of music groupie life set in L.A. in the 1970’s. The tone was darker and more melancholy than expected, as the reader witnesses Faun’s innermost thoughts and motivations as she tries to keep hold of fame on the periphery of a rock band.
I loved Groupies by Sarah Priscus. The affection and anger that Faun felt for Josie was complex and real. The contrast of their childhood against Faun’s early adulthood is palpable. I wouldn’t necessarily tout this as a immersive 70s experience, but more of a story about friendship set in a decade that allows it to really fester without the distraction that modern life is capable of.
Spoilers ahead: Wow! Faun at the end just was absolutely infuriating. Josie’s crime was…. being prettier than her? She let Faun live with her rent free, bought her things constantly, encouraged her to break from her shell, really pushed for her inclusion in this star studded life. Josie begs her to do one thing. Lie for her in her hour of need after being driven to the brink by her abuser, and Faun can’t even do that. And you know Josie would do it for her. It’s clearly to the merit of Priscus that I’m so angry of this, lol.
Groupies by Sarah Priscus was the exact right book I was looking for at the exact right time. Almost Famous is my most favorite movie, and reading Groupies was like living in an extension of the world that was created in Almost Famous. This novel encompasses so many points of interest for me, and Priscus handled each topic and every character with a real sense of dedicated wonder, passion, and coolness. I loved living in the world of Groupies and found myself saddened when I came to the final page.
I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who fell in love with Daisy Jones & The Six, because it captures that same sense of emotion and intrigue.