Book Smart Kate

Book: 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫  Audiobook: 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫 Spice: 🌶️🌶️

by Isabel Banta (June 25, 2024) – Many thanks to @macmillan.audio for the gifted audiobook of Banta’s completely binge-worthy debut!

In the late 1990s, teenager Amber Young got the opportunity of a lifetime when she earned a spot in the girl group Cloud9. Her dreams are finally coming true – she befriends bandmate Gwen and tries to resist Wes, a member of ETA, the biggest boy band in the world. Then, she and Gwen both went solo.  The story delves into the cutthroat and cruel nature of the industry, particularly towards young women, where fame and fortune are counterbalanced with drugs, alcohol, hyper-sexualization, and a constant struggle to trust. The story’s core focuses on Amber’s career from its start in the late 1990s to her peak in the early 2000s, as she embarks on a journey of self-discovery, reevaluating her relationships and career.

This 90s/00s era was one of TINY young female singers being framed as fat, a constant public discussion about their virginity/sexuality, and the never-ending need to frame them as adversaries. At the same time, boy bands bro’d their way through choreographed dance moves without any of the same debates. Banta tells a highly addictive story about discovering that getting everything you ever wanted also has a downside. I loved the characters she created and how they evolved – particularly Amber herself. I loved seeing her self-confidence grow over time as she took control of her life & narrative. I also loved what Banta did with Gwen and Amber’s friendship storyline, Amber’s relationship with her family over time, and how she created a world of fame that also focused on the intimacies of personal relationships.

Brittany Pressley, one of my absolute favorite narrators, narrates the audiobook. She always breathes amazing life and emotion into the characters!

What was the first concert you ever went to?