American Fantasy

by Emma Straub

Brought to you by Penguin.

EMBARK ON THE JOYOUS AND NOSTALGIC JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME IN THE LATEST NOVEL FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THIS TIME TOMORROW AND ALL ADULTS HERE

Annie is on a journey straight back to her past.

When the American Fantasy cruise ship sets sail for a four-day themed voyage, aboard are all five members of a famous 1990s boyband, and three thousand women who have worshipped them since their youth.

Newly divorced and with an empty nest, Annie is on board as a lark to appease her sister. Once a diehard fan of the band as a teen, she now feels out of place amid the sea of bedazzling t-shirts bearing the singers’ faces. Yet when the lights go down, the cocktails are poured and the band starts singing, Annie finally reconnects to a long-submerged part of herself.

As she encounters Keith, the band’s slightly depressed, fifty-something lead singer – not just a celebrity but someone clearly in need of a friend – she feels like anything is possible.

But is the connection between Annie and Keith just a fantasy? Or is this the beginning of a new chapter for them both?

Full of laugh-out-loud reflections on fame, nostalgia, marriage and growing up, American Fantasy celebrates the magic of revisiting our youth, and the even greater magic of starting anew.

'Pure joy' Ann Patchett
'Fun, delicious, big-hearted' Taylor Jenkins Reid
'Criminally readable' Maria Semple
'I can't TELL you the enjoyment it gave me' Marian Keyes
'I was completely swept away' Coco Mellors
'You will feel so understood by this novel' Rainbow Rowell

Emma Straub 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Audiobook, Contemporary, Adult, Chick Lit, Book Club

Audible Audio

First published April 7, 2026

About the author

Emma Straub is the New York Times‒bestselling author of the novels All Adults Here, Modern Lovers, The Vacationers, Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures, and the short story collection Other People We Married. Straub's work has been published in twenty countries, and she and her husband own Books Are Magic, an independent bookstore in Brooklyn, New York.

Reviews

[emilybookedup · Rating 2 out of 5]

im sorry but i just didn’t vibe with this at all, im actually shocked i didn’t DNF 🤷🏼‍♀️ there was nearly nothing going on in the plot and i personally couldn’t relate to any of the characters.

pros: some funny moments, narration on audio by Marin Ireland kept me listening/didn’t make me DNF, concept of 90s nostalgia was relatable, the cover is gorg

something finally happens around like 80% in (80!!!!!!!) but it doesn’t really develop and leaves open ended which was like, okay?

it follows a bunch of women from all over who get to go on a cruise with the hit band of the 90s (think: millennials going on a cruise with The Backstreet Boys). but honestly, that’s like all that was going on 🤣

i also didn’t get the POV/point of Sarah???!!!

anywho… for me, this could be a skip.

[Sara Carrolli · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a fangirl myself, I really thought I’d love this story 😣 The famous 90’s boy band is hosting a cruise for the fans & we follow Annie (no longer a fangirl) & a member of the boy band (to be honest I forgot his name)

Both characters were SO NEGATIVE. Annie didn’t wanna be there, she ✨ wasn’t like the crazy fans ✨ & the boy band guy ALSO didn’t wanna be there, and he made sure to tell you that! They also didn’t have a full convo till like 90% through the book 😍

[chantalsbookstuff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the story, and the characters were really rich. I also liked how we got their backstories. But unfortunately, nothing really stood out for me.

It seems like rock band stories are a hot topic at the moment, so each new one needs to stand out just a little more to feel like an epic book for me.

[Dee (in the Desert) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up, for this 90's boy band on a cruise ship novel. I liked this book well-enough, but NGL - a whole lot of that was because I'm in my cruising era & I really liked the cruise ship setting & activities. I've never done a theme or charter cruise though and I wasn't into 90's boy bands (more NIN & RHCPs) so the music part was kinda meh. The 50'ish FMC was well-written though & reconnecting with your younger self is also something I understand. Overall, it was just okay

[Elisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

okay after having sat on this for a few days im ready to articulate my thoughts. this is basically new kids on the block cruise fanfic. the boy group in the novel, Boy Talk, also has 5 members with one gay member who was closeted during their height, and also has a member that looked really young when they were big, and ALSO has a pair of brothers in the band. Im not even into new kids on the block i just googled all of this, and it’s just the same!! Boy Talk which even rhymes with new kids on the block.

Okay. Anyway. Maybe i just am not the right audience for this book. It has some good commentary on fandom spaces but not really anything groundbreaking. The MC is also 50 and fresh off a divorce and like omggg your life is not over!! At 50 you still have so much life ahead of you!

There’s also a subplot in here about one of the MC’s getting a new boss who is Gen Z who “doesn’t know anything” except how to make tik toks okayyyyy lmao. how can you be hating on your tik tok boss when you’re on a boy band cruise 😭

[JanB · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually enjoy cruising but a 4 day boy band cruise to the Bahamas is a booze cruise. Yes, short cruises are filled with young people who just want to get sloshed. Not for a 50 yr old woman like our MC.

But ok, this is fiction so I went with it. If you’ve never cruised before, know this book is not representative of cruises. (I just had to say it)

Newly divorced Annie was just going to appease her sister, and when her sister had to cancel the cruise due to an injury, Annie can’t get a refund, so goes alone.

I had some difficulty relating to 50-something year olds acting like teenage fangirls when meeting members of Boy Talk, the boy band who was big in the ‘90s. (Sound familiar?) But maybe that’s because I was not a teenager in the 90s. Maybe I’d act silly meeting Fleetwood Mac, ABBA, the Bee Gees, The Rolling Stones up close and personal. Let’s not forget the videos of screaming fainting girls in the 1960s just catching a glimpse of the Beatles. Maybe there’s something healing about reconnecting to our younger selves and the pure joy and fun we experienced.

(I read an interview where Straub reveals she went on a New Kids on the Block cruise after her father, the author Peter Straub, passed away)

I liked Annie and I love Emma Straub’s writing and humor. In fact, I highly recommend subscribing to her newsletter on Substack. She is delightful, relatable, and funny. The woman can write!

I’m all for reconnecting with our youth, and finding yourself after a major life upheaval. I enjoyed Annie’s story and her self-discovery. The members of Boy Talk aren’t exactly boys anymore, and they are having their own midlife troubles.

I’d categorize this as a lighter read with (a little) substance. Perfect to toss in the beach bag this summer. Marin Ireland was excellent as the narrator and I think audio is definitely the way to read this one.

This is not a bad book, it was enjoyable mainly because of Emma Straub’s writing, but I think it would appeal more to millennials who grew up in the boy band era.

[Maren’s Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ Newly divorced, empty nester Annie is aboard a 4-day themed cruise featuring all five members of her once-beloved 1990s Boy Talk. But a solo trip to the past becomes a chance to see things anew.

Once you board the American Fantasy, it’s easy to be swept out to sea with Annie, Boy Talk, and the rest of the gang of complex, quirky characters. The 90s boy band nostalgia here is fierce, making it incredibly easy to connect and vibe with. And the heartfelt dilemmas each character was experiencing and how they used this once-in-a-lifetime, or every summer (depending on who you asked) experience as a form of reflection added incredible emotional depth.

🎧 Marin Ireland can simply do no wrong. Her ability to exude emotion throughout both the prose and dialogue is unlike any other narrator out there. She makes this an absolute must on audio. Even better, make it an immersive read with print and audio.

Read if you like:
▪️90s nostalgia
▪️character centric novels
▪️boy band culture
▪️books set aboard ships
▪️smooth as silk writing


Check out my Bookstagram post here ♥

Thank you Riverhead Books and PRH Audio for the advanced copies.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just couldn’t get on board with this one.

I’m not a boy band fan, but I was expecting the author to get me to the point where I could appreciate the hype. When that didn’t happen I hoped the story would deliver a romance I could get into but that didn’t happen either.

I had high hopes for this one because I loved This Time Tomorrow but it fell flat for me because nothing really happened.

[Hallie (thecommonroomshop) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Someone call a doctor! Our main character is suffering from “not like the other girls” syndrome!🚨🚨🚨 Read this if you want to read a middle aged woman who uses HER FREE WILL to go on a boy-band-themed cruise and then proceeds to judge all of the other women there for being fangirls✨

It’s giving *the girl who bullied you in middle school for being a fan.* Literally yucking everyone’s yums (including mine)

This had the recipe to be a feel good novel, but it made me Feel So Bad !

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow, I did not expect to be waffling between a one-star and two-star rating on an Emma Straub novel. What alternate universe have I found myself in???

I'm a huge kpop fan, and so I expected to love this book and its portrayal of fandom and modern girlhood! And Emma totally gets it. In her words: "On board this ship, they were always girls."

Unfortunately, I felt like this book had so little substance beyond that. I'm surprised that some reviewers described the characters as rich because to me, they felt so flat with very little dimension or depth. I couldn't even keep the boy band members straight in my head other than Keith and Corey (who is obviously Justin Timberlake). Also I felt like there was almost no plot to be found; very little happened until almost 80% of the book, and then the book rushed to an ambiguous ending. The first 80% honestly just felt like a fanfiction about women getting to interact with their favorite boy band. The Sarah POV didn't really add anything to the story for me either, and felt extraneous.

I considered DNFing around 50% but pushed through. 1.5 stars that I'm rounding up for a 2 (Books Are Magic bump).

[Kayla T (kaylabobayla) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ rounded up!
I’m finding it difficult to put into words why I loved this so much! It’s not high octane, no mystery to solve, and no fantastical aspects. What it has is a punch of nostalgia mixed with the reality of midlife, a light read about grasping for the dregs of youth. These were very real mid 40s-50s complicated human feelings, with a pinch of drama, and it honestly felt refreshing and familiar in an adult fiction!

[Kiera · Rating 3 out of 5]

really very sweet and charming. i loved the recurring theme of 'making it last forever' vs letting go and moving on even when you're not sure what that next step is. a lot of small moments will make any former superfan laugh when the absurdity of fandom is on display like this and i can only imagine what it would be like if cruises like this really existed (wait...do they...i need to google after this). my main critique is that some of the chapters/scenes felt awkwardly cut off, ending at moments that felt unnatural or just an odd time to walk away. i think there was a lot of opportunity to go deeper into the highlighted characters, it felt like we only dipped just below the surface (although at the same time for the bandmembers themselves that was kind of nice bc it reinforced this feeling of Well i don't know them. lmao). a lot of events were meant to be those heart-stopping nostalgic moments of being a teen seeing your idol but i just didn't feel that same excitement that the characters were feeling. all said and done i would def say this is a good choice for a quick & entertaining beach read and i will always enjoy reading about an older divorced baddie!!!

thank you edelweiss for the opportunity to read this title!

[Lyon.Brit.andthebookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Report: American Fantasy by Emma Straub

The Emma Straub fan in me is SCREAMING 🚢🎤✨ This book is everything I never knew I needed. All I knew going in was…a cruise…a ’90s boy band, and a middle aged heroine… say less.

American Fantasy follows Annie…newly divorced…newly fifty and feeling a little adrift who boards a nostalgia packed boy band cruise and finds herself reconnecting with a part of her she thought was long gone. Between slushy drinks…screaming fans and the music of her youth. Annie stumbles into friendship…desire and a spark of possibility she didn’t know she still had💫

The story unfolds day by day on the cruise which makes it feel like you’re right there for four chaotic…emotional…delightfully bonkers days at sea. I adored the cast of characters (each with their own story!) and I truly had no idea where any of it was heading…even at 80%. By the end I was completely charmed and a little emotional.

The lineup for an American Fantasy style author cruise? The possibilities are ENDLESS. 📚🛳️
Emma Straub continues her streak of books that deserve adaptations and this one would make my millennial heart burst💖

“What an indignity, to give your entire life to something and to always be the last choice.”

Thank you @riverhead for making my 2026 ARC dreams come true!

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Lyon.brit.A...

[Angie Miale · Rating 3 out of 5]

American fantasy is not a bad book. The thing is, it’s not really a good book either.

The entire narrative follows a cruise ship with an aging boy band of board. Think new kids on the block or the Backstreet Boys. The fictional band is called boy Talk, and their fans are called talkers 90% of the cruise ship passengers are middle-aged women. Our narrative somewhat follows the band, the various crises they have at this point in their careers, some with substances and divorces, others with lingering issues from the past in some ways they are trying to figure out how to make a life when they can’t do what they have been known to do all along. The women on the cruise ship get to exist in this five day. Period. Where it’s almost like the rest of the world doesn’t appear real. We also follow a couple of women passengers and the cruise ship director.

It’s not that the narrative drags, it’s almost like it doesn’t exist at all. There’s great nostalgia and the details are great although they are based on boy Talk I did really like boy vans when I was growing up, but definitely not enough to follow them onto a cruise ship or even by an expensive ticket to see Backstreet Boys at the sphere in Las Vegas so what really shines here is the setting, and what it would be like to dive back into something that you loved when you were younger there’s not a big plot to follow, there’s not really a lot of time spent in characterization. That’s where I think this book kind of missed the mark. There are so many characters that not enough time is spent with any one of them that makes us invested in the person’s character development.

That said, it’s just a bit ambitious but overall, I can’t say I’m sorry that I read it. I definitely think if you have a very long TBR, this is one that you could skip or maybe get from the library or borrow it. I pre-ordered it many months ago, and came away a bit disappointed.

[veerali · Rating 1 out of 5]

annie is not a girl's girl...

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having loved The Vacationers, Modern Lovers AND This Time Tomorrow – I was all over placing an early request/reserve at the library for this new release and happily went into it blind without even thinking about taking a glance at a blurb or rating.

I don’t know if the plot would have steered me away – after all, I’m a lady of a certain age who has gone to see the boy bands of her past in concert despite them being past their prime. That being said, there was just soooooooooooooooo little plot here at all. This read like some amateur fan fic to me instead of something written by a best selling author. Oh, and the idea of a 4-day booze cruise with a trillion and a half horny perimenopausal ladies? That sounds like a nightmare. Not to mention my television viewing of choice already only leaves one thought in my brain when it comes to a vacay like this . . .

[Kate Czyzewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

When things seem beyond your control and your anxiousness has kicked up a little…. It’s nice to turn in to books that truly bring you joy🥹❤️
.
@emmastraub AMERICAN FANTASY has had me smiling from the start. Nothing would make me happier in this moment than escaping to set sail on a 4 day themed cruise with my favorite boy band, The Backstreet Boys, duh.
.
What I always love about Emma’s novels is the way she weaves hilarious antics with heartfelt moments- her novels truly give the best feelings as you read.
.
Thank you to Emma and @riverheadbooks for sharing this April release with me early - it was the highlight of my week🚢❤️📕
.

[Sydney Ungar · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can’t believe I finished this book. It was so boring and absolutely nothing happened. There were ten thousand characters to keep track of and nothing that distinguished them enough to make it easy to do so. Audiobook would have benefited from multiple narrators. So disappointed because I loved her last book. Listened on audio.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have loved everything else by Emma Straub, but not this one

[Bethany Cargle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hope I don’t find myself on a cruise like this lol. American Fantasy is a cruise ship that hosts Boy Talk, a fictional 80s/90s boy band, and The Talkers, their super fans. The book follows three characters - Keith, one of the Boy Talk guys, Annie, a 50 year old woman who only came on the cruise because of her sister (who didn’t even end up going), and Sarah, the cruise director.

I know Emma Straub is a beloved author by many, but this was my first time reading her. She has a great writing style and I would check out some of her other books, but the story just did not land for me. There wasn’t really a plot and I did not connect with a single character. I would have DNFed it, but it was short and quick to get through, and I was hoping it would get better.

I hate giving low star ratings. And this is just my opinion. I know some people will enjoy it.

🎧

[Martie Nees Record · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Pop Culture
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Pub. Date: April 7, 2006

“American Fantasy” is a humorous yet poignant exploration of midlife crises. Set aboard a themed cruise dedicated to the iconic fictional 90s boy band, “Boy Talk.” Think “New Kids on the Block.” Emma Straub skillfully blends comedy with deeper themes, following Annie, a recently divorced middle-aged woman, as she embarks on a journey of self-discovery. She is unlike the other women on the ship. They are referred to as the “Talkers,” and they refuse to grow up.

The cruise is filled with a sea of screaming fans, all acting like love-struck teenagers, fueled by nostalgia and “Sexy Sunrise” cocktails. Straub emphasizes that these women are not just longing for the band; they are yearning for their lost youth and for the versions of themselves that were unscathed by life’s disappointments.

The members of “Boy Talk,” now in their late 40s and 50s, are starkly different from the “boys” their fans remember. This contrast between their aging reality and their perpetually youthful public personas creates a compelling dynamic. Off-stage, these men grapple with the same midlife anxieties as the women—facing divorce, physical ailments, and the search for purpose. “The men were pretending to be boys for women who were pretending to be girls,” highlighting the absurdity of their situations.

While the novel captures the ridiculous lengths people go to cling to their youth—often in a downright depressing way—Straub maintains a lighthearted tone by poking fun at both her characters and the readers who can relate. However, despite its strengths, this is my least favorite of the author's novels. “American Fantasy” can feel slow-moving, lacking significant conflict. In contrast, I found her novel, “All Adults Here,” to be a more perceptive and enjoyable. That said, if you're in the mood for a humorous take on middle-aged individuals laughing through their hangovers, “American Fantasy” is worth a read, and I recommend it for those seeking a light-hearted escape.

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[Lorna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story 3 stars. Narration 4.5 stars
This book started out really different for me and not exactly in a good way. From 15 minutes into the listen I started thinking about DNFing it but kept listening and it did get better-not great, but better. It ended up being a very quick listen for a book that’s not a novella.

It’s the story of a recently divorced 50ish woman who ends up on a cruise by herself when her sister breaks her leg. The cruise is her younger sister’s dream as it’s all about a 90’s boy band who spend the 4 days putting on mini concerts and doing meet and greets. Annie is just happy to be away from home and work but also manages to remember being a teenager when the group was popular. She begins to enjoy herself before she actually meets one of the guys during a meet and greet. He’s not doing good and she’s the only one that recognizes it. But it was only a two minute period of time. Keith is unhappy in his marriage and doesn’t even share a room with his wife who can’t be bothered by anything to do with him except for the money he’s going to get for the cruise. He’s also unhappy with the group(also known as all his brothers)and wants out. We also get the point of view of the cruise facilitator and all the problems the guys cause her. I am going to stop here.

It wasn’t my idea of a good romance if it even is one. The ending was abrupt and I had to listen to it twice to understand. If I even do. Parts of the book were good or interesting(90’s nostalgia) and at other times it just kind of lagged. I wanted more story about Keith and Annie and less about everything else. I also wanted a better, less abrupt ending. I just wanted it to be better.
Narration was good.

[Aly Lauck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favorite by Emma Straub, but points for originality. I think I understand what she was trying to do in this one. The execution was good, I just didn’t feel as connected as I did from the author’s previous books.

[syd ◟̽◞̽ · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.75
I thought this was going to be a love letter to fangirls and fandom culture as a whole but it was a snooze fest like literally we got on a cruise and got off. wow groundbreaking. it didn’t even paint fangirls in a good light. it also weirdly made “ Gen Z would never understand this and they’re entitled” jokes which irritate me to no end. as a Gen Z fangirl who grew up with 1D and 5SOS I didn’t really appreciate the commentary this book was attempting to make in a really bad way. there are other novels surrounding fandom spaces that I think handle conversations way better than this did.

[Cody · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of Emma Straub’s work, but I didn’t think I would quite love this novel—an aging boy band, a cruise? But I should’ve known better. Straub has described the process of writing her previous novel, This Time Tomorrow (her masterpiece, imo!) as one which saw her crying everyday: it was how she processed the dying and death of her father, novelist Peter Straub. And this novel is what came after; it was the healing process. It’s sunny and big-hearted and optimistic, a tonic for the cynical and jaded times in which we live. I needed it. Perfect summer reading.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Newly divorced Annie sets sail on a four day themed cruise aboard The American Fantasy. The cruise is designed for super fans of the 90s boy band, Boy Talk, the 2000 fans are called Talkers, and Annie is swept up in the fandom, despite being a bit skeptical to start. In these four days, filled with parties, drinking, and very little sleep, Annie rediscovers her love of the music and her ability to re-open herself to life, including an unexpected friendship with a member of the band. Fun from beginning to end, I could not put it down.

[Heidi Zuva]

This is a thoughtful, well-written story, but it's surprisingly quiet for a book about a cruise trapping a (now middle-aged) boy band aboard with their greatest fans.

I think this disconnect between the the product (read in McDonald's CEO's voice) and the marketing explains the book's average rating.

I went in expecting this to be for readers of LOVE OVER BOARD by Kandi Steiner, but really it's for readers of SO OLD, SO YOUNG by Grant Ginder and HEART THE LOVER by Lily King.

[Staci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annie is 50 years and newly divorced. She ends up on a Boy Talk American Fantasy cruise by herself after her sister cancels due to a broken leg (Boy Talk being a 90s era boy band). Keith is a reluctant member of Boy Talk. He still does it mainly because his brother, Shawn, bullies him into it.

The story is told through three perspectives: Annie, Sarah (a cruise employee), and Keith. We meet all the members of Boy Talk and they feel very familiar - the hot one, the brother, the young one, the weird one, the least popular one. Emma Straub does a great job of developing each member and making them utterly human and relatable. The dynamic between them is well established and believable, similar to five brothers. They each have their role in the family. Sarah is a zillenial and an outsider to the boy band life she observes on the job.

Annie and Keith have parallel arcs. They’re both trying to figure out what’s next in life while struggling with the dreaded middle age malaise. Annie with her recent divorce and issues at work. Keith with his unhappiness in Boy Talk and in his marriage. Fortunately, there is a sense of hope for both characters going into the next phase.

American Fantasy was an insightful, entertaining, and nostalgic read. Anyone in a middle age slump, or anyone feeling lost or stuck in their lives can appreciate this story. There is probably some level nostalgia required to truly appreciate the boy band backdrop of the story. Anyone who lived through the boy band era and had a “favorite guy” will appreciate it best. My boy band was New Kids on the Block and my guy was Jordan Knight. This novel hit all the right notes for me. It felt familiar in its complexity while at the same reminding me of a simpler time. Highly recommend.

[Lynn Cahoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I liked the book. I just wish the cover blurb had been more honest. Annie is only one of three POV's in the book. And the romance and her ARC change only happen in the last few chapters. I would have felt differently going in if the book had laid different expectations. And this is not the author's fault. It's the marketing.

[Sam Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhhhhh! I love Emma Straub!!!!!!!

I am SO thankful to Riverhead Books, PRH Audio, and our wonderful author for advanced physical and audio access before this heartwarming jewel hits shelves on April 7, 2026. I am so in love.

It really does feel like performance cruises are like a thing now, whether it’s a comedy troupe, a cult-fav band or act, they are like SO popular nowadays, and definitely in this fictional scenario - for the heart throbs that are Boy Talk.

Enter The American Fantasy, our entertainment cruise line, and we’re hearing from so many POVs, Boy Talk fans (Talkers), the production team, and the no longer boys (washed up men) from the boy band.

Emotions and tensions are high for everyone and it’s quite literally a recipe for disaster on the high seas and I’m here for the DRAMA!