Groupies

GROUPIES has the perfect vibe for this tale of a friendship between Faun and Josie as they make their messy way though coming of age in the 70’s rock music heyday. Heavy with nostalgia for that era but also carefully excavating its underbelly, Priscus beautifully captures the era's dualities of sex and drug-fueled devotion with dreamy untetheredness.

I loved how this book turns the spotlight away from the band and puts it on the women who threw themselves into this chaotic, gritty/glam life. I also loved how Faun, while one of the groupies, is also an emerging artist documenting the band through her photography. She is a wholly drawn character who is struggling with dark emotions and needs, and her dynamics with Josie, equally well realized on the page, as believable as they are provocative and page-turning--with a solid plot and an ending that nails it. An amazing debut that people will be talking about for a long time!

Groupies by Sarah Priscus is Daisy Jones & The Six meets Almost Famous wish it’s own dark twists. Groupies shows not just the glamorous side to hanging out with your favorite rock stars in the 70s, but also the the dark side that wasn’t always portrayed in the media. I really enjoyed this book, and I found that the story felt very authentic. Sometimes books about fictional musicians and books with this kind of premise feel very forced, but I did not get that at all out of this book. I think the author did a great job at telling the story and developing each of the characters that were introduced in the novel. Overall, I would recommend this book, and I would be interested in reading other work from this author in the future.

I have always enjoyed books set in this era, and Groupies delivers in spades. The writing painted a great picture of what I imagine 1970's Los Angeles would look and feel like. When it comes to the plot, the interpersonal conflict and drama kept me hooked and reading page after page, eager to find out what happens next.. The writing really captures the complexity of human nature where no person is perfect or completely irredeemable. You can completely understand character's actions while still disagreeing with them, which I can be rather difficult to pull off. In essence, my takeaway from reading Groupies was that nothing is ever really as it seems, and people aren't so simple to understand.

Get lost in the world of 1970s rock n’ roll with this debut novel that tells the gritty, raw, and emotional tale of balancing the need to grow up too soon with the desire to remain youthful. Groupies is a love letter to California dreamers and music junkies alike.

Faun and Josie, childhood best friends who embarked on different paths after graduation, reconnect in their early twenties when Faun is desperate for connection following her mother’s sudden death. Falling into old patterns, Josie takes Faun under her wing and introduces her to the chaotic inner circle of backstage music and fame. Desperate to be noticed and make a name for herself as a photographer, Faun becomes Holiday Sun’s newest groupie, where she justifies questionable actions to feel noticed. With no curfew and no rules (except to love the band), Faun begins a downward spiral fueled by jealousy and a sense of belonging.

Reminiscent of Daisy Jones and the Six, Groupies might be an ode to music and band culture, but it is also an exploration of friendship and a reminder of what it feels like to be young and carefree. This book reminds the audience about the consequences that arise from sacrificing personal values to fit others’ expectations. Throughout the book, Faun alludes to an upcoming catastrophic event and just when I thought I had it figured out, Priscus shattered my predictions with a twist. This is a must read for anyone hoping to be enamored by a story that is powerful enough to remind us to dream.

I loved this book so much! I was looking for a book with a similar vibe as Daisy Jones and the Six and this definitely did just that! It was fun and fast paced, and I feel like a lot of people (including myself) could relate to the main character Faun and her struggles in being accepted but always feeling like everyone’s second choice. This book was empowering and insightful and very feminist (which I loved). There was a very interesting plot twist that just made me like the book even more.