This was such a fun ride. It gave me vibes of Saved by the Bell crossed with The Monkees or Glee. You have the cast of a teen show that blew up 10 years ago coming back for a reunion show. You have dual timelines of the present and when the show was on the air and while mainly told from Cat’s POV, you do get a little narration from the other stars so you get the full picture of what happened.

This was the right book at the right time for me. While there are some weightier issues in here too, the book oozes the nostalgic feeling of the bygone era from the cast. And if you are a fan of the 90s (is that historical yet?), you’ll love the pop culture references. The reader is not in on the reason for the show blowing up at the start of the book and the details (very) slowly emerge in the earlier timeline. I thought the typical teenage show characters played by the cast were well portrayed and I liked how the story exposed the differences between the actor and the character.

I also loved the different ways the book told the story. There were news articles, videos and social media in addition to work in the POVs of the rest of the show, there were soliloquies. Those were fresh and an angle I hadn’t seen used before, but perfectly fit into the story.

While the book was very predictable to me, there were a few twists I didn’t see coming. I was ultimately disappointed with the end. It felt like the tone changed without feeling authentic to me and the edgy feeling throughout was lost. But even so, I was thoroughly entertained by the book and would recommend this as a fun summer read. I think it is going to be on a lot of must read lists.

I both read and listened to this one and while I enjoyed the read, I was surprised at the how the audio drew me in and made me forget the world around me.

Thank you so much to Berkley publishing for my ARC of The Daydreams! Immediately I got Daisy Jones vibes! A group of actors who stared in a hit show as high school students over ten years previously, decide they should film a live reunion. This is after their second season finale ended in disaster and got the whole show canceled, along with one star in rehab. The four main actors have went their separate ways, only one still acting. So as they come together to reconcile and film, we begin to get glimpses of their daily life filming both now and in the past. So much happened back during those last days filming, that none of them had any idea about!!

I was so excited to read this fun drama! It read like a YA, and had hints of Daisy Jones, but with a younger group of kids. It really hits on the stress that these children actors are put under and the price they pay for fame. All of the actors come back for the reunion with grudges and unfinished business. They have secrets they have kept for 13 years and they’re bound to come out now! These characters are so relatable and made for such a fun read! I enjoyed the dual timelines and the little diary snippets and news stories throughout. With mainly one narrator, it was especially fun to read the soliloquies from the other actors in the show! Such a fun format, mixing it up and keeping my interest! This came out 5/2, so grab your copy now!

In the early 2000s, the young cast of The Daydreams, a musical tv show, had the world at their feet. Then in their live season finale, things ended on a sour note, no one completely understanding what went wrong. Needless to say the season finale ended up being the series finale as well.

13 years later, the four, fresh faced stars have gone in different directions. Underestimated talent, Liana has managed to stay somewhat in the limelight due to her marriage to a famous athlete. Meanwhile resident heartthrob Noah’s career skyrocketed, while his will they won’t they costar, Summer’s has crash and burned. Narrating the majority of the story is Kat, the only one to truly leave Hollywood behind in favor of practicing law and settling down.

So when Noah teases he’d be down for a reunion, the world, and the rest of the cast, are stunned. Eager to cash in on the nostalgia, especially with Noah taking part, the project gets a green light. With Noah, Liana, and Summer on board, Kat feels pressured to say yes. But as the cast reunites and hidden tracks are revealed, one has to wonder- will returning to their roots be a return to stardom or a recipe for redemption?

Admittedly I am a sucker for books about fictional bands. Their rise, their fall-all of it. It’s my catnip. This is why I gravitated to The Daydreams to begin. Who am I kidding? I probably would’ve watched the show if it were real. But while I enjoyed the story and the real parallels that could be drawn from it, something held me back from loving it. Marketed as adult fiction, this book had a decidedly young adult feel to it. There’s nothing wrong with YA, I read it all the time. I just felt this story needed more juicy details to be considered adult, even if the main characters were teens when they started. I also wish we heard all the characters voices throughout the entirety of the novel, not just in the final act.

That being said, The Daydreams is still a fun, fictional walk down memory lane

What in the Wattpad did I just read? I was really looking forward to this, but oh my word talk about some seriously undeveloped characters, plot, and everything else. This literally read like a teenager’s fanfiction. Do yourself a favor and just re-read Daisy Jones or watch the show.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I struggled to get into the earlier parts of this book, even several chapters in, but I'm glad I stuck with it! The subject matter immediately snagged my attention and I think I expected something a little messier. Regardless, I cared about the characters and thought Laura did a really good job. I'm happy to recommend it, and what a great cover!

The Daydreams by Laura Hankin is a highly recommended reunion novel about the stars of a popular teen show in 2004.

In 2004, the wildly popular teen TV show "The Daydreams" featured four teens who sang and danced. Summer was the star and played an innocent girl next door. Noah was the handsome heartthrob. Kat was the mean girl and Lillian was the best friend of the three. Then, during the live season two finale, it all fell apart in a spectacular manner leaving the story arc unfinished and the four went on to other things.

In 2018, Summer's life has been covered widely in tabloids, as she was in and out of rehab and relationships. Katherine (Kat) is now a lawyer in Washington, DC. and on the partnership track. Liana is well known as the wife of a famous athlete and social media influencer. Noah has continued in the entertainment industry and is a star. When Noah is asked about a reunion of "The Daydreams" during an interview, he shockingly says he'll do it if the other three agree. This sets a reunion special into motion.

The entertaining narrative alternates between 2018 and 2004 and is mainly told through Kat's point-of-view, with some insights from the others, along with tabloid articles and journal entries. The realities the group faced as young stars is portrayed along with their struggles, successes, and secrets. The plot is well-paced and compelling throughout as the scandals and secrets of each character are exposed. The realities of the double standards and toxic atmosphere in the entertainment industry is evident in the narrative.

There is a great deal of intrigue as each character is developed since each of the four have their own reasons for coming back to the reunion show. They are all portrayed as fully realized, interesting individuals. And there are several surprises along the way. The Daydreams should be very enjoyable to those who followed various teen TV dramas in the early 2000s.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Penguin via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, Edelweiss, and Amazon.

I've read my fair share of Hollywood-reunion books, but this one might be my favorite yet.

More than a decade after the disastrous live season finale that caused the show and their lives to implode, the cast of The Daydreams are reuniting for a live special. The story is told from the perspective of Kat, the mean-girl side character on the show, who has been living with the guilt of the part she played in that scandalous original live show. Each of the four cast members has their own reasons for returning and their own secrets, and as the story progresses and the things that happened all those years ago come to light, careers and relationships are at stake.

I think the choice to write the story from the perspective of one of the two side characters rather than the stars of the show gave the book a really interesting angle, and the interludes from the other cast members were just what the story needed. The writing was compelling, and the twists were hinted at in a subtle enough way that when they were revealed, it was more like confirmation of what you suspected than an "aha!" moment. My only gripe is I'm not sure the author delved very deeply into the characters—sitting here now writing this a week after finishing the book, I don't know that I could give you a backstory for them that isn't very surface-level. The aforementioned interludes certainly helped in their character development, but I don't know that they were enough.

Still, I really enjoyed this book. I'd give it 5 stars.

There have been several books over the last few years that look at the price of young fame in the early 2000s, and Laura Hankin's turn at this is really solid. The expectations placed on young people- especially young women- in the spotlight and the consequences when they fall is startling and yet somehow relatable. Fast paced and interesting.

I struggled to finish this one. It was very YA for me, which I don't mind reading but the first half of the book, nothing happened and I was tempted to DNF many times.

4.5 Rounded up

This is the story of the cast of a early 2000's TV show called The Daydreams consisting of Summer, Noah, Kat and Liana. It takes place 13 years after the disastrous season 2 live finale and through the dual timelines we find out what happened and what happens to the cast over the years.

This had me reminiscing for the early 2000’s! I thought of Justin and Britney, Jeannette McCurdy, Jessica Simpson with a tad bit of Daisy Jones while I was reading this. I thought it was a well done drama unfolding all that occurred 13 years ago slowly by slowly. It was an entertaining read.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

This was a fantastic book that I just devoured. It was right up my alley. It went back and forth between the past and the present and was focused on a group of teens and then adults as they navigated a TV show. I was captivated by this story,

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars

The Daydreams is a juicy, pop culture-filled story following the stars of a huge teen show who reunite years later. Will the reunion heal old wounds or be a complete train wreck?

This read has a great premise, but I wanted a bit more mess and scandal. As a huge fan of teen tv dramas, I loved the nostalgia and references that the storyline allows for. However, I didn’t connect with the characters as much as I would like and I was hoping for more of a “popcorn read”. I enjoyed Laura Hankin’s previous books, so I look forward to her next story!

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Daydreams is a pop culture lover's dream - it is the story of the cast of a teen Disney kind of show in the early 2000s who come together for the reunion. The book flip flops between past and present and has some multimedia bits sprinkled throughout. I loved seeing how the stars of the show grew up, how the fame changed them and turned them into the people ended up to be. I loved the glimpses into the behind the scenes. It had some Daisy Jones vibes as the characters developed and scandals, secrets and twisted storylines slowly unfolded. The whole thing was just so fun to read.

“This is the terrifying thing about being famous, isn’t it? You occupy people’s minds even when you don’t want to. You never really know all the people who are thinking about you at any given moment, wanting to possess you or ruin you.”

This brought me right back to the days of TRL and Britney’s bald meltdown, when the paparazzi were vicious and chased down young girls until they made them cry, just for the photo op. If you remember Amanda Bynes and her spiral or have ever listened to an interview with Pink where she was always told she needed to be more blonde, more wholesome, more like Britney, then you will love this book!

Although very entertaining this was also difficult subject matter. The peek inside Hollywood and what it may have been like for these young girls back in the 90’s and early 2000’s turns my stomach. Teenagers used as pawns in the money making machine that is Hollywood?! Disgusting.

But there is forgiveness in this one, triumph over adversity, and getting the last laugh. There are honest and good men which I appreciate because not all men are bad, no matter what you hear.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Berkley Publishing, Netgalley, and the author for the #gifted copy.

The Daydreams is a delectable peek into the world of stardom and the lasting effects it can have. This captivating novel is part mystery, part soap opera, and all-around enjoyable. It will transport you back in time and provide astute observations on the challenges of being a young woman in the public eye.

Really smart, fun takedown of the celebrity/gossip machine. Would be a great summer vacation read.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.

As teenagers, Kat, Summer, Liana, and Noah had it all being the stars of the widely popular show - The Daydreams. But after the second season finale goes terribly wrong, the show ended. Now it’s thirteen years later, and they’re planning a reunion special, but will this be a chance at redemption or destroy them all?

This was such a fun and entertaining story. I loved the dual timelines from when they were on the show to when they are filming the reunion special. It was fun trying to figure out what went wrong in the early 2000’s and then getting some crazy twists from the author. I wasn’t expecting some jaw dropping moments, but I definitely got them!

A bit of a slow burn in the beginning, the book picks up the pace once all the problems from their past come to light. It was interesting to see how they were cast to who they became later in life. There’s great character development throughout this story. Although all four of the characters had their flaws, you can’t help but root for them.

Thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

For those of you who lived through the days of Beverly Hills 90210 or get caught up in the current Real Housewives franchises you know that a reunion show can be dramatic and fun to watch. The Daydreams mixes fiction with reality by using the real names of the actors for their characters, so the lines are blurred and the public believes the stories they are watching and reading in the gossip magazines. Summer is pure, Kat is a b!t@h, Ariana is the sidekick and Noah is the hearthrob and Summer’s main squeeze. The novel does a great job of juxtaposing their on air personas with who they are in real life. I thought the author did a good job of mixing gossip and reality while at the same time giving the reader flashbacks to what life was like on the show 13 years ago.

I’ll admit to being a little bored at times with the back and forth between the flashbacks and the real time scenes, those are not my favorite plot structures to read. So, I skimmed through some of the less interesting to me sections to get to the more juicy bits and to speed up to the big reveal. What happened to break up the show, and how would that act get repeated or redeemed in the reunion show. There weren’t a ton of surprises, but I did like how some of the characters started off as more jaded, but as the book moved forward they lost that edge and became true to the innocent’s they were back in the day. Despite the good character development I did have a little trouble liking some of these characters which affected my feelings and therefore my rating of this book. Not bad, but not great either. Somewhere in the middle.

❤️❤️❤️❣️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Laura Hankin, and Berkley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

This was a fun read that was exactly what I was looking for following a heavier read! Don't get me wrong, there's still heavy topics addressed in The Daydreams, but the almost expose/reality-style treatment of this book and all the DRAMA made me fly through the book. Confessional-style, pop culture reunion books are hard to get exactly right for me, but I think Hankin did a great job of navigating between past and present, as well as spending equal time in each time period. There was enough time spent in the past to give context of what was happening in the future but not so much that it was halting the present storyline. There were a few surprises that I did not predict, and I was truly curious the entire time to see how this book was going to end. I think for my personal taste though, the book was just a bit too messy. Kat was probably my least favorite character, and I think I would have enjoyed it more if the book either cycled through perspectives or if the book was told from Liana's perspective. The book would have worked a bit better for me if it was a little longer and some scenes/scenarios were fleshed out a bit more. The book felt very surface level at points, and it prevented me from getting even more into the story and characters. The hyper-speed and focus on the drama made some of the more poignant topics feel a bit trivial and like they weren't being handled as seriously as they could. Overall, this will be a fun summer pool read for many, especially with the current craze of pop culture novels.

Bingeable, fake celebrity gold! I couldn’t help but read The Daydreams in one sitting, even walking and reading so I didn’t have to miss out! This juicy read fed off of Disney channel star tell alls with appropriate disdain for the powers that be putting teen stars in an awful position.

It took me a chapter or two to settle into the author’s voice and not get lost in the sentence structure. Once I did, I loved the approachable dialogue and appreciated the subtle shifts in character. The rolling reveals were perfect! I can’t stand excessive foreshadowing without getting to the point already. There was nothing that felt overly artificial about how information came out here! No spoilers, but the ending pulled things together just how I’d hoped.

What a great reminder that we never fully know someone else’s story and that a reputation isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be. Why do we love to hate and how can we choose to be more kind to those in the spotlight?

Easy recommendation for fans of celebrity tell alls and entertaining books in general. I’ve seen a ton of parallels to Daisy Jones and it’s not that but might scratch the itch.