Review
A copy of the book has been sent by the author in exchange for an honest review.
I believe to have come into an age where young adult novels do not perform as well as it did when I was younger. Of course, like many of my reading list, I read this novel with no idea what it is about aside from its given title. With that in mind, I assumed that the story will follow a group that will eventually reach stardom.
‘Boy Band’ is a story of a girl [Mel] as she struggles to maintain a healthy life with working as a backstage member of a band, being an online student, and hiding her long-time crush with her best friend/workmate.
The novel falls down a rabbit hole of tropes and clichés that I ended up getting so lost in all of it. It felt like a maze where you hope to eventually get through everything. But hoping is not even close to actually getting through these tropes and clichés.
I love the characters of this book—especially the band members. I think they are interesting and I can see that there is a layer in their personality that realizes them into something more than just the stereotype they’ve been given. Granted, they each want to be of different projection with one another so the stereotyping worked for them.
The main character, I am not so much a fan of. The entirety of the book seems to be a documentary series of her life; rather, her feelings for Sam. Her too strong of a love for him made the book too repetitive. And by that I mean she repeatedly articulates her love. (Yes, girl! We know you like him already!)
Moreover, it was a struggle for me to grasp whether the book is character driven, plot driven, none, or both. I saw no difference with the character from beginning to end. And aside from the endless reiteration of feelings of love, it felt plotless.
Concept-wise, it could have been executed better. Given that this is a series, it would have worked perfectly to begin with the characters with less achievements than they already have. It gives way for more character development and better structure for the plot. Additionally, the conflicts of the story felt less a conflict but more of a shroom that accidentally popped right out and tripped the characters. It has no flavour and the projection was weak and conceivably irrelevant.
To conclude, there is a strong potential in this novel—provided with a stronger foundation, slower pacing, and more character building. The concept is interesting on its own. However, the execution did not work well for me.
About the Author
Jacqueline Smith was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. She attended the University of Texas at Dallas, where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Art and Performance in 2010. Two years later, she earned her Master’s Degree in Humanities. Along with writing and publishing, Jacqueline loves photography, traveling, and nature.
For more information, please visit: https://linktr.ee/jacquelie
