A coming-of-age story that follows the meteoric rise of singer Amber Young as she navigates fame in the late-90s and early-2000s era of pop music superstardom.
In addition to the buzzy, conversation-starting themes explored, Banta is also simply a damn good writer ... An exciting read about the dark side of fame, early aughts pop culture and the transition from girlhood to womanhood.
Banta cleverly blends Wikipedia-like entries, song lyrics, and magazine articles with the chapters, which are arranged along a song’s progression ... Easily read in a sitting or two, Banta’s novel is fun, nostalgic, and enlightening.
Sweeping if surprisingly dreary ... Although the behind-the-scenes friendship between Amber and Gwen has moments of resonance, their conflicts lack believable drama, and the romantic relationships are missing emotional credibility and genuine heat. Like much of the pop music at its center, Banta’s novel is long on style but short on depth.
