For a debut novel this was amazing! The narration and sound effects were wonderful. Will be recommending! I liked this book so much that I kept trying to google the characters as if they were actual stars from the 90s. So well done!

Overall I thought this was a good debut book but I wasn’t overwhelmed. The plot was good and I enjoyed the overall flow of the story. I did think Banta did a nice job of showing how manipulative and exploitative Hollywood can be, especially to young women. Amber was a likable main character, navigating her way through fame and the challenges that come with it, especially at a young age. Unfortunately I didn’t feel an overwhelming connection to any of the characters. There was a lack of emotion throughout the whole book, causing it to fall flat for me. Overall this was an interesting book that just lacked some depth. I’m looking forward to reading whatever Isabel Banta writes next, and I think there is potential for me to really enjoy her writing!
I listened to this book and really enjoyed Brittany Pressley as the narrator. She is always does a great job!

Thank you to #NetGalley and #CeladonBooks for the opportunity to enjoy Isabel Banta's debut "HONEY" on audiobook. I've already had the pleasure of telling my audiobook-loving friends about the engaging layout of the format (which is expertly narrated by Brittany Pressley). The overarching story of Amber Young's rise in the pop music industry is interspersed with nostalgic content which highlights various characters (primarily musical artists) including interviews, song lyrics, gossip, pop star quizzes and more). These items brought back a lot of great memories.

The author does an excellent job creating authentic settings and a very believable late-90s music industry atmosphere including the sexualizing of artists (especially young female artists) and how sensationalism sells! It is also the story of a young woman detaching from an alcoholic home environment to find her way within an industry which makes the performer a monetary commodity. For a very young woman seeking validation and identity, this can be an especially difficult and dangerous atmosphere.

So thank goodness for Gwen Morris -- her partner, briefly, in the girl group "Cloud9" -- and ultimately her steadiest friend and confidante throughout the novel which takes place between 1997 and 2004. I won't reveal too many details but the story runs the musical gamut from Star Search to TRL/MTV and from promotional artist tours around the world to some extra magical events (for this reader) which recording in Oslo. I am a giant fan of the characters Banta brought to life from start to finish (esp. Gwen Morris and Axel Holm) and I think this book will be enjoyed by many readers and especially the Gen X and Millennial populations who may have fond memories of the music industry of the late 90s and early 2000s.

If I could turn back time...*sigh*!

Congrats to Isabel Banta on a wonderful debut! OUT on shelves -- Tuesday 6/25/2024.

This is a first-person fictional account of a pop starlet in the late 90s and early 2000s. It's a well timed book. We are getting many memoirs from that era. Through fiction, we are able to dig deeper into the toll this hyper-sexualized role took on young women. It also celebrates the triumph of continuing to exist and be true to yourself. Between chapters are relevant interstitial song lyrics. The content fits the story nicely but the audio version is quite awkward. But these are brief and don't take away from an otherwise propulsive and engaging story

I really liked this! Who didn’t want to be a pop star growing up? This book felt nostalgic and really brought me back. I loved seeing the behind the scenes and all the real emotions from Amber. She was relatable but still out of reach. This book was heartfelt and really made me think.

3.5 stars

As someone who enjoyed Britney Spears' memoir and Daisy Jones and the Six, I was so excited to read this book! Honey follows 90's pop star, Amber Young, from her rough childhood to her rise to fame. I liked how it was written like an autobiography and had news articles and lyrics sprinkled in. If feels very true to the time it is set in and it was interesting to reflect on how women singers were talked about and treated back then versus today. There were times while reading that I was really invested in what was going on, but there were also times when it dragged on. I liked the last 25% of the book because I felt like that was were there was the most character growth, I wish that had been more prevalent throughout the whole book. Overall I liked reading it and if anything I felt a little sad that it didn't quite live up to the potential that was there. I wish the author had just gone for it and made the book more raw and dramatic.

As far as the narration, I have listened to books with this narrator before and I've always enjoyed her work, although for this book she felt like not quite the right fit to me. I appreciated the music, but I wish there was a little more money put towards making the music sound like something I actually would have listened to in the 90s, it just felt cheesy to me.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for and audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review! This was a fun pop-star read. I enjoyed the overall story, but I do wish that we could have gotten to know all of the characters a bit more. I had a hard time connecting to any of them. That being said, I was still able to appreciate the plot and complex emotions each character experienced.

‘Honey is about a young girl’s rise to fame in the 90’s. We follow Amber Young as she grows as a child auditioning, to being signed in a girl band, Cloud9, and then when she decides to audition as a solo artist. She is sold as more of a sex symbol against her friend and previous band mate, Gwen as well as other popular female artists. We follow her rise to fame and the struggles she faces with her career, fame, and being in the public’s eye.
I really enjoyed the audio book for this one! The narrator did a great job and the music was a fun touch. It was fun to read this since I grew up in this time frame. It felt like we were behind the scenes of a real pop star and I loved that we got to see behind the scenes and get to see the other side of fame.

Amber wants nothing more than to be a famous pop singer. After years of pursuing her dream throughout her teen years, she finally gets her break by joining a girl band. With the encouragement of Gwen, one of her bandmates and her best friend, both Amber and Gwen become solo artists. But Amber struggles more with her career and in her personal life. Though she falls for Wes, a counterpart in a famous boy band, the powers that be dictate who dates whom and all three young stars become confused about relationships, friendships and how to pursue their dreams under unavoidable public scrutiny.
Unfortunately, I wanted to enjoy this book as much as I have other recent books about bands and singers. But this book really fell short for me. The characters were so unlikable, shallow and just plain mean. The story was redundant and depressing and eventually became boring. I really tired of the same drama over and over. I’m sure there is some real life truth to the lives of these young stars but reading about it is a waste of time for me.
I listened to the audio version of the book and the narrator didn’t wow me but was OK.

Honey is a debut novel that delivers on its promise of a coming-of-age story in the 90s and early aughts. The book follows the main character, Amber, who rises from a blue collar New Jersey family to become a teen pop sensation. The story also follows Amber's peers and rivals in the music industry, including a boy band and other young, female artists.

The book will particularly appeal to millennials like myself who grew up with pop greats such as Brittney, X-Tina, Mariah, etc. The story goes behind the scenes to highlight the dark side of the entertainment industry and in particular, the misogynistic exploitation of these teens and young women.

This was a compulsively-readable story that I could not put down. My one criticism is that it read as though the author did not actually experience the 90s/00s herself as an adult, and that she was relying on second-hand information, which sometimes seemed a bit cliché.

I alternated between the e-book and audiobook. I preferred the audiobook, however, as I enjoyed the added sound effects and other details that elevated above your typical listen. Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Celadon Books for the chance to read and review this!

I listened to the audio version of this book. I thought the narration was great! The story was good too but there was a LOT of sex talk – it was part of the story but I did get tired of that. The most interesting part of this book for me was how differently the young girls were portrayed – the girls were either virgins or bad girls but of course it didn’t matter about the boys.

Thank you to NetGally and Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A coming of age story. Graphic! Not my thing, but I know others enjoyed this one. I will try to listen to at another time but I really had a hard time justifying listening to it. I normally enjoy coming of age stories

I loved this story so much!!! Gwen, Amber and Wes are three young people who are rising superstars in the pop music world. They navigate fame, fortune and all of the ups and downs associated with their new popularity. What a lovely coming-of-age story under the glare of the public eye as they age and try to figure out what is real and what is fake in their crazy lives!!!

The audio of this book is narrated by Brittany Pressley who is one of my favorite narrators!!!

Beautiful debut from the author. Thank you to netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the chance to read and review this book!!!

There are things I loved about this book, 90s/00s boy band/pop stars living through the ups and downs of becoming and being famous and things that I didn't love about this book, grazing over important topics like they weren't important.

This book had a lot of potential but fell a little flat for me. I wish we dove more deeply into the downs of the characters. I feel what they were trying to do was show what it was like for the pop stars we had in the late 90s/early 00s but it just didn't hit fully for me but saying that I would still recommend this book to anyone that wants a little nostalgia in their lives.

I read this book, but was thrilled to listen to it. The audio version takes it to a whole new level. It was a great read and an outstanding listen.

Thank you letting me read your book! Unfortunately this book was not for me. I didn’t care much for the characters or the story.

This book follows the life and career of Amber Young and girl group Cloud9…and you can’t follow a girl group without following a guy group! So it’s about the music industry in the 1990s-early 2000s. I was here for the 90s nostalgia….I wish there was more of it in this book.

Unfortunately, the only characters I really liked were Axel and Gwen. I couldn’t stand Amber for most of the book. I dunno, I just didn’t click with this book like I thought I would.

I didn’t like the lyrics in the book especially not the audiobook because it was a monotone spoken word and just seemed to distract from the story.

I’m not a bit YA fan and this read like a YA book…except for the sex scenes which were the best parts about the book in my opinion. However they were pretty devoid of emotion/connection…which I suppose was the point because it drove home the point of loneliness that 90s pop stars felt. The book also focused on how they had to manipulate the media as their #1 priority. Which is pretty sad.

I just didn’t care for this one, just felt like it was missing something and didn’t flow well. I did like the excerpts from the reporters though because it did a nice job of setting the stage.

Thank you NetGalley and Isabel Banta for the chance to listen this ARC!

Honey takes place in the late 90's and early 2000's following Amber and her journey to become a singer.

I loved the premise and the nostalgia of Honey. The cover was perfect and definitely grabs your attention. I unfortunately DNF'd Honey at 60% in. I tried really hard to like it. The writing was well done and there was lots of detail to make you feel like you were there. I just couldn't get into. I didn't like Amber and even though sadly it is probably realistic I just had a hard time reading about how sexualized Amber was at a young age just to become famous. Just because it wasn't for me though I do encourage others to still give it a try.

Amber Young is plucked from puberty and plunged into pop-stardom. She is the insecure opening act for a nationally touring boy band with coordinated costumes and choreography. In the late 90s/early 2000s teen female popstars and boy bands were popping out of the woodwork and were relatively indistinguishable. There was no originality, and they had to gain their popularity by appearing in the celebrity gossip mags for their hook-ups and petty rivalries.

Amber is particularly scrutinized for her provocative wardrobe and the lyrics in her steamy videos that send the wrong message to her impressionable adolescent fans. She does not have a doting stage mom, so she’s had to figure things out on her own, and with the help of her manager, producers, and famous friends. She quickly realizes that fame is just and job and is not fulfilling her wildest dreams.

With snippets of MTV’s Total Request Live, Star Search competitions, walking the red carpet for award shows, and interviews with radio hosts, this book will appeal to readers who were mesmerized by musical celebrities at the turn of the millennium.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley! Growing up during the time referenced in this book was such throwback. I really enjoyed it.