Before I tell you that I didn’t love this book (whoops, I guess I just did), I will provide two caveats: I do not like nor do I listen to pop music, and the time frame of this book was during a time when I was a young mom and so missed some of the excitement.

I also happen to be judgy and think that music of this time lacks the style and talent of musicians who came before the manufacturing of pop stars. Sorry, not sorry.

In fact, it’s hard not to see this as a vaguely fictionalized retelling of a Britney and Justin type story.

Wes the most popular member of a manufactured boy band with a mom as manager and a golden boy reputation to protect.

Amber the least popular of a gaggle of girl pop singers, the one deemed slutty, the one no one respects, the one making questionable choices with less than supportive family.

The two, along with Amber’s best friend Gwen and the boys in Wes’s band weave in and out of one another’s lives as they work toward music industry fame.

Redemption for Amber comes in the form of Axel, a European producer who listens to her, sees her body not as something sexual, but as an instrument, and he helps her craft a comeback album.

Ultimately didn’t work for me. No one is particularly likable, the misogyny, though not doubt realistic, is icky, and the narrative is so empty, devoid of joy. It had potential that didn’t feel realized.

Thanks to @netgalley and @macmillianaudio for the eARC. This one comes out June 25, 2024.

HONEY is Isabel Banta’s debut novel and she takes no prisoners with this story that harkens back to the glory days of boy bands and pop starlets. Like Daisy Jones and the Six to which it’s been compared, it reads like a memoir; albeit a fictionalized one.

HONEY follows the rise to stardom of Amber Young, a talented pre-teen from New Jersey. It chronicles her discovery, early auditions, the creation of her image, her life as a recording artist, and how her relationships are affected by her pursuit of fame. Throughout the book I kept thinking, “If this is the price of fame, it’s too high.”

With the exception of Axel, a Norwegian record producer, I did not connect with a single character in this book. They all seemed vapid and one dimensional; caricatures of the personalities that dominated pop news during that era. Where Daisy Jones drew comparisons to Fleetwood Mac, HONEY brings to mind Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, *NSYNC, the Backstreet Boys, and others. Perhaps that was the goal of Ms. Banta as she attempted to show how much these young artists gave up of themselves to achieve success in an industry that eats its young.

The audiobook, narrated by Brittany Pressley, incorporated other media to tell Amber’s story. I would have liked more of that as I thought it deftly illustrated the juxtaposition of how the public perceived her versus how she saw herself.

Ultimately, I think a reader that relates to this music era will be more receptive to this story than I was.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

HONEY
Isabel Banta

I read this as part of the Celadon Readers Initiative as well as listened to the audio. This read like a memoir or pop star biography. It’s written through Amber’s pov as she goes from a talented kid to a pop icon.
I’m about 10 years older than this time period, but I had a niece this exact age and it brought back a lot of memories of watching TRL and listening to Britney (as a Louisiana native it’s in the contract to love her) and Christina. I couldn’t help but use those connections to compare Amber (Britney) and Gwen (Xtina) and Savannah (Jessica). I guess this was the intention.
It seemed more like a YA but with raunchy sex scenes… so NA maybe?? However, the story was well written and a fun trip on memory lane.
The audio, narrated by Brittney Pressley, helped to convey more of Amber’s thoughts. I do wish the song lyrics had been sung instead of narrated though. (But I understand that’s a big ask.)

Many thanks to Celadon and Macmillan audio for my early review copies. These thoughts are my own.

A book that felt like an inside look into the y2k pop culture. You were rooting for the girls to succeed. Fun story about relationships, friendships and reputations.

“fame is being spread out on an operating table, cold silver twisting and prodding. organs once folded behind thick walls of skin now exposed to light.”

—

first of all, thank you to netgalley for the arc of this wonderful book!

honey follows the tumultuous rise of aspiring pop-star amber young. set against the backdrop of the late 90s-early 2000s music industry and toxic fan culture, amber is forced to grapple with issues of fame, body image, sexual agency, misogyny, and complicated family and friendship dynamics all while in the spotlight.

from the moment amber is encouraged to participate in a local talent show, she knows it is her calling to become a singer. after being praised by a talent agent, amber’s life becomes a frenzy of long car drives, draining auditions, and competition shows that only lead to minimal success. these defeats, combined with a lack of support from her detached mother, only intensify amber’s hunger for recognition, and her efforts soon pay off when she is chosen as a member of an up-and-coming girl group. it is through this turbulent experience that amber is introduced to the web of connections that will become her future competition, deepest friendships, and greatest heartbreaks. these relations follow her as she leaves her group to pursue a solo career and show the world her voice.

amber’s life is a slide placed under a microscope that zooms increasingly closer to scrutinize every move she makes the more famous she gets. despite desiring a career in music for the love of the art, amber and her female counterparts are expected to act as role models for children while they are coming of age themselves. honey showcases how celebrities are in fact just normal people, experimenting with life and making the same mistakes that everyday people do; the only difference is that every blunder is recorded and broadcasted for the entire world to feast on. amber struggles with defining her identity and what matters most to her— why bother when the whole world has already decided who you are based off of carefully-curated and maliciously-interpreted scrapbook of all of her public actions?

honey is a beautifully-written novel of a complex girl coming of age in a public sphere of bubblegum misogyny designed to pit women against each other until they crumble. amber’s voice is introspective to the point of almost feeling autobiographical at times, which is a credit to banta’s ability to craft the character in a way that is reminiscent of real 90s/00s pop stars. the story of amber is reflective of those of britney spears, christina aguilera, and all of their contemporaries who grew up in the limelight.

this is a truly remarkable debut novel that is a must-read for fans of 90/00s pop culture, or anyone who is interested in witnessing the transformation of a lost teenager into a confident young adult as seemingly the whole world is rooting for her downfall.

—

related listening:
💿 lucky - britney spears
💿 the lucky one - taylor swift
💿 teenage dream - olivia rodrigo
💿 male fantasy - billie eilish
💿 because I liked a boy - sabrina carpenter

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.
This was a really fun book! I chose this book for two reasons: 1- It has been highly recommended to me as a popular upcoming book. 2- It is narrated by one of my favorite audiobook narrators, Brittany Presley! (I could listen to her read almost anything!)
This was a great story. I would say it is a coming-of-age story, but not necessarily appropriate for young adults. I probably am also slightly younger than the target audience for this book, as a late 90s baby. While it alluded to pop culture icons of the 90s and early 2000s, it doesn't mention many of them by name (Britney, Nysnc, Backstreet Boys, etc), This was a fact, I was slightly surprised by.
I should mention that there are certain topics that might be too sensitive for some readers, so please check your trigger warnings.
Overall, this was a fantastic debut novel, and I look forward to reading more books by Isabel Banta in the future!
—


Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

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This book was so much fun!
As someone who grew up in the late 90's/early 2000's and was the target demographic during the boy band/pop princess craze of that time, this book felt like a peek behind the curtain of your favorite artist's life.
Isabel Banta has created a relatable and endearing main character that the reader can't help but fall in love with and root for. Is she perfect? No. But that's the point! She's a child growing into an adult while navigating a burgeoning career and while in the public eye. Her desire for love, her gradual evolution and development of self... It's understandable and engaging. Reading about her journey makes the reader feel in a truly moving way.
This book also provides commentary on the treatment of women during the 90's/2000's in a masterful way. There's a subtlety that Banta utilizes, which works so well and allows important messages to be conveyed without having the reader feel like they're being beaten over the head. It's intelligent and appealing.
The audiobook was an absolute delight. The only thing that could have added to it would have been actual sung songs when song lyrics are being read by the narrator. That would have been so fun and would have taken the audiobook to the next level!
If you're looking for a fun read with some nostalgic undertones, definitely pick up Honey!

Honey was such a unique and fun read. If you're looking for I'm Glad My Mom Died with less trauma, or a more adult version of Darkhearts, I think you'd love this. Honey follows Amber, a rising pop star through the trials and tribulations of stardom all while trying to find herself and learn to love. I DEVOURED this book and have no critique. Isabel Banta is now an auto buy author for me!

Thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and Macmillan Audio for access to the audio ARC of Honey. Listening to this arc made me feel like I was on a super long call with a friend hearing about her life. It was so moving and honest.

I adored everything about this story and immediately preordered a physical copy!! This is a very Daisy Jones vibe and it’s delicious. In this telling, I was the pop star and all my childhood dreams came true!!!! I highly recommend!!!!!

Honey

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
Thank you Netgalley & Macmillan Audio for this ALC!

Ummm I loved this book!! It was a coming of age story about pop-star Amber Young. As a millennial, it gave all the 90s/early 2000s vibes, and was full of nostalgia with so many pop culture references throughout (MTVs TRL, tamagotchis, Y2K, magazine quizzes telling you which celeb would be your BFF 😂). It really makes you think about what the pop culture icons of this era (and even current celebrities) went through .

The story was great, and the narrator also did an amazing job bringing Amber to life!

Highly recommend!

Thank you netgalley, celadon and Macmillan audio for the arc copy and alc. My opinions are being left voluntarily. I was so excited to be elselected for the celadon buddy tead program the cover and synopsis sounded like my music obsessed dreams. However i became disinterested in the story and bored. I feel when derocong from real people it feels ick to read their story but not from their perspective or own words. I cant put my finger on why it felt extra ick if i do will adjust review.

3.5/5

This was an interesting book for me. I have to say the boy band/pop star princess thing always passed me by so I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this book. I started this one on audiobook and I almost wish I had stuck with that because I love that narrator and I think she helped me see Amber as a whole person and not just see her poor choices. But I’m on vacation and doing the least audiobooking and I’m not patient so I finished with a physical copy. I did sometimes find the pace a little slow. I struggled to understand some of the characters’ motivations at times. I loved the inclusion of other media especially the songs and the commentary about them. It really helped to bring this story to life. Amber always wanted to sing, but after a brief failure as a child she lost hope. As a teenager floundering in school she reaches for her dream and is shocked to hear she is on her way to California to be a part of a girls’ group. This story is Amber’s coming of age combined with coming into herself as an artist/performer. Overall I gave it 3.5 stars rounded up because I read it in one sitting.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the gifted ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Having lived my teen years in the 90’s and early 00’s, I was very excited to read this book. I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look at what life would be like in the life of a star then, and possibly in current times. I thought the use of articles, interviews, and song lyrics throughout the story was a fun addition, and hearing this through audio with different narrators gave the story a little something extra to make it interesting. While I did enjoy Honey, I felt like something was missing for me. I wish I felt more connection with the characters by the end of the story and I didn’t get that with this one. I would read another book by this author in the future, I just think this one could have used a bit more polishing to make it great.

I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this book at first or not but I ended up really liked it. Thanks netgalley and publisher for a chance to read this for free for my honest opinion.

Amber, Gwen and Savannah are all performers who basically are trying to live their best lives. They’re all forced to try to be better than each other to try to make it famous. Lots of love and some heart break but this book was a lot of fun.

I kind of wish I would have gotten this for BOTM but I went into this book blindly and I’m glad that I did.

This was an enjoyable book! I loved the snippets of songs and interviews throughout. It reminded me of the insights I wish I had growing up in the early 2000s and brought me back there. I wish there were a bit more of an ending to the book, but maybe that's because I was having such a fun time following Amber's life that I didn't want it to stop!

SO GOOD! So relatable??? How?! Its about a pop star, but I related?! Loved it! This had heart, grit and kept me so engaged.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. I was so excited to receive the audiobook of Isabel Banta debut novel and it did not disappointed. It brought me back to circa early 2000s when I started to read Seventeen magazine and the drama of this novel kept me engaged throughout. I was hoping for more of a "self discovery" style ending but overall it was an enjoyable book

I absolutely loved listening to this audiobook! This was intriguing, captivating, witty, and I devoured it in less than a day!

Thank you to NetGalley and McMillan for the advanced copy of the audiobook.

This book had the potential to be a really great book, but it fell flat for me. I felt like I wanted more from the characters less sex and sex talk. Overall, it was just an OK read for me
The audiobook narrators were excellent. I enjoyed the mixed media, but it was only minimal.

If Britney Spears’ memoir The Woman in Me and Daisy Jones and the Six had a baby, it would be this book. Read if you’re interested in celebrity, fame, 90s/00s pop music. It feels heavily inspired by Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Max Martin. The characters were self-centered, driven, and (I think) intentionally unlikable. Interviews, news articles, and song lyrics (with Genius annotations) were interspersed. There were conversations about the pressures of fame, disordered eating, sexual agency, predatory behavior, power dynamics, fan and troll culture. 3.5 stars.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.