This book sucked me in from the very first line and yet it makes you earn the ending it prophesizes. You have to go along for the ride knowing that something bad will happen in this initially candy-coated musical dream. Humanity has a habit of glamorizing the past, and in recent years this has happened dramatically with the 70s and 80s. However books like GROUPIES and DAISY JONES are able to brake through the glamour and into the dirt and grime. I went into this book expecting to re-meet Daisy Jones with a different paintjob and starrier eyes. This book is about wonderous, terrible people. God-like men, their muses, and the others who long to be them. The core of this story surrounds a rock band however it expands it circle just enough so some of the women underneath can slide through the cracks to make a mark. None of the people in this book are very redeemable but Priscus writes it so well you barely have time to process. You just let the seedy underbelly of rock wash over you wave after wave. Simultaneously wanting to chuck the book as a wall out of frustration (because how can this get worse) but not wanting to put the book down. It grips you deep in the core and for a debut novel it shocked me in a lot of ways. Priscus is on my list of authors to watch after this book of terrible, complex people.

This was Almost Famous meets Daisy Jones and the Six and I devoured it. We love a good coming-of-age story with some grit and bad decisions. Man to have lived in that time of the world.

I wanna be a groupie to a 70’s band.

This was fun, wild, and engrossing. I love stories staged around bands and all the highs (pun intended) and lows they face.

REVIEW 🎞🪩🕺🏼

I need this to be made into a movie STAT (casting Austin Butler as Cal and Harry Styles as Harry) — obsessed with this book!! I read it mostly in one sitting and got absolutely lost in Faun’s world of drugs and rock-n-roll as she is a photographer / groupie in 1977. Faun is not a perfect narrator and I LOVED that, this book is so messy and fun.

had to transform into Faun for this review!! 💄🤩

READ IF YOU LIKE:
🍾 books that feel like one big party
📸 cameras and taking photos — this made me want to buy a Polaroid as that’s Faun’s camera of choice!!
💗 female friendship that felt very real, not always perfect
🕶 the movie Almost Famous mixed with the book Daisy Jones
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 found family tropes
📖 equal parts character driven and plot driven
✌🏼🌈 the 70s!!!!

Seriously, if you like these things go read this!!! This was such a gem — shoutout to @sarah.t.reads for recommending this to me as Euphoria meets Daisy Jones 🤗

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for a copy of this eARC!

CW: graphic drug use, abuse

📖 384 pages
🕰 published 2022
✨my rating: 5🌟

The writing in the book instantly draws the reader in. The descriptions of places, events, and the inner dialogue is flawless. Cannot wait or read more by the author.

This is definitely the perfect summer read to pick up if you’re wanting the same feel and vibes as ‘Daisy Jones & the Six’!! I loved how the story threw me for a loop multiple times, which doesn’t happen very often for books. I did get a lot of TJR style and vibes while reading, but that could be a side effect of so many people trying to recreate ‘Daisy Jones & the Six’ but while there were some similarities, Sarah Priscus still managed to write a story full of characters that’s unique and will keep you on your toes! The length of the book definitely could’ve been cut down a bit, I kept feeling like I was reading a whole lot of filler and not enough of the main plot/story. Despite the drawn out page count, this was still an amazing read to get sucked into and feel like a fly on the wall within the crazy lifestyles of those in the rock world and characters like faun, who has flaws but just wants more out of life (which, I know we can all relate to especially when we’re young and have nothing but dreams).

The events in this book were like a wreck - I couldn’t look away, no matter how wild or awful it got. This book, set with a backdrop of the 1970s Los Angeles music scene, vividly chronicled a gradual descent from presumed glitz and glamour to the absolute squalor that was the reality of the groupie lifestyle (and the bands’ themselves as well).

Faun and Josie’s naïveté, even after being a part of this scene for a length of time, was difficult to imagine. Their helpless sense of optimism that everything would work out, even amidst some awful circumstances, was frustrating.

And yet, while all of these very flawed characters were difficult to truly like, the writing was beautiful. It was such a captivating book that every time I put it down, I couldn’t wait to pick it up again.

If you love the 1970s and hearing about the behind the scenes world of the music industry you're going to want to get your hands on this.

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Groupies is Sarah Priscus' debute novel (Publication Date: 07/12/22).

Faun drops out of college and heads to LA to follow her dreams of becoming a famous photographer. When she arrives she meets up with her childhood friend, Josie, who just so happens to be dating rock and roll heart throb, Cal Holiday.

Faun is willingly thrown into the world of sex, drugs, and rock and roll and photo documents it all. However, being a groupie and friend is not all glamorous and fun, sometimes it gets gets out of hand and dangerous.

I truly enjoyed Prscus' writing style. Even during the slower parts of the story I was anxious to find out what would happen next. I loved following along with Faun as she navigated this new world and craved to become a part of it. The thing that kept me from being fully immersed in the story was the random sudden pop up of people that came out of know where and were gone just as quickly.

I had a love hate relationship with many of the characters in Groupies.
•Faun started as a lost naive girl who molded herself into those around her and grew through the good and bad.
•Joise was such a pendulum I never knew what to expect from her.
• The other groupies provided snark, sass, and endless drama.
•Cal was both a seductive superstar and down right asshole.
•and Floyd, Floyd just wanted to be a good guy.

While I didn't agree with how things played out, I did like that I did not expect it and things did not end with rainbows and butterflies, because that's not rock and roll.

I'm looking forward to what Sarah Priscus writes next.

Thank you to @netgalley , @williammorrowbooks , and @customhousebooks for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

#Groupies #sarahpriscus #debutenovel #fiction #rock-and-roll #1970s #review #bookreview #netgalley #arc #newreview #honestreview #booksofinstagram #williammorrowbooks #customhousebooks #books #bookreviewer #reviewer #Bookstagram #Bookstagrammer #currentlyreading #tbr #bookrecs

This book could be besties with Daisy jones and the six!

It was an enjoyable ride of sex, drugs, and rock and roll in the 70s. It was tough to read how women were treated, even though you already know it, it still makes it hard sometimes. The world is sadly never safe for women but this painted it with rose colored glasses.

But overall I really liked this one! It was a living life young and dumb and alive with no regrets!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Josie, who’d be covered in blood on bathroom tiles in nine months’ time, met me at the Greyhound station.” 🔥 Now THAT is how you open a novel…. and how I also knew I was in for a real good time lol.

And a good time it was, even in all its messiness. Because this book IS quite messy…. But I loved every second of it 🥴 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘴 follows Faun who, after the death of her mother, drops out of uni & catches a bus to LA with only her Polaroid camera in hand & a strong love for rock’n’roll.

While I haven’t read TJR’s 𝘋𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘺 𝘑𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 & 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘪𝘹 yet, I can imagine this novel is like its estranged, somewhat jaded relative— the one who’s seen & knows just a little too much.

Everyone’s a bit unlikeable & there are plenty of poor decisions made, but I still felt for Faun & the ensemble of other groupies. I wanted them to find their happy. Atmospheric, sexy, and a true coming-of-age story, this was a wonderful debut novel from Priscus!

Definitely gave me Daisy Jones and The Six vibes (one of my favorite books!) but it was sooooooo long. A lot of the book could have been edited down. I get a ton of emotions throughout the book. It was a cool era and some of the things the characters went through during the book broke my heart. I also didn’t LOVE the characters. It was like you were constantly love-hating them.

Find drama, sex, drugs, and rock and roll in this glittery coming-of-age debut, perfect for fans of “Daisy Jones & The Six” and “The Final Revival of Opal & Nev.” Included in Apartment Therapy's July "New Books" Roundup.

Sarah Priscus' Groupies is everything I look for in a great summer book: music themes, coming of age vibes, and strong, vibrant characters and settings. I thank William Morrow for the review copy and encourage fans of last year's Mary Jane, Songs in Ursa Major, and Sister Stardust to read this one. This is of course great for the many fans of Daisy Jones and the Six as well.

This book captures the 1970s music/drug scene effectively and vibrantly and that sense of urgency and drama, yearning and expectation that captures adolescence so well. Faun's desire for connection, her intense passion for music, and her thrill seeking are all so real and relatable as is the tension of her wanting independence but realizing that means having to let go of things she knows and who she was. I loved the writing, the character development, and the genuine care given to the details of Faun's story and excellent pacing kept me turning the pages.

I can't wait for more from this author and I know many readers will enjoy this book too.

This novel was a breath of fresh air at first. Reminiscent of Almost Famous, this gave the reader a more intimate and detailed peek into what it may truly feel like to be a groupie.

Full of cringe-worthy moments where Faun misreads almost every interaction with the band members of Holiday Sun and ultimately begins to normalize their lifestyle full of debauchery.

While I wouldn’t recommend this book to some of my friends, I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun and unique summer read. Yes, it’s a bit dark and angst-ridden, yet someone still seemed airy to me. Even with the strange twist in the plot that didn’t quite fit at first,I really enjoyed it.

Great debut novel, great characters that make you feel connected, and overall great theme.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a DNF for me - didn't like the main character, she was too much of a wet blanket (had no backbone) and I got about 80 pages and just didn't really care? It wasn't compelling and I unfortunately wasn't motivated to continue reading.

Faun loses her mother and she decides that she needs to get away, she chooses California. She meets up with her childhood friend, Josie. Josie is dating a rockstar and introduces Faun to this lifestyle. She carries her Polaroid camera everywhere with her and documents everything. Faun is enjoying being apart of this new life and becomes intoxicated by her new surroundings. Soon, she realizes that the rock world isn’t what she thought it would be. The story jumps to the future and shows what has happened to the characters. I enjoyed this book, I remember going to concerts in my youth and the fascination with the music, I was never into the groupie scene, but I could see how people can get caught up in this lifestyle. This was a great coming of age tale.

Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for this ARC, I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

With comparisons to 𝘋𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘺 𝘑𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 and 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘑𝘢𝘯𝘦, my expectations were high for this story about a group of '70s LA band groupies but I found the main character immature and unlikable and the plot predictable. I have a feeling I'm going to be in the minority on this one but it wasn't for me. I kept wishing the book was half as good as the cover!

Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the copy to review.

Another good read from NetGalley! The cover is enough to entice anyone to pick it up, the title even more so. I wasn't sure what to expect and it took a little bit to love some unloveable and out of control characters but the more I read, the more I enjoyed and accepted this life the characters chose. Sarah Priscus does an amazing job of slowly creating the characters that surround Faun's story in such vivid detail, that I felt like I was almost there in person.

Faun is all alone after her mother dies and makes it to LA to live with her childhood best friend, Josie, who introduces her into the backstage world of music and groupies with her boyfriends band, Holiday Sun. What follows is a young girl struggling with identity and lack of self confidence, but with a dream for a bigger life. She doesn't give up despite what is said about her or thrown at her.

I got vibes of Almost Famous. In the end, super enjoyed this one!

An enjoyable read for sure - a great dive into the world of groupies from a fictional standpoint - but fell a little short for me. 4/5

This is a story of all things music—from the band and the roadies, to the groupies, those who love music the most. It’s about a time when life was more carefree and people loved and trusted in a way that now seems lost. In the midst of the parties, concerts, and clubs is the story of friendships and findings one’s own path in life.

There was so much to take in and ruminate on while reading this. When I wasn’t reading it I was thinking about it, wondering what would happen next for Faun & Josie. At times, this made me feel quite sad for the girls, wishing I could jump into the book and give them much needed self esteem pep talk. I believe being uncomfortable with parts of this story was inevitable, the content was quite heavy at times.

This definitely gave me Almost Famous vibes, which is one of my favorite movies—so I enjoyed it. I also dug the photography angle and thinking back on a time when a Polaroid was the crème de la crème!

I ended up struggling with the main characters’ likability. I had initially felt sympathy for her but as the story progressed her selfishness and complaining started to wear on me. Because of that I went back and forth on my rating. I enjoyed the grittiness of this story so it lands between 3.5-4⭐️.

I think it’s important not to go into this expecting Daisy Jones & The Six, they are very different stories and formats. But for those who love the 70s and getting a look behind the scenes of band life, you might enjoy this one!

Thank you @netgalley and @williammorrowbooks for the arc in exchange for an honest review!