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Kill the Boy Band
Just know from the start that it wasn't supposed to go like this. All we wanted was to get near them. That's why we got a room in the hotel where they were staying.
We were not planning to kidnap one of them. Especially not the most useless one. But we had him-his room key, his cell phone, and his secrets.
We were not planning on what happened next.
We swear.
From thrilling new talent Goldy Moldavsky comes a pitch-black, hilarious take on fandom and the badass girls who have the power to make-or break-the people we call "celebrities."
We were not planning to kidnap one of them. Especially not the most useless one. But we had him-his room key, his cell phone, and his secrets.
We were not planning on what happened next.
We swear.
From thrilling new talent Goldy Moldavsky comes a pitch-black, hilarious take on fandom and the badass girls who have the power to make-or break-the people we call "celebrities."
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 23, 2016
196 people are currently reading
12575 people want to read
About the author
Goldy Moldavsky
13 books754 followersGoldy Moldavsky was born in Lima, Peru, and grew up in Brooklyn, where she still lives. Her novels include the New York Times bestseller, KILL THE BOY BAND, the Publishers Weekly bestseller, THE MARY SHELLEY CLUB, and the upcoming OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS, and BUBBLEGUM SHOES. You can find her on X and Instagram @goldywrites.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,073 reviews
March 12, 2016
Boy band fangirls are a species that are more focused, determined, and powerful in large numbers than just about any other group of people I can think of.
I thought this was awesome. It's the kind of book you have to be in the right mood for - a dark, sadistic sense of humour kind of mood - but it's a diverse, murderous and hilarious comedy about fangirls in the age of social media.
Kill the Boy Band has many laugh-out-loud moments that come with a side order of guilt because you know you really shouldn't be laughing. But, despite it's implausible plot and ludicrous characters, there are many underlying truths laid bare in this book. And the funniest things of all are the sad truths you have to begrudgingly admit to.
I must confess: I related to parts of this book, which may have affected my experience. I'm in my early twenties now, but I grew up when the digital age was just finding its feet. At age thirteen, most people I knew had some form of social media - usually myspace or bebo - and I witnessed the emerging culture of celeb stalking that redefined what it meant to be a fan.
My personal obsession (well, the main one) was Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and James Marsters (Spike) in particular. I would watch his interviews on Youtube, read every post on his website and, later, follow his movements on Twitter. In other circumstances, this level of stalkery would be illegal. In my early to mid teens, I felt attached to him on a weird level. I'd followed his life so closely that I felt like I knew him, something those of my parents generation simply couldn't understand. Being his fan made me happy. Loving him made me feel good about myself. It sounds so silly now, but I think I truly believed that a) we were meant to be together, and b) this could eventually happen if I just attended enough signings and concerts.
Thankfully, I was too shy to do anything. I couldn't tackle him because I melted into a puddle of emotions every time he was in the same room. But I can understand how crazy it could get if someone with my mindset *did* have the will and ability to take it to the next level.
That's what this book is about. It's about four teenage girls who are devoted to a boy band called "The Ruperts" - hilariously based on One Direction - and how their devotion escalates into something more sinister. The book makes fun of teen girl crushes on celebrities (lots of great parodies of real life, pop culture references, and some surprisingly graphic sex jokes), but it also has an anti-slut-shaming, feminist spin and, in a way, defends the girls' right to their crushes and silly desires.
Did I love them because they were the only boys in my life who consistently told me I was beautiful? Probably.
I loved The Ruperts for who they were, sure, but I mostly loved them for how they made me feel. Which was happy.
The Ruperts made me happy. The simplest thing to be in the world. And the hardest.
It's silly, for sure. Reminds me of a darker version of Rudnick's It's All Your Fault. But it's surprisingly not as shallow as you might expect. It has lots of insights into the minds of teen girls and fangirls and, though comical, Moldavsky's observations ring true.
The joy you find as a teen, however frivolous and dumb, is pure, and meaningful. It doesn’t matter that it might ferment and taste different when you’re older. That’s the whole point of being a teenager - not worrying about the future.
The plot gets darker and darker. The narrator grows increasingly unreliable. But the comedy is a strong constant throughout, pulling the book back into the light when it threatens to get too dark.
It's funny, feminist, and diverse, with the Dominican Isabel and the fat, Chinese Apple. I will point out that some reviewers have taken issue with the way Apple's weight plays into some of the comedy. To me, it seemed like an unapologetic embracing of size, but then I don't have the same experiences and perspectives that bigger women do, so it would be stupid of me to dismiss these criticisms and not bring attention to them.
Anyway, for me, Kill the Boy Band was a fun, dark and interesting read.
By the way, for those of you who are now concerned for my sanity, I'm much cooler now.
Lol, jk.
But I can meet James Marsters and pose for cool pictures without being a total loser... :D
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December 2, 2025
"Because the truth is, it isn't worth loving something if you aren't going to love it all the way."What an insane ride - I'm still reeling
Erin, Isabel, Apple and "Sloane" are, in a word, obsessed with the Ruperts (think: One Direction).
And we are not talking about an oh-I-totally-love-that-band level - no this is the all-consuming IFREAKINGLOVEYOUMARRYME sort.
The kind that has you up to all hours fantasizing and writing fanfiction.
The kind that has your friends and family worried.
And while neither of the girls can have any of the four Ruperts, at least they have each other.
There is one cardinal rule to their friendship - no sharing of the Ruperts.
They each have "their" own Rupert from the band and as long as no one tries to steal the other one's - everything is great.
Their bond is strong enough to withstand anything life hurls at them.
Or so they thought.
Cause Life just hurled one huge bump in the road at them, and his name is Rupert P. (the "ugly" Rupert) (God rest his soul).
The girls managed to secure a hotel room in the same building as The Ruperts...and one thing led to another...and suddenly Rupert P. is alone, unguarded and chained via panty-hose in their very own hotel room.
The possibilities - oh the endless possibilities.
Only things go sour really, really fast and the girls are left scrambling to cover the situation before the rest of the band, the authorities or their parents find out exactly what happened to the Ugly Rupert (God rest his soul).
This book sweeps you away with its humor and quirky characters. Each of the girls are so weird, wacky and fun. I loved them!
It's absolutely absurd...and absurdly perfect - pick it up for a fun read!
"The joy you find as a teen, however frivolous and dumb, is pure and meaningful."
Audiobook Comments:
Really well-read by Barrett Wilbert Weed. I loved how she actually sang the lyrics from the boy-band songs. Made for a fun sparkle in the book every time we got to a song!!
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August 15, 2017
People have called me crazy.
It's understandable; fangirls get a bad rap all the time. They say we're weird, hysterical, obsessed, certifiable. But those people don't understand. Just because I love something a lot doesn't mean I'm crazy. And I did love The Ruperts a lot. I loved them more than soft-serve vanilla ice cream in summer, more than seeing a new review of my fanfics, more than discovering a good '80s movie I'd never seen before.
Just because I was a Ruperts fangirl does not mean I was crazy.
I think it's important that you know that up front. Because everything I'm about to tell you is going to seem . . . well, crazy.
Wow, okay. So four girls go on a trip to see their favorite band, The Ruperts. One of the girls gets her maid to get them into the same hotel and get a room for them. Don't ask, read the book.
You have Erin, Isabel, Apple and Lydia <--- now she keeps changing her name through-out the book but I think I got the one little part where someone called her Lydia. Don't quote me on that one!
I can't say nothing about fangirling because I was a nut over bands and actors all through childhood and, um . . . still am. (DON'T JUDGE ME!) =)
This book is the crazy kind of fangirling in the above picture ↑ I never did any of that, didn't like crowds.
Other people may have seen fangirls as crazy teenage girls obsessed with a fad, but they couldn't understand the small but important joy you can get from indulging in these fandoms. They didn't understand that a new gif of Rupert K. grinning at you could be the difference between a crap day and a beautiful one. They didn't get the friendships that formed, the community of people who shared your same joy. Maybe it obsession, but it was also happiness; an escape from the suckiness of everyday life. And when you find something that makes you happy and giddy and excited every day, us fangirls know the truth that everyone else seems to have forgotten: You hold on to that joy tenaciously, for as long as you can. Because it's rare to get excited about anything these days. Ask your parents.
I have to agree with that statement. I don't get excited very often and if something makes you happy then go for it. How about when we open a box with a new book that we have wanted forever and we fangirl or boy around for a bit =) Same difference!
BUT, things in this book go a little bit off the rails. Okay so a lot of the rails. I wasn't sure this would be the type of book I would like but I did because it's just different and macabre.
Here we have The Ruperts, they are called that because there are 4 boys in the band with the first names of Rupert. I'm not going into all of that but it's funny as hell. There are a lot of parts in the book that I got a great laugh out of and then . . .
these people got all evil and crazy up in here. Geez, how can I say anything without giving out some really good spoilers? I won't though. Lets just say there is a murder in the book and YES, I know it's called Kill The Boy Band! lol
There is one part that I can understand, something happens to one of the girls and it's more like a revenge thing. Now there was no plan to kill anyone but you know how things happen and there you go. What's even more messed up is I had a plan of getting rid of the body that someone did try to accomplish but they were stupid and did it all wrong.
Anyway, if you want to read a book that is full of fangirls, crazy girls, murder, and a little more craziness then this book is for you!
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
January 7, 2022
of all of the books on my owned tbr, this is one that i cared the least about reading and didn't expect much from. but it surprised me!
i think i owe a lot of that to the fantastic audiobook narration. i went so far as to see if this narrator has done other books (she hasn't) because i was so impressed.
the story is basically a one direction fanfic fever dream, heavy on fun dialogue and a surprising amount of reflection on fandom amidst the heavy satire. i never had a boy band phase myself but i have heavy appreciation for people who pour themselves into that level of devotion/fangirling.
really the only thing i didn't love about the book was the ending. i sort of wanted this book to really GO THERE with the over the top-ness. like give me a heathers style ending, not a "months later" end credits thing. that being said, i still think this book is relevant and charming and if you're looking for something just FUN to read, pick it up.
i think i owe a lot of that to the fantastic audiobook narration. i went so far as to see if this narrator has done other books (she hasn't) because i was so impressed.
the story is basically a one direction fanfic fever dream, heavy on fun dialogue and a surprising amount of reflection on fandom amidst the heavy satire. i never had a boy band phase myself but i have heavy appreciation for people who pour themselves into that level of devotion/fangirling.
really the only thing i didn't love about the book was the ending. i sort of wanted this book to really GO THERE with the over the top-ness. like give me a heathers style ending, not a "months later" end credits thing. that being said, i still think this book is relevant and charming and if you're looking for something just FUN to read, pick it up.
June 5, 2020
“Stalking boy bands was serious business.”
Kill the Boy Band is unlike anything I’ve read this year and the intro to this story is what really gripped me:
“The most important thing that you should know is that this is not fanfiction. It isn’t one of those lonelygirl Tumblr fantasies about meeting your biggest celebrity crush. This is the story of me and my friends and the time we met The Ruperts. You can believe it or not— that’s on you. Just because you heard a different account of the events on the news doesn’t mean that this one isn’t true.
I have to tell it exactly as it happened.
I have to get the truth out.
And I’m truly sorry for what we have done.”
After reading that, how could I possibly not pick it up?
In a way this book reminded me of the film Love Wrecked where the fan meets her favorite world-famous rock star and they get “stranded” on an island.
This review contains *spoilers*.
But this storyline follows 4 fangirls of ‘The Ruperts’ and they will do anything to meet them.
It’s definitely a unique story and it brought back those cringe-worthy memories of my 12 year old self that I try with all my might to block out.
It was, however, really funny remembering how obsessed you can get over someone you don’t even know in real life, only with what the media presents of them.
I will admit that I was hesitant going into this one because I read multiple reviews where they mentioned how Apple was portrayed that I didn’t like—and after reading the book I still don’t:
“Imagine a big blubbering mess of tear-streaked flesh and dry heaving. Apple did the only thing Apple could think to do. She ran at full fucking speed. Apple did not stop. Apple’s overwhelming desire to hug/touch/hump Rupert P. by any means necessary meant nothing was going to get in the way of her flesh touching his. She did not stop until she football tackled Rupert P. to the ground.
Rupert P. was out cold instantly. This was actually kind of a best-case scenario, under the circumstances, because a tackle from Apple could’ve very well killed him.”
I am upset with how Apple was portrayed, which is why I lowered my rating (this review perfectly explained it).
But for the majority of the story, I enjoyed it and it got me out of my reading slump, which was fantastic because I had been picking up and putting down books for weeks now (nothing has compared to The Raven Cycle).
It was also an interesting read, though hard to explain because the mess these girls got themselves into was creepy and dark, yet somehow entertaining (?)
This book is considered a dark humor book, and it definitely managed to make me laugh, but at the same time feel truly scared.
“The plan was always to blackmail Rupert P. Everything that happened with Apple—Rupert P. ending up in our room—that was all serendipity. It expedited things. I never dreamed the blackmail would go this far. Or that it would work so well.”
“But why would you want to blackmail him?”
“To make a dent in the group. Which would be the start of my plan.”
I was afraid to ask, because I was afraid of what the answer would be. But I needed to. “What is your plan?”
“To kill the boy band.”
The whole situation with Rupert P. actually being dead really shocked me, and I had my guesses for how he ended up that way. (I was right for once!!)
But when the girls walked into their hotel room and found it to be unnervingly quiet, I thought maybe Rupert had managed to escape—not die.
“How did this happen?” Erin said.
“Who was in here last?” Isabel said.
“We’re going to need a polyethylene plastic bin and a few gallons of acid,” Apple said. We stared at her. “I watched Breaking Bad, I know how to get rid of a body!”
(I loved how the pop culture references in this book didn’t feel forced.)
And Goldy Moldavsky put it into perfect words the fangirl experience and nearing the end of it:
“And all I saw was hate. Because after a while, obsession without any payoff can breed it—hatred. The boys will inevitably disappoint you somehow. You think a girl that they date isn’t worthy of them. You think their songs could be better, that their relevance is weak. You begin to wonder why you still care so much, why you still fight their battles for them over Twitter while they themselves are sipping piña coladas on some Mexican beach, and you realize that at some point your obsession is mostly perfunctory. You’ve sold your soul to it and now you open up Tumblr and scroll because it’s hardwired in you to do it. If you can just get one more piece of info, one more pic, one more scoop, it’ll fill that empty feeling in you that you dug unbeknownst in the first place.”
All in all, I’m really glad that I picked this book up because it not only helped me get out of a reading slump, but I actually enjoyed the time I spent reading Kill the Boy Band.
It was a quick and thought-provoking read.
*Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying Kill the Boy Band, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!*
This review and more can be found on my blog.
Kill the Boy Band is unlike anything I’ve read this year and the intro to this story is what really gripped me:
“The most important thing that you should know is that this is not fanfiction. It isn’t one of those lonelygirl Tumblr fantasies about meeting your biggest celebrity crush. This is the story of me and my friends and the time we met The Ruperts. You can believe it or not— that’s on you. Just because you heard a different account of the events on the news doesn’t mean that this one isn’t true.
I have to tell it exactly as it happened.
I have to get the truth out.
And I’m truly sorry for what we have done.”
After reading that, how could I possibly not pick it up?
In a way this book reminded me of the film Love Wrecked where the fan meets her favorite world-famous rock star and they get “stranded” on an island.
This review contains *spoilers*.
But this storyline follows 4 fangirls of ‘The Ruperts’ and they will do anything to meet them.
It’s definitely a unique story and it brought back those cringe-worthy memories of my 12 year old self that I try with all my might to block out.
It was, however, really funny remembering how obsessed you can get over someone you don’t even know in real life, only with what the media presents of them.
I will admit that I was hesitant going into this one because I read multiple reviews where they mentioned how Apple was portrayed that I didn’t like—and after reading the book I still don’t:
“Imagine a big blubbering mess of tear-streaked flesh and dry heaving. Apple did the only thing Apple could think to do. She ran at full fucking speed. Apple did not stop. Apple’s overwhelming desire to hug/touch/hump Rupert P. by any means necessary meant nothing was going to get in the way of her flesh touching his. She did not stop until she football tackled Rupert P. to the ground.
Rupert P. was out cold instantly. This was actually kind of a best-case scenario, under the circumstances, because a tackle from Apple could’ve very well killed him.”
I am upset with how Apple was portrayed, which is why I lowered my rating (this review perfectly explained it).
But for the majority of the story, I enjoyed it and it got me out of my reading slump, which was fantastic because I had been picking up and putting down books for weeks now (nothing has compared to The Raven Cycle).
It was also an interesting read, though hard to explain because the mess these girls got themselves into was creepy and dark, yet somehow entertaining (?)
This book is considered a dark humor book, and it definitely managed to make me laugh, but at the same time feel truly scared.
“The plan was always to blackmail Rupert P. Everything that happened with Apple—Rupert P. ending up in our room—that was all serendipity. It expedited things. I never dreamed the blackmail would go this far. Or that it would work so well.”
“But why would you want to blackmail him?”
“To make a dent in the group. Which would be the start of my plan.”
I was afraid to ask, because I was afraid of what the answer would be. But I needed to. “What is your plan?”
“To kill the boy band.”
The whole situation with Rupert P. actually being dead really shocked me, and I had my guesses for how he ended up that way. (I was right for once!!)
But when the girls walked into their hotel room and found it to be unnervingly quiet, I thought maybe Rupert had managed to escape—not die.
“How did this happen?” Erin said.
“Who was in here last?” Isabel said.
“We’re going to need a polyethylene plastic bin and a few gallons of acid,” Apple said. We stared at her. “I watched Breaking Bad, I know how to get rid of a body!”
(I loved how the pop culture references in this book didn’t feel forced.)
And Goldy Moldavsky put it into perfect words the fangirl experience and nearing the end of it:
“And all I saw was hate. Because after a while, obsession without any payoff can breed it—hatred. The boys will inevitably disappoint you somehow. You think a girl that they date isn’t worthy of them. You think their songs could be better, that their relevance is weak. You begin to wonder why you still care so much, why you still fight their battles for them over Twitter while they themselves are sipping piña coladas on some Mexican beach, and you realize that at some point your obsession is mostly perfunctory. You’ve sold your soul to it and now you open up Tumblr and scroll because it’s hardwired in you to do it. If you can just get one more piece of info, one more pic, one more scoop, it’ll fill that empty feeling in you that you dug unbeknownst in the first place.”
All in all, I’m really glad that I picked this book up because it not only helped me get out of a reading slump, but I actually enjoyed the time I spent reading Kill the Boy Band.
It was a quick and thought-provoking read.
*Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying Kill the Boy Band, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!*
This review and more can be found on my blog.
December 15, 2017
While this book was entertaining, dark and funny, I'll be lying if I said it was absolutely perfect and there is nothing wrong. I got really uncomfortable reading about the sexual harassment (which was NOT handled well), bad lgbtq+ rep, taking pictures of one of the girls (who was a minor) and threatening to show others, with or without her permission is still child pornography (she didn't want anyone to see her naked and that was also NOT handled well) and some other small things.
This book is honestly weird and definitely crazy af. It starts off with four girls who are huge fans of a boy band called The Ruperts and somehow manage to get a room in the same hotel the boys are staying in. Somehow, miraculously, the "ugliest and useless" boy from the band Rupert P (i think??) is tied to a chair in the girls' room. From there on the story just gets crazier as twists and turns are introduced like, EVERY CHAPTER.
WARNING: S P O I L E R S FROM HERE ON. THEY ARE MAJOR AND NOT MARKED BUT I NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT WAS IMPORTANT.
These four character's are characters I couldn't help but sympathize and hate so fucking much! Like each of them are so well developed and have so much crazy shit going on in their lives or horrible things that happened to them that you can't help but melt a little bit for. But still, they did the most fucking PSYCHOPATHIC shit to an innocent band member that it makes your blood boil because of their horrible actions and the injustice.
The main character (whose name is constantly changing throughout the book) seemed like a character who could be safe to trust (trying to do what's right), but as the story goes on she becomes increasingly unreliable because of how she acts and the things she reveals.
The other three character's were gross and disgusting but still human beings who went through things no one should have to go through. I hated them because of how they treated Rupert P. They refused to let him go, sexually harassed him, threatened to expose his sexuality when he didn't want anyone knowing, ruined his career, maybe murdered him??? and just treated the guy so horrible. He was vulnerable to them and thinking about it makes me SO uncomfortable.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT:
If four guys tied up a girl, sat on her lap, got naked in front of her, touched her - doesn't matter where the place - when she didn't want it, people would be fucking screaming SEXUAL HARASSMENT. So when four girls do this to a guy, suddenly it's not sexual harassment? In this case, Apple was the one sitting on Rupert P's lap, touching him, taking her shirt off and taking pictures with him while he's tied up and the other girls are just watching this, letting this happen and not fucking stopping it. The book mentions NOTHING about this being harassment towards Rupert P AND I WANTED TO SCREAM.
SEXUALITY:
Also, another thing that pissed me the fuck off is Apple's reaction and total disregard of Rupert P's sexuality. He's gay and when Apple found out she was totally oblivious even though the other girl's mentioned it to her, I think she mentioned something about him kissing other girls and how it made her jealous? I'm not sure. But anyways, she fucking brushed off the fact he's gay and continued imagining he was straight and THAT'S GROSS AND HOMOPHOBIC. Not only that but of course it's the gay guy who gets murdered.
CHILD PORNOGRAPHY:
Also, Erin (i think that's her name) was waiting naked in the band members' room where one of the boys came in and had sex with her. Also atm in the book she's 15 so this was a while ago, at a time where she was younger and I'm not sure how old the boys are, so I really can't be sure if this was statutory rape. However, when she talks about how one of the Rupert's sent her nudes while she pleaded, cried and was terrified of, all she gets is a pat on the back and 'oh poor you'. That's not a way to handle this, for a fact. Also, nobody mentioned it's child pornography to take pictures of a minor naked and send them to people.
Overall, I had some huge issues with this book but it was still an intriguing and thrilling read with twists and turns every chapter. A LOT of things in this book made me uncomfortable but I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it.
3.5 stars rounded down, even though I originally rated it four stars.
This book is honestly weird and definitely crazy af. It starts off with four girls who are huge fans of a boy band called The Ruperts and somehow manage to get a room in the same hotel the boys are staying in. Somehow, miraculously, the "ugliest and useless" boy from the band Rupert P (i think??) is tied to a chair in the girls' room. From there on the story just gets crazier as twists and turns are introduced like, EVERY CHAPTER.
WARNING: S P O I L E R S FROM HERE ON. THEY ARE MAJOR AND NOT MARKED BUT I NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT WAS IMPORTANT.
These four character's are characters I couldn't help but sympathize and hate so fucking much! Like each of them are so well developed and have so much crazy shit going on in their lives or horrible things that happened to them that you can't help but melt a little bit for. But still, they did the most fucking PSYCHOPATHIC shit to an innocent band member that it makes your blood boil because of their horrible actions and the injustice.
The main character (whose name is constantly changing throughout the book) seemed like a character who could be safe to trust (trying to do what's right), but as the story goes on she becomes increasingly unreliable because of how she acts and the things she reveals.
The other three character's were gross and disgusting but still human beings who went through things no one should have to go through. I hated them because of how they treated Rupert P. They refused to let him go, sexually harassed him, threatened to expose his sexuality when he didn't want anyone knowing, ruined his career, maybe murdered him??? and just treated the guy so horrible. He was vulnerable to them and thinking about it makes me SO uncomfortable.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT:
If four guys tied up a girl, sat on her lap, got naked in front of her, touched her - doesn't matter where the place - when she didn't want it, people would be fucking screaming SEXUAL HARASSMENT. So when four girls do this to a guy, suddenly it's not sexual harassment? In this case, Apple was the one sitting on Rupert P's lap, touching him, taking her shirt off and taking pictures with him while he's tied up and the other girls are just watching this, letting this happen and not fucking stopping it. The book mentions NOTHING about this being harassment towards Rupert P AND I WANTED TO SCREAM.
SEXUALITY:
Also, another thing that pissed me the fuck off is Apple's reaction and total disregard of Rupert P's sexuality. He's gay and when Apple found out she was totally oblivious even though the other girl's mentioned it to her, I think she mentioned something about him kissing other girls and how it made her jealous? I'm not sure. But anyways, she fucking brushed off the fact he's gay and continued imagining he was straight and THAT'S GROSS AND HOMOPHOBIC. Not only that but of course it's the gay guy who gets murdered.
CHILD PORNOGRAPHY:
Also, Erin (i think that's her name) was waiting naked in the band members' room where one of the boys came in and had sex with her. Also atm in the book she's 15 so this was a while ago, at a time where she was younger and I'm not sure how old the boys are, so I really can't be sure if this was statutory rape. However, when she talks about how one of the Rupert's sent her nudes while she pleaded, cried and was terrified of, all she gets is a pat on the back and 'oh poor you'. That's not a way to handle this, for a fact. Also, nobody mentioned it's child pornography to take pictures of a minor naked and send them to people.
Overall, I had some huge issues with this book but it was still an intriguing and thrilling read with twists and turns every chapter. A LOT of things in this book made me uncomfortable but I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it.
3.5 stars rounded down, even though I originally rated it four stars.
May 1, 2016
I used to be a fangirl.
There is something weirdly exciting about loving someone powerful.
Someone enormously popular.
In a way, you feel that overwhelming power and fame on your own fingertips.
It's so addictive, however it can be dangerous as well.
The obsession, the need, the undying love.
Kill The Boy Band tackles this teenage fantasy in a very clever and sometimes masochistic manner.
Four girls that are connected through a boy band.
These girls love these guys to death.
I felt the excitement, the overwhelming emotions.
Their lives are centered around these boys and it is crazy, but realistic as well.
A lot of situations in this book made me think back of the time when I was a fan girl.
The obsession, the undying love, watching every interview and reading every article there is about your object of obsession and undying love.
What I really liked about this book was its portrait of the life of a teenage fan girl.
The fandom, the daydreaming, the exhilaration over boy band songs.
What I also liked was how accepting this book was over that fact.
I rated this book 3 stars, so it passed the test for me.
However, I had some minor problems that kept me from rating it higher.
The dry sense of humor of the characters was amazing.
I liked how funny the story was, but sometimes it lacked.. emotion and wasn't very believable.
By a certain scene I expected more humanity and it didn't fulfill those expectations.
If you are looking for a crazy ride,
this book is yours!
There is something weirdly exciting about loving someone powerful.
Someone enormously popular.
In a way, you feel that overwhelming power and fame on your own fingertips.
It's so addictive, however it can be dangerous as well.
The obsession, the need, the undying love.
Kill The Boy Band tackles this teenage fantasy in a very clever and sometimes masochistic manner.
Four girls that are connected through a boy band.
These girls love these guys to death.
I felt the excitement, the overwhelming emotions.
Their lives are centered around these boys and it is crazy, but realistic as well.
A lot of situations in this book made me think back of the time when I was a fan girl.
The obsession, the undying love, watching every interview and reading every article there is about your object of obsession and undying love.
What I really liked about this book was its portrait of the life of a teenage fan girl.
The fandom, the daydreaming, the exhilaration over boy band songs.
What I also liked was how accepting this book was over that fact.
I rated this book 3 stars, so it passed the test for me.
However, I had some minor problems that kept me from rating it higher.
The dry sense of humor of the characters was amazing.
I liked how funny the story was, but sometimes it lacked.. emotion and wasn't very believable.
By a certain scene I expected more humanity and it didn't fulfill those expectations.
If you are looking for a crazy ride,
this book is yours!
June 28, 2017
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
IT’S MY 100TH REVIEW OF THE YEAR!!!!!
I have totally glossed over every single milestone number before this point, so I’m going to celebrate the monumental occasion of my brain not failing me for once with a review of a huge surprise hit for me.
The story here is about four diehard fans of a band called “The Ruperts” (named so because they all have the first name Rupert, natch). Said band “was formed on the reality show So You Think the British Don’t Have Talent?” If you’re now picturing . . . .
You’re not the only one.
When the girls hear about a Thanksgiving concert, they neeeeeeeeeeeed tickets. Unfortunately, they were all gone within 7 seconds or some such so the girls have to come up with a new plan in order to get close to their future husbands: “We’re getting a room!” Once the boys arrive it will be . . . .
Which will undoubtedly lead to each girl receiving her happily-ever-after with the Rupert of her dreams. Or maybe not . . . .
“What is your plan?”
“To kill the boy band.”
If you’re ancient like me and grew up with darkly humorous teenage tales such as Pump Up the Volume, Heathers and Jawbreaker - Kill the Boy Band might end up being the sleeper of the year for you as well. God this thing was a delight. Even this happening . . . .
“The obvious way to go would’ve been the Weekend at Bernie’s route. It’s this movie where two guys pretend that this dead guy, Bernie, is still alive by putting him in sunglasses and walking him around with them and stuff.”
Ouch. I’m fucking old. Weekend at Bernie’s just got millennialsplained to me . . . .
But it didn't lessen my enjoyment. I also found out how those screaming banshees are able to maintain their position right in front of the stage for hours on end . . . . .
Watch out NKOTB. The next time I haul my geriatric ass to one of your concerts I’ll be prepared!
IT’S MY 100TH REVIEW OF THE YEAR!!!!!
I have totally glossed over every single milestone number before this point, so I’m going to celebrate the monumental occasion of my brain not failing me for once with a review of a huge surprise hit for me.
The story here is about four diehard fans of a band called “The Ruperts” (named so because they all have the first name Rupert, natch). Said band “was formed on the reality show So You Think the British Don’t Have Talent?” If you’re now picturing . . . .
You’re not the only one.
When the girls hear about a Thanksgiving concert, they neeeeeeeeeeeed tickets. Unfortunately, they were all gone within 7 seconds or some such so the girls have to come up with a new plan in order to get close to their future husbands: “We’re getting a room!” Once the boys arrive it will be . . . .
Which will undoubtedly lead to each girl receiving her happily-ever-after with the Rupert of her dreams. Or maybe not . . . .
“What is your plan?”
“To kill the boy band.”
If you’re ancient like me and grew up with darkly humorous teenage tales such as Pump Up the Volume, Heathers and Jawbreaker - Kill the Boy Band might end up being the sleeper of the year for you as well. God this thing was a delight. Even this happening . . . .
“The obvious way to go would’ve been the Weekend at Bernie’s route. It’s this movie where two guys pretend that this dead guy, Bernie, is still alive by putting him in sunglasses and walking him around with them and stuff.”
Ouch. I’m fucking old. Weekend at Bernie’s just got millennialsplained to me . . . .
But it didn't lessen my enjoyment. I also found out how those screaming banshees are able to maintain their position right in front of the stage for hours on end . . . . .
Watch out NKOTB. The next time I haul my geriatric ass to one of your concerts I’ll be prepared!
June 28, 2016
"The most important thing that you should know is that this is not fanfiction. It isn't one of those lonelygirl Tumblr fantasies about meeting your biggest celebrity crush. This is the story of me and my friends and the time we met The Ruperts."
Kill The Boy Band is my spirit animal.
I may have mentioned it once or twice
Often, when I was reading, I found myself nodding along with its insights on fandom:
"You'll find the biggest Ruperts critics in Strepurs. Sometimes we sing like a tattoo they'll get, or we'll think a haircut make them look like a drug addict, or we'll make fun of the way they pose in photographs. Just because we teased doesn't mean we didn't love. Fandom is a complicated culture."
Because it's one hundred percent true. Moldavsky has taken a typically inane part of popculture and made it complex and surprisingly thoughtful.
That's honestly not something I expected from a Misery and One Direction fanfiction pairing. I expected horror movie stuff with everyone descending into paranoia and madness, and a Hands to Myself music video ending with the girls taken away in custody as their dream boys frown on.
I got some of it. I tore through the book in a night to get to the bottom of the spoilery mystery. But I also got an intense insight into the world of celebrity worship and the dynamics of female friendship.
"Anyway, our friendship lived and breathed primarily in Twitter DMs and text messages. That might sound strange, but talk to any Ruperts fangirl and she'll tell you just how important the Internet was in all our lives. Without it we probably never would've even heard of The Ruperts."
The gist is four fangirls obsessed with The Ruperts, loosely based on One Direction, book themselves a room in the hotel they're staying at and, through a hilarious series of coincidences, find themselves kidnapping one of them. One of the girls want to let him go. The other three, for reasons of their own, decide to keep him for a bit.
Those who've read this correct me if I'm wrong, but the main character's name is never specified. She adopts different aliases throughout the book, which I think adds another layer of complexity to the mystery. You never quite know if she's telling the truth.
"People can do a lot of harm if pushed to the breaking point, and is fangirls lived at the breaking point. If the boys were involved in a scandal, we were at a breaking point. If they got haircuts, we were at a breaking point."
It's also surprisingly feminist. The girls all have distinct personalities, their own lives and goals. Isabel, the sharp-tongued blogger. Erin, the social butterfly. Apple, the sweet overweight girl who happens to be loaded. And of course, our elusive main character. I once read an article that analyzed the feminism of boy bands since they're primarily marketed towards women and give tweens a safe environment to explore their sexuality.
Kill The Boy Band is like that. Artificial on the outside, but unexpectedly deep on the inside.
"I loved the Ruperts for who they were, sure, but I mostly loved them for how they made me feel. Which was happy.
The Ruperts made me happy. The simplest thing to be in the world. And the hardest."
July 7, 2016
ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITES.
Reading this book was like watching my life flash before my eyes.
I'm not even exaggerating that because it literally was like reading a book written by 14-year-old to 17-year-old, me. Because 14-17 year old me was a hardcore One Direction fan, just like these girls were hardcore Ruperts fans.
Like, there's this whole 1D world that people don't know anything about and suddenly I'm reading a book that is perfectly describing it!? I was in serious shock.
“Maybe it was obsession, but it was also happiness; an escape from the suckiness of everyday life. And when you find something that makes you happy and giddy and excited every day, us fangirls know a truth that everyone else seems to have forgotten: you hold on to that joy tenaciously, for as long as you can.”
So, story time:
So let's just say once upon a time I was a 14 year old girl who randomly started watching the British X-Factor online live at weird times of the daybecause that's clearly a normal thing 14 year old girls used to do? One Direction was formed that season, and I started to like them.
Then, I get obsessed. Then, I get my sister obsessed. Then, we went to signings. One. Two. Three. Then, suddenly we're camping out 4 days in advance for a Today Show performance to see them and we meet two girls who become our best friends.
Flash forward a couple years:
We've expanded our friend group to 8 girls who are willing to do anything and everything to meet One Direction. Like, we poured out serious money for this. I'm talking: staying at their hotels (always 250+ a night) and flying to all their US shows (Miami, Chicago, LA, etc). A lot of the group either ran 'updates accounts,' who knew info on the boys 24/7, or could chip in extra.
It was probably the craziest, funniest, best, and most dangerous times of my life (way too many near-death experiences). And all of this while I was under 18, and my sister two years younger. And we somehow thought it was all worth it every time we met them. A lot of planning, lying, and selling things on ebay went into this and somehow I'm almost 20 and my mom still has no idea about us doing all this. I'M HORRIBLE I KNOW.
Don't even get me started on the car chasing because thinking about the speeding tickets and car repairs gives me a headache.
This book gives you the insider look into that world, with lots of humor and more craziness thrown in the mix. Even if this book wasn't my life, I'd still love it anyway. I loved the way it showed a diverse group of girls banning together to meet the Ruperts (just like my friend group) and their complicated friendships.
Everything was just so fun in this one. I loved it and want to buy a million copies and hand them out to every fangirl out there! Highly recommend it to anyone though, just even to try it out! So excited to read more from Goldy :)
Reading this book was like watching my life flash before my eyes.
I'm not even exaggerating that because it literally was like reading a book written by 14-year-old to 17-year-old, me. Because 14-17 year old me was a hardcore One Direction fan, just like these girls were hardcore Ruperts fans.
Like, there's this whole 1D world that people don't know anything about and suddenly I'm reading a book that is perfectly describing it!? I was in serious shock.
“Maybe it was obsession, but it was also happiness; an escape from the suckiness of everyday life. And when you find something that makes you happy and giddy and excited every day, us fangirls know a truth that everyone else seems to have forgotten: you hold on to that joy tenaciously, for as long as you can.”
So, story time:
So let's just say once upon a time I was a 14 year old girl who randomly started watching the British X-Factor online live at weird times of the day
Then, I get obsessed. Then, I get my sister obsessed. Then, we went to signings. One. Two. Three. Then, suddenly we're camping out 4 days in advance for a Today Show performance to see them and we meet two girls who become our best friends.
Flash forward a couple years:
We've expanded our friend group to 8 girls who are willing to do anything and everything to meet One Direction. Like, we poured out serious money for this. I'm talking: staying at their hotels (always 250+ a night) and flying to all their US shows (Miami, Chicago, LA, etc). A lot of the group either ran 'updates accounts,' who knew info on the boys 24/7, or could chip in extra.
It was probably the craziest, funniest, best, and most dangerous times of my life (way too many near-death experiences). And all of this while I was under 18, and my sister two years younger. And we somehow thought it was all worth it every time we met them. A lot of planning, lying, and selling things on ebay went into this and somehow I'm almost 20 and my mom still has no idea about us doing all this. I'M HORRIBLE I KNOW.
Don't even get me started on the car chasing because thinking about the speeding tickets and car repairs gives me a headache.
This book gives you the insider look into that world, with lots of humor and more craziness thrown in the mix. Even if this book wasn't my life, I'd still love it anyway. I loved the way it showed a diverse group of girls banning together to meet the Ruperts (just like my friend group) and their complicated friendships.
Everything was just so fun in this one. I loved it and want to buy a million copies and hand them out to every fangirl out there! Highly recommend it to anyone though, just even to try it out! So excited to read more from Goldy :)
March 4, 2016
My book mark is on page 36. Page 36 is as far as I could get in the six days I attempted to read this, which is five and a half more than I should have.
And in 36 pages this is all the negative shit that really rubbed me the wrong way:
1. The author attempts to justify her character's actions by insisting that the boy band member in question, Rupert P., is a jerk. He's more than that. He's an ugly jerk. and Now here's six pages telling you how ugly he is, and how dare he be mad at you for kidnapping him. He should appreciate his fans. Also, he's so fucking ugly. Really ugly.
2. Apple is a chubs. That's how she got her name. Because she's a chubs who was eating an apple when her gacious American parents decided to adopt her. BTW, she's Asian. But she's a fat Asian. THAT'S FUNNY, RIGHT?
3. Stalking and harrassing the girlfirend of a celebrity because you're butthurt and living in an unrealistic world where you imagine some day the boy will want your skank ass, is SUPER LEGIT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT BEING A FAN IS AND YOU TOTES HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE A SHITTY PERSON TO SOMEONE WHO HAS WHAT YOU DON'T. With emojis.
4. Mostly I just hate the way this book shits all over fandom, fans, and what is now a whole subculture of people and more mainstreme than it's ever been. This book doesn't understand satire. It isn't funny. This book is nothing but disrespectful and irritating.
I hated this book. It's just downright offensive. Don't buy this trash.
One generous star.
And in 36 pages this is all the negative shit that really rubbed me the wrong way:
1. The author attempts to justify her character's actions by insisting that the boy band member in question, Rupert P., is a jerk. He's more than that. He's an ugly jerk. and Now here's six pages telling you how ugly he is, and how dare he be mad at you for kidnapping him. He should appreciate his fans. Also, he's so fucking ugly. Really ugly.
2. Apple is a chubs. That's how she got her name. Because she's a chubs who was eating an apple when her gacious American parents decided to adopt her. BTW, she's Asian. But she's a fat Asian. THAT'S FUNNY, RIGHT?
3. Stalking and harrassing the girlfirend of a celebrity because you're butthurt and living in an unrealistic world where you imagine some day the boy will want your skank ass, is SUPER LEGIT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT BEING A FAN IS AND YOU TOTES HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE A SHITTY PERSON TO SOMEONE WHO HAS WHAT YOU DON'T. With emojis.
4. Mostly I just hate the way this book shits all over fandom, fans, and what is now a whole subculture of people and more mainstreme than it's ever been. This book doesn't understand satire. It isn't funny. This book is nothing but disrespectful and irritating.
I hated this book. It's just downright offensive. Don't buy this trash.
One generous star.
November 28, 2019
"Boy band fangirls are a species that are more focused, determined, and powerful in large numbers than just about any other group of people I can think of."
Holy shit, I loved this. I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did. This book had everything: humor, an obsession with a boyband, relatable fangirl moments, suspense, mystery, plot twists, just everything. This is one of the funniest books I've ever read. I laughed out loud several times. Once I was laughing so hard I couldn't catch my breath. Maybe I just have a sick sense of humor, but this was hilarious. It's dark humor, but I appreciate it because dark humor is my favorite kind of humor if it's done right. I finished this book in one sitting because I physically couldn't stop reading it. I also think it's absolutely hysterical how this fictitious boy band "The Ruperts" is loosely based on the boy band One Direction. I was never personally obsessed with One Direction, but I still think this is freaking hilarious. This book is kind of absurd and crazy, but in the best way. It follows a young 15 year old girl in New York when she stays at the same hotel as her favorite boy band (intentionally of course) with three of her closest friends. And then they kidnap one of the boys in the boy band, and from there the story takes off and gets more and more entertaining and hilarious with each chapter.
"You've got this tunnel vision obsession that's keeping you from seeing real life."
This is the kind of book that's better if you can relate to it. I will totally admit that I used to be absolutely obsessed with the Jonas Brothers. Nick Jonas was my entire life. I've never seen a book capture the essence of what it's like to be a hardcore fangirl on a day to day basis. These fangirls might seem crazy but that was me in high school, I totally get it. At that age it feels as if that boy band is your entire life, and at the time they were my entire life. I love how this book talks about how fun and exciting it is to be a fangirl. How you live through the internet and have gif wars with other fans and twitter and tumblr are your lifelines and you would wait hours in the rain just to get a glimpse of them or be in the same room as them. I completely understand the feeling. It made me feel so nostalgic to be honest, and it reminded me of all the crazy things I used to do as a fangirl. I haven't been a hardcore fangirl like this in years but reading this sent me right back to what it was like to have that fangirl state of mind. I loved it.
"I loved The Ruperts for who they were, sure, but I mostly loved them for how they made me feel. Which was happy. The Ruperts made me happy. The simplest thing to be in the world. And the hardest."
Also, the second half of this book took a crazy turn and had so many plot twists. It became so suspenseful and intense and there were so many plot twists that I didn't see coming. The second half of this book reminded me of Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas.
This book just continued to surprise me over and over again. It's completely unpredictable. I love how they find out about everything happening via twitter and tumblr and gossip websites because it's so accurate for a fangirl to constantly be checking those social media accounts for updates on their favorite celebrities. I just loved the accuracy of what it's like to be a fangirl.
I just loved this book so much. It was hilarious and relatable and made me feel reminiscent of what it was like to be such a hardcore fangirl of a boy band. I don't regret that time of my life because I remember how happy they made me. Seeing your favorite boy band member in person is one of the most exciting things in the world when you are such a young girl. I love how this book really describes how powerful fangirls are, because it's true. Fangirls are like an army and they won't let anyone come between them and seeing their favorite band. I love when it says that the concert tickets sold out in 2.7 seconds and "it was the biggest crisis we'd ever faced as fans" because that literally happened to me in 2008 when I was trying to get concert tickets to see the Jonas Brothers and I remember being so insanely depressed. I was a crazy fan girl, my room was covered in posters of them from floor to ceiling and I've seen them in concert 10+ times and I would follow their every move online and they were my everything. I remember meeting Nick Jonas when I was 16 and it was the greatest day of my life and my heart was beating so fast and it was one of the happiest moments of my life. I still look back on that day with happiness. This book made me reflect on one of the happiest, craziest times of my life and I love it for that. Here is the photo from the day I met him:
Holy shit, I loved this. I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did. This book had everything: humor, an obsession with a boyband, relatable fangirl moments, suspense, mystery, plot twists, just everything. This is one of the funniest books I've ever read. I laughed out loud several times. Once I was laughing so hard I couldn't catch my breath. Maybe I just have a sick sense of humor, but this was hilarious. It's dark humor, but I appreciate it because dark humor is my favorite kind of humor if it's done right. I finished this book in one sitting because I physically couldn't stop reading it. I also think it's absolutely hysterical how this fictitious boy band "The Ruperts" is loosely based on the boy band One Direction. I was never personally obsessed with One Direction, but I still think this is freaking hilarious. This book is kind of absurd and crazy, but in the best way. It follows a young 15 year old girl in New York when she stays at the same hotel as her favorite boy band (intentionally of course) with three of her closest friends. And then they kidnap one of the boys in the boy band, and from there the story takes off and gets more and more entertaining and hilarious with each chapter.
"You've got this tunnel vision obsession that's keeping you from seeing real life."
This is the kind of book that's better if you can relate to it. I will totally admit that I used to be absolutely obsessed with the Jonas Brothers. Nick Jonas was my entire life. I've never seen a book capture the essence of what it's like to be a hardcore fangirl on a day to day basis. These fangirls might seem crazy but that was me in high school, I totally get it. At that age it feels as if that boy band is your entire life, and at the time they were my entire life. I love how this book talks about how fun and exciting it is to be a fangirl. How you live through the internet and have gif wars with other fans and twitter and tumblr are your lifelines and you would wait hours in the rain just to get a glimpse of them or be in the same room as them. I completely understand the feeling. It made me feel so nostalgic to be honest, and it reminded me of all the crazy things I used to do as a fangirl. I haven't been a hardcore fangirl like this in years but reading this sent me right back to what it was like to have that fangirl state of mind. I loved it.
"I loved The Ruperts for who they were, sure, but I mostly loved them for how they made me feel. Which was happy. The Ruperts made me happy. The simplest thing to be in the world. And the hardest."
Also, the second half of this book took a crazy turn and had so many plot twists. It became so suspenseful and intense and there were so many plot twists that I didn't see coming. The second half of this book reminded me of Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas.
This book just continued to surprise me over and over again. It's completely unpredictable. I love how they find out about everything happening via twitter and tumblr and gossip websites because it's so accurate for a fangirl to constantly be checking those social media accounts for updates on their favorite celebrities. I just loved the accuracy of what it's like to be a fangirl.
I just loved this book so much. It was hilarious and relatable and made me feel reminiscent of what it was like to be such a hardcore fangirl of a boy band. I don't regret that time of my life because I remember how happy they made me. Seeing your favorite boy band member in person is one of the most exciting things in the world when you are such a young girl. I love how this book really describes how powerful fangirls are, because it's true. Fangirls are like an army and they won't let anyone come between them and seeing their favorite band. I love when it says that the concert tickets sold out in 2.7 seconds and "it was the biggest crisis we'd ever faced as fans" because that literally happened to me in 2008 when I was trying to get concert tickets to see the Jonas Brothers and I remember being so insanely depressed. I was a crazy fan girl, my room was covered in posters of them from floor to ceiling and I've seen them in concert 10+ times and I would follow their every move online and they were my everything. I remember meeting Nick Jonas when I was 16 and it was the greatest day of my life and my heart was beating so fast and it was one of the happiest moments of my life. I still look back on that day with happiness. This book made me reflect on one of the happiest, craziest times of my life and I love it for that. Here is the photo from the day I met him:
September 14, 2017
I was holding someone captive and all that was going through my mind was a Billboard Top 40 love song. I was going to hell.
Kill the Boy Band is about a group of girls who kidnap a boy band member, and it is simultaneously one of the weirdest and best books I have ever read.
There's no way to explain the plot beyond “they kidnap a boy band member” because from there, Moldavsky adds a twist a minute. This book is a weird, action-packed journey that never loses its grip on you. Yes, it requires suspension of disbelief, but it's a parody novel. Some absurdity is to be expected.
Surprisingly, this book reaches moments of genuine emotion and sends some good messages. The unnamed main character has somewhat of a growth arc, which was fun. The characters are just the right amount of morally ambiguous and fucked up.
I watched Breaking Bad. I know how to get rid of a body!
Mainly though, Kill the Boy Band is just hilarious. Every moment made me laugh. There are well-done pop culture references and subtle situational comedy.
There's something about the way Goldy Moldavsky writes parody novels. It never feels like she's making fun of boy band fangirls or people who fight for social justice, even as she parodies them to hell and back. Part of her positive message comes from the fact that she writes from the point of view of an actual character inside that sect of people. Her parodies feel like loving fun rather than fitting into the “lmao, those stupid fangirls” type of humor. That's what sets them apart.
VERDICT: Highly recommended, along with this authors' spectacular No Good Deed.
February 26, 2016
Initial reaction: This is one of those books that could go easily either way: love or hate. I thought some moments were pure gold for dark comedy, and I was even laughing while I read this on my commutes. However, it had some issues pulling off the explanations for events. Plus, some moments in humored context didn't always work for me.
Full review:
"Kill the Boy Band" is a very interesting book I bought on a whim when I saw it in the book store. For one, the title screams "BUY ME!" The book jacket has the black background with pink lettering, while if you take the jacket off, it's a pink cover with black lettering that could pass for a fangirl's notebook. I was totally stoked about this being a dark humored parody of fandom culture. Even the blurb suggests that a group of girls encountering the least popular member of a popular boyband (The Ruperts, who you might as well say are a parody band of One Direction) goes in an absolutely horrible - and unintended- direction.
I would say after the entire reading experience that the execution of this is made of both great things...and not so great things. Dark humor can be difficult to execute well, because on one hand it has the potential to point out contradictions and ironies (which yes, this book did in several notations), but at the same time it may unintentionally be offensive depending on how it's expanded upon. The closest I can say this book comes with respect to its brand of humor is the Fox TV series "Scream Queens." If you've ever seen that series with its brand of horror comedy, that's exactly what you'll get in "Kill the Boy Band". Some iconic one-liners with some self-aware critiques and examinations included. Libba Bray's "Beauty Queens" did this as well, but I think "Beauty Queens" went over better for me as a whole because it covered a lot of ground and I clicked with it a little more (especially in Bray's own narration; that remains one of my favorite YA audio experiences.)
That's not to say that I didn't identify in spaces with "Kill the Boy Band." I've been a part of various fandom cultures for many years (yes, I've had the interesting experience of reading several RPFs.) Musical group fan culture isn't new to me, what with my love for certain J-pop/J-rock/K-pop groups. Ye Gods, I've been a part of that culture for a long time, it's kind of fascinating being able to reminisce about it. My experiences with Laruku included (I still faintly think HYDE could be the embodiment of a living vampire. His role in Moonchild with Gackt did not help dispel this theory back when I first watched the film in all its fandubbed glory. But I digress.)
So, the protagonist of this book - who often takes on the moniker of several 80s referenced heroines - is a part of a group of girls who are obssessed with the Brit boy band "The Ruperts". "The Ruperts" are all named that way because their first names are "Rupert" (designated from each other only by the first letter of their last name and their odd quirks. One of them doesn't even really sing, he just juggles during their live performances). They met on a reality show, a.k.a parody of One Direction. I'll admit that made me laugh with some of the details given for the band and how the protagonist profiled each of her friends and their various stats within partaking with the fandom.
Among the protagonist's friends are the curvy Chinese girl Apple (Oh bless Apple's fangirl heart that she frequently wanted to jump the bones of the Rupert she liked the most during a good part of this book - though the overt sexual humor really surprised me in places), Isabel (frequently curses in Spanish, she's Dominican), and Erin, the MC's best friend who has a really, really dark streak.
The four of them end up going to an exclusive event at the hotel which is rumored to be where the Ruperts are staying. Things go terribly wrong when Apple bumrushes one of the members of the band as he's at a vending machine, knocking him out. (My reaction: OMG!) Then she proceeds to drag him back to the girls' hotel room, where things quickly get complicated, including tying up the Rupert so that he won't "panic" when he wakes up (but of course he does), and things go downhill from there.
I could totally see this scenario happening in an anime series (*fangirl runs up to favorite boybander* "I LOOOOOOVE YOU" *smack* "CRAAAAAAP!"). And that's exactly how it plays out, in an over the top manner, but while the narrative has some decidedly lighthearted moments and snappy one-liners, it gets dark very quickly. Very, very dark. There were times I was laughing at the interactions, while others I was like "GIRL/DUDE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
The characters are quite stereotypical, sometimes in ways that I think both work with and undermine some of the self-aware and pondering humor that could be taken for plays on morality and spot commentary in awareness of fandom culture. Some of the humor is offensive, including notations on race, sexuality, body type, and disability - which is why I had mixed feelings on the novel because some of it I could feel/see the intention, but others I was like "Nah...that's really not cool in the way that it was shown." It's one of those novels that I could definitely see people either loving or hating it for the mere execution of it. I still think (and am a little sad that) this book didn't quite go in more fun and open directions given its awesome premise, but it has moments where it shines. I appreciated the bit references I could pull from, plus some of the banter between the girls and boys. I don't think there's really a single character that comes out of this scenario as likable because they're all inherently flawed and OTT. The way the book goes in terms of the plot (including how one of the Ruperts ends up dead, but who didn't see that coming?) has some interesting points, but I think it struggled to get to answering those questions in places. I actually kind of appreciated the ending, because it's an interesting punctuation and notation to fandom writing culture. I don't know if it really goes as far as it could have or is as keen as it put itself off to be, but I took it for what it was.
Still, this left me on the fence for the experience. I definitely liked parts of it, but others I really wish I had more takeaway. It wasn't the *hold my sides, laughing until I had tears in my eyes* experience that I was hoping for.
Overall score: 3/5 stars.
End Note: Laruku is the fan name for the Japanese band L'arc~en~Ciel, in case anyone doesn't get that reference. :)
Full review:
"Kill the Boy Band" is a very interesting book I bought on a whim when I saw it in the book store. For one, the title screams "BUY ME!" The book jacket has the black background with pink lettering, while if you take the jacket off, it's a pink cover with black lettering that could pass for a fangirl's notebook. I was totally stoked about this being a dark humored parody of fandom culture. Even the blurb suggests that a group of girls encountering the least popular member of a popular boyband (The Ruperts, who you might as well say are a parody band of One Direction) goes in an absolutely horrible - and unintended- direction.
I would say after the entire reading experience that the execution of this is made of both great things...and not so great things. Dark humor can be difficult to execute well, because on one hand it has the potential to point out contradictions and ironies (which yes, this book did in several notations), but at the same time it may unintentionally be offensive depending on how it's expanded upon. The closest I can say this book comes with respect to its brand of humor is the Fox TV series "Scream Queens." If you've ever seen that series with its brand of horror comedy, that's exactly what you'll get in "Kill the Boy Band". Some iconic one-liners with some self-aware critiques and examinations included. Libba Bray's "Beauty Queens" did this as well, but I think "Beauty Queens" went over better for me as a whole because it covered a lot of ground and I clicked with it a little more (especially in Bray's own narration; that remains one of my favorite YA audio experiences.)
That's not to say that I didn't identify in spaces with "Kill the Boy Band." I've been a part of various fandom cultures for many years (yes, I've had the interesting experience of reading several RPFs.) Musical group fan culture isn't new to me, what with my love for certain J-pop/J-rock/K-pop groups. Ye Gods, I've been a part of that culture for a long time, it's kind of fascinating being able to reminisce about it. My experiences with Laruku included (I still faintly think HYDE could be the embodiment of a living vampire. His role in Moonchild with Gackt did not help dispel this theory back when I first watched the film in all its fandubbed glory. But I digress.)
So, the protagonist of this book - who often takes on the moniker of several 80s referenced heroines - is a part of a group of girls who are obssessed with the Brit boy band "The Ruperts". "The Ruperts" are all named that way because their first names are "Rupert" (designated from each other only by the first letter of their last name and their odd quirks. One of them doesn't even really sing, he just juggles during their live performances). They met on a reality show, a.k.a parody of One Direction. I'll admit that made me laugh with some of the details given for the band and how the protagonist profiled each of her friends and their various stats within partaking with the fandom.
Among the protagonist's friends are the curvy Chinese girl Apple (Oh bless Apple's fangirl heart that she frequently wanted to jump the bones of the Rupert she liked the most during a good part of this book - though the overt sexual humor really surprised me in places), Isabel (frequently curses in Spanish, she's Dominican), and Erin, the MC's best friend who has a really, really dark streak.
The four of them end up going to an exclusive event at the hotel which is rumored to be where the Ruperts are staying. Things go terribly wrong when Apple bumrushes one of the members of the band as he's at a vending machine, knocking him out. (My reaction: OMG!) Then she proceeds to drag him back to the girls' hotel room, where things quickly get complicated, including tying up the Rupert so that he won't "panic" when he wakes up (but of course he does), and things go downhill from there.
I could totally see this scenario happening in an anime series (*fangirl runs up to favorite boybander* "I LOOOOOOVE YOU" *smack* "CRAAAAAAP!"). And that's exactly how it plays out, in an over the top manner, but while the narrative has some decidedly lighthearted moments and snappy one-liners, it gets dark very quickly. Very, very dark. There were times I was laughing at the interactions, while others I was like "GIRL/DUDE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
The characters are quite stereotypical, sometimes in ways that I think both work with and undermine some of the self-aware and pondering humor that could be taken for plays on morality and spot commentary in awareness of fandom culture. Some of the humor is offensive, including notations on race, sexuality, body type, and disability - which is why I had mixed feelings on the novel because some of it I could feel/see the intention, but others I was like "Nah...that's really not cool in the way that it was shown." It's one of those novels that I could definitely see people either loving or hating it for the mere execution of it. I still think (and am a little sad that) this book didn't quite go in more fun and open directions given its awesome premise, but it has moments where it shines. I appreciated the bit references I could pull from, plus some of the banter between the girls and boys. I don't think there's really a single character that comes out of this scenario as likable because they're all inherently flawed and OTT. The way the book goes in terms of the plot (including how one of the Ruperts ends up dead, but who didn't see that coming?) has some interesting points, but I think it struggled to get to answering those questions in places. I actually kind of appreciated the ending, because it's an interesting punctuation and notation to fandom writing culture. I don't know if it really goes as far as it could have or is as keen as it put itself off to be, but I took it for what it was.
Still, this left me on the fence for the experience. I definitely liked parts of it, but others I really wish I had more takeaway. It wasn't the *hold my sides, laughing until I had tears in my eyes* experience that I was hoping for.
Overall score: 3/5 stars.
End Note: Laruku is the fan name for the Japanese band L'arc~en~Ciel, in case anyone doesn't get that reference. :)
March 14, 2017
Honestly y'all this was so good. Makes me want to go back to my prime 1D days on tumblr. If you're a One Direction fan this is so worth a read. I'm so amused
September 18, 2024
3/3.5
this book needs a very specific audience to work and by that i mean if you saw TRAP this year and had a good time you’ll probably have fun with this as well. It’s VERY pulpy, outlandish and “simple” but so compulsively readable in a way i can only liken to fanfiction funnily enough. instead of it being a romance though it’s a far less conventional story that almost has a bodies bodies bodies-c’est quoi to it. Also everyone in this book talks like chloe from life is strange which i found hilarious but i know that would drive some people insane so here’s your warning lol.
this book needs a very specific audience to work and by that i mean if you saw TRAP this year and had a good time you’ll probably have fun with this as well. It’s VERY pulpy, outlandish and “simple” but so compulsively readable in a way i can only liken to fanfiction funnily enough. instead of it being a romance though it’s a far less conventional story that almost has a bodies bodies bodies-c’est quoi to it. Also everyone in this book talks like chloe from life is strange which i found hilarious but i know that would drive some people insane so here’s your warning lol.
July 1, 2019
sometimes u just gotta kidnap the ugliest member of the boyband before killing him to cope
pass
March 16, 2017Seriously, writing about a fat character that has luggage full of food, chews on her hair in substitute of food, and is named after the food she was eating when he family was window shopping an orphanage just SCREAMS privilege.
I'm sick to death of authors allowing their privledge voices to bleed through their work. I'll never touch this book, or anything by this author.
You can seriously kiss my fat, 1,000-calorie-diet ass.
I'm sick to death of authors allowing their privledge voices to bleed through their work. I'll never touch this book, or anything by this author.
You can seriously kiss my fat, 1,000-calorie-diet ass.
April 7, 2019
THIS IS THE CRAZIEST BOOK I'VE EVER READ, AND IT WAS AMAZING.
I seriously can't believe that this book started as a 2.5 read and ended as a 5+++ read! Wow.
Everything escalated so quickly and it was a lot of fun. I already miss reading this book for the first time.
It was a lot like going to war. At least, that's what I imagine going to war is like. Stalking boy bands was serious business.
I decided to read this book for a precise reason, and maybe you can also guess it. I'm a fan. A fan of lots of things, stories, people. And among those, I'm a fan of a boy band.
I honestly don't know how it happened, it's just their music. The way music sounds when you blast it in your earphones and it has the capacity of deleting every other sound around you, of making you believe that those lyrics are about yourself for just 3 minutes and 42 seconds (not-so-casual reference to Jet Black Heart).
Did I love them because they were the only boys in my life who consistently told me I was beautiful? Probably.
I loved The Ruperts for who they were, sure, but I mostly loved them for how they made me feel. Which was happy.
I have to tell you that I'm not one of those hardcore boy band fangirls ("unfortunately" I don't have that passion that makes you stalk a celebrity 24/7 anymore, that time is gone for me), but I do like them so freaking much.
Oh, I'm talking about 5sos. Obv. (yes, I looked for cute gifs like the girls in this book)
Luke is my favorite (+ Ashton).
(What does this say about me? In this book the MC explains a theory that I believed was only mine! Your bias actually tells something more about yourself than you even realize.)
This was a really great book. I loved its dark comedy and satirical aspects. It made me laugh out loud sometimes with how ridiculously good it was! This type of comedy reminds me of the one in Scream Queens, only much better and less shoddy.
I laughed so much when
I was in Rupert K.'s bed.
I was in Rupert K.'s bed.
I shut my eyes and Rupert K. was lying beside me, looking at me through his lashes, lazy and long, his hair bed-heady, sticking up in all the right places. "My love," he said. "You're in my bed."
"I know!" I squealed.
"What?" Erin said.
"Huh?" It was probably a good thing Erin snapped me out of my reverie before it got too NSFW.
The characters were all amazing in their characterization (except for some things I'll talk about in a sec.) My favorite one was the main character. I loved her because I saw myself in her and in everything she did. Also I simultaneously love and hate that we don't get to know the protagonist's name. I find it original but it also bugs me a lot. I'm curious!
He was just another adult who forgot what it was like to love something so completely. In fact, he probably only liked things ironically, which meant he didn't really like things at all. And I may have only been a teenager, but I knew a truth that he had obviously never grasped: the joy you find as a teen, however frivolous and dumb, is pure, and meaningful. It doesn't matter that it might ferment and taste different when you're older. That's the whole point of being a teenager—not worrying about the future.
Okay, things I didn't like so much:
- Descriptions of characters, in particular of Apple and Rupert P. I get that it was done for comedy but sometimes it was too much.
- The slow beginning because I almost DNFed this. It would have been a big mistake.
In the end I loved loved loved this book and I recommend it! I actually just fell into a huge book hungover.
"Fans," he sighed. A bad word when he said it.
"Fans," I repeated, serious.
"You girls..."
Are never taken seriously.
"... should find a nice hobby."
But we should be taken seriously. We can be amazing. And dangerous.
May 6, 2016
This book is morbid, inappropriate, and completely hilarious.
The four main characters are a band of strong young women. They also happen to be fangirls. It was so fun to read about their awesome and totally insane personalities as they obsessed over their favorite boy band, The Rupters. Things get a bit out of hand when they kidnap one of the boys and tie him up in a hotel.
These girls acted totally crazy, from stalking the boys online to writing fanficiton about them. And yet, I could understand their side of things. The boys made them excited and gave them something to look forward to each day.
I could also sympathize with the girls and even relate to them because I've been there. I've never been obsessed with a boy band, but with books, oh yes… I used to write Percy Jackson fanfiction, look up fan art, and obsessively check the internet for new updates on the latest book. So when it came to the girls' crazy antics, I could understand their motives.
The writing was brilliant and I really look forward to reading more by this author. I think she articulately stated exactly what it's like to be a teenager:
It may sound like a light topic - I mean, fangirls and boy bands? - but it all felt so very important and dark at times. The author showed the power the media, celebrities, and the music industry have on people, especially teens.
I mean, why do we all obsess over celebrities anyway? Movie stars, singers, models - they're made to look glittery and attractive under bright lights, meant to dazzle people. But really they're no different from any of us. They're people, too.
I think if you've ever fangirled over anything before you will be able to relate with this story and its characters. Or at the very least you should find it highly entertaining.
The four main characters are a band of strong young women. They also happen to be fangirls. It was so fun to read about their awesome and totally insane personalities as they obsessed over their favorite boy band, The Rupters. Things get a bit out of hand when they kidnap one of the boys and tie him up in a hotel.
These girls acted totally crazy, from stalking the boys online to writing fanficiton about them. And yet, I could understand their side of things. The boys made them excited and gave them something to look forward to each day.
“Did I love them because they were the only boys in my life who consistently told me I was beautiful? Probably.
I loved The Ruperts for who they were, sure, but I mostly loved them for how they made me feel. Which was happy.”
I could also sympathize with the girls and even relate to them because I've been there. I've never been obsessed with a boy band, but with books, oh yes… I used to write Percy Jackson fanfiction, look up fan art, and obsessively check the internet for new updates on the latest book. So when it came to the girls' crazy antics, I could understand their motives.
The writing was brilliant and I really look forward to reading more by this author. I think she articulately stated exactly what it's like to be a teenager:
“The joy you find as a teen, however frivolous and dumb, is pure, and meaningful. It doesn’t matter that it might ferment and taste different when you’re older. That’s the whole point of being a teenager.”
It may sound like a light topic - I mean, fangirls and boy bands? - but it all felt so very important and dark at times. The author showed the power the media, celebrities, and the music industry have on people, especially teens.
I mean, why do we all obsess over celebrities anyway? Movie stars, singers, models - they're made to look glittery and attractive under bright lights, meant to dazzle people. But really they're no different from any of us. They're people, too.
“They were just boys. Take away the band, the lights, the fame, and the screaming girls, and they were just boys, chosen for us to obsess over.”
I think if you've ever fangirled over anything before you will be able to relate with this story and its characters. Or at the very least you should find it highly entertaining.
July 12, 2016
2.5 stars
I was in the mood for something light and humorous and hence picked this book. The expectation of a light read was met but there were a few other bits which could have been better.
The story talks about fan girls, their obsession with boy bands and the length they can go to be in the same vicinity as their object of obsession.
I have heard the band 'The Ruperts' is inspired by the band One Direction (maybe in the way they came into lime-light and how the band was formed)
“They were just boys. Take away the band, the lights, the fame, and the screaming girls, and they were just boys, chosen for us to obsess over.”
But it also talks about how these boys in the boy band are just ordinary boys who have attained fame at a young age but still go through what any teenager may go through. They can be unsure, immature and sometimes cruel. There are also the multiple problems these teenage fan girls go through.
The story is told from the point of view of a very unreliable narrator and we don't know how much is true and how much is fake. Till the end we do not know the narrator's name and I found this and the way the story is narrated really interesting.
There is also a mystery which I did not expect . The thing is the mystery was just OK, it is a paraody and a few scenes made me chuckle but the story felt a bit dragged and could have been more fast-paced.
I was in the mood for something light and humorous and hence picked this book. The expectation of a light read was met but there were a few other bits which could have been better.
The story talks about fan girls, their obsession with boy bands and the length they can go to be in the same vicinity as their object of obsession.
I have heard the band 'The Ruperts' is inspired by the band One Direction (maybe in the way they came into lime-light and how the band was formed)
“They were just boys. Take away the band, the lights, the fame, and the screaming girls, and they were just boys, chosen for us to obsess over.”
But it also talks about how these boys in the boy band are just ordinary boys who have attained fame at a young age but still go through what any teenager may go through. They can be unsure, immature and sometimes cruel. There are also the multiple problems these teenage fan girls go through.
The story is told from the point of view of a very unreliable narrator and we don't know how much is true and how much is fake. Till the end we do not know the narrator's name and I found this and the way the story is narrated really interesting.
There is also a mystery which I did not expect . The thing is the mystery was just OK, it is a paraody and a few scenes made me chuckle but the story felt a bit dragged and could have been more fast-paced.
December 16, 2015
5 stars! (This is just my honest and totally unbiased opinion. ;-p)
February 23, 2016
ugh I WANTED TO LIKE THIS BOOK
I'm excited about the trend of YA books about fandom! Fandom is an important part of the lives of many teens and it's cool for it to be reflected in the literature they're reading! But this is.... not.... that?? IDK?
It's about 4 teens who are united in their love of a band called The Ruperts, who are basically a One Direction-y thing, born from a British reality TV competition and put together because they are all named Rupert.
I can't decide how satirical this book is supposed to be and I don't think it can decide either? Because on one hand, the Ruperts are all pretty ridiculous, and so are the Strepurs (fans of the Ruperts--it's Ruperts spelled backwards). But also, our narrator, whose real name I don't think we ever actually know? (she keeps introducing herself as different characters from 80s movies), gives some pretty decent little speeches about how fandom brings people together and how fun it is to be a fan of something even though you know it's silly. And these speeches seem like they are sort of the ~moral~ of the book and not satire.
anyway so these 4 girls would normally not be friends because they are soo opposites but they all love the Ruperts so they got a room together at the hotel where the Ruperts are staying so they can stalk the Ruperts. The girls are:
- ??? narrator, loves 80s movies (btw usually I am annoyed when YA stuff is 80s-obsessed because like I am onto you authors, I also was born in the 80s but today's teens barely give a shit about the 80s, but in this case it was like the least worst thing about this book so w/e)
- Erin, narrator's best friend, super hot and popular, mean girl
- Apple, VERY RICH, adopted Chinese girl, fat, like hilariously fat, hahahah she's fat
- Isobel, Latina, angry, runs a popular gossip site
each of the 4 has a different favorite Rupert obviously
anyway, disappointing, there are some funny lines and ideas in here but overall it feels like it's mainly punching down... at teenage girls... especially fat ones... so.... not great.
and sadly I do think this would appeal to a lot of teenage girls, especially ones who are in boy band fandoms OR ones who are in other types of fandoms and think boy bands are silly... but then to read this and see the teen girls so poorly represented is just like :///////
I'm excited about the trend of YA books about fandom! Fandom is an important part of the lives of many teens and it's cool for it to be reflected in the literature they're reading! But this is.... not.... that?? IDK?
It's about 4 teens who are united in their love of a band called The Ruperts, who are basically a One Direction-y thing, born from a British reality TV competition and put together because they are all named Rupert.
I can't decide how satirical this book is supposed to be and I don't think it can decide either? Because on one hand, the Ruperts are all pretty ridiculous, and so are the Strepurs (fans of the Ruperts--it's Ruperts spelled backwards). But also, our narrator, whose real name I don't think we ever actually know? (she keeps introducing herself as different characters from 80s movies), gives some pretty decent little speeches about how fandom brings people together and how fun it is to be a fan of something even though you know it's silly. And these speeches seem like they are sort of the ~moral~ of the book and not satire.
anyway so these 4 girls would normally not be friends because they are soo opposites but they all love the Ruperts so they got a room together at the hotel where the Ruperts are staying so they can stalk the Ruperts. The girls are:
- ??? narrator, loves 80s movies (btw usually I am annoyed when YA stuff is 80s-obsessed because like I am onto you authors, I also was born in the 80s but today's teens barely give a shit about the 80s, but in this case it was like the least worst thing about this book so w/e)
- Erin, narrator's best friend, super hot and popular, mean girl
- Apple, VERY RICH, adopted Chinese girl, fat, like hilariously fat, hahahah she's fat
- Isobel, Latina, angry, runs a popular gossip site
each of the 4 has a different favorite Rupert obviously
anyway, disappointing, there are some funny lines and ideas in here but overall it feels like it's mainly punching down... at teenage girls... especially fat ones... so.... not great.
and sadly I do think this would appeal to a lot of teenage girls, especially ones who are in boy band fandoms OR ones who are in other types of fandoms and think boy bands are silly... but then to read this and see the teen girls so poorly represented is just like :///////
January 23, 2021
Still a wild ride of a book:)
Highly recommend the audiobook version if you can get it
----
Original review:
*Overdrive app*
Narrator: Barrett Wilbert Weed
LOVED her, she did a great job.
Story/Characters: Five stars
----
This was a crazy ride, it hooked me in right away. Quite a few WTF moments and some things that had my jaw dropping.
Some things were a little hard to suspend disbelief for but still entertaining nonetheless. There were quite a few moments where Obwas replaying them in my head and still laughing afterwards (I almost considered playing hooky from work haha)
Some things about fandom were right on... I remember my first fangirl/fandom moments back when I was a teen: So Weird, Dark Angel, Spice Girls, Nsync, Hanson (still love them).
I remember reading tons of fanfic for the first two and trying to write fanfic with my one friend. (And recording 'So Weird's music on my boombox to listen to in my room).
I had my crushes but never really pictured myself with any of them seriously *shrugs * Maybe that was just me being more of a bookworm than a music nut till I was 14.
The ending of this I thought was fitting, it wrapped things up in a somewhat realistic bow and didn't try to make it a happy ending for everyone.
I would recommend, hop on the crazy train and enjoy the ride :)
Highly recommend the audiobook version if you can get it
----
Original review:
*Overdrive app*
Narrator: Barrett Wilbert Weed
LOVED her, she did a great job.
Story/Characters: Five stars
----
This was a crazy ride, it hooked me in right away. Quite a few WTF moments and some things that had my jaw dropping.
Some things were a little hard to suspend disbelief for but still entertaining nonetheless. There were quite a few moments where Obwas replaying them in my head and still laughing afterwards (I almost considered playing hooky from work haha)
Some things about fandom were right on... I remember my first fangirl/fandom moments back when I was a teen: So Weird, Dark Angel, Spice Girls, Nsync, Hanson (still love them).
I remember reading tons of fanfic for the first two and trying to write fanfic with my one friend. (And recording 'So Weird's music on my boombox to listen to in my room).
I had my crushes but never really pictured myself with any of them seriously *shrugs * Maybe that was just me being more of a bookworm than a music nut till I was 14.
The ending of this I thought was fitting, it wrapped things up in a somewhat realistic bow and didn't try to make it a happy ending for everyone.
I would recommend, hop on the crazy train and enjoy the ride :)
July 8, 2016
Kill The Boy Band is one of the funniest books that I've read in quite a while. I adored the author's writing style and can't wait to read more books by her in the future. I honestly don’t know where to start with this review. The characters? The plot? The twist? Everything is hysterical and amazing. I know, I know, that’s not a true review. Okay, I’ll try my best to put this incredible book into words...Here I go!
Four friends: Sloane, Erin, Apple, and Isabel. Well, friends might not be the best word to describe them...They certainly aren’t a typical group of friends. They haven’t been friends since birth, they’ve rarely ever met in person, and...well...only one thing actually pulled them together- their love of the band, The Ruperts. You heard me, a band called The Ruperts, consisting of four guys named...what else...Rupert. No, I’m not joking. This is it.
Let's be real here. We've all had our own fangirl obsession stages. Some of us have theSE stages longer than others, and hey, some of us still are Fangirls. But what would YOU do if your absolute favorite band was staying in the same hotel as you, and one of your friends accidentally knocked one of the band members unconscious? Would you call the police? Hotel management? Try to take care of him yourself? Or...kidnap him and take him to your room? Betcha didn't see that one coming. Yes, kidnapping the band member was exactly what Sloane and her friends did.
But that’s not where this story ends- oh no, far from it. That is just the beginning- the tip of the iceberg if you will. You see, hidden inside of this book is also a rooftop kiss, a crazy “beard,” a murder, and a sex scandal.
Kill the Boy Band is one of those books that you can’t stop reading, because you NEED to know what happens next. It’s also the type of book that will make you cry from laughing because it’s just that absurd. The whole book is crazy. Absolutely crazy. But that’s what makes it fantastic! Also, near the end, you learn something about Sloane that challenges everything that you previously thought was true. It is a twist that you never see coming, until it hits you like a ton of bricks.
I highly recommend this book and give it 4.5/5stars.This review was originally posted on ReadWriteLove28
October 15, 2016
I'm sure most fan girls will find this book ridiculous because it seems to generalize what fangirls think and do but really it's not. The writing is witty and I find myself laughing at how absurd the things these girls have to go through just to get to their favorite boy bands. The darkness of this book is laced with humor, and the hilarity is almost disturbing because fans like these do exist. Their love for their idols started as innocent and then it turned out to be misguided, consuming and dangerous.
I'm quite the fangirl myself, the poor girl version that is (LOL^^) because unlike the girls here who can afford to go to concerts and get VIP passes and other things a fan girl can do to support their idols, I on the other hand can only stalk them on social media or watch their growing fame on celebrity channels, reading all articles involving them and get excited with their upcoming projects but that's about it.
You know in South Korea these crazy fan girls are called " sasaeng ", they do all the extreme things fans do such as stalking their fave boy band's private lives, chasing their cars which can lead to accidents, hacking their personal accounts and just be where their idols are, they don't care whether it's a restroom or their bedroom, they just sneak in wherever they want, some would even try to hurt themselves to prove how committed they are or it can be the other way around and that's just scary and traumatizing for celebrities.
How many celebrities died because of fans like these? John Lenon of The Beatles, Latin Songstress Selena Quintanilla-Perez, Soccer star Albert Ebossé and the most recent is Youtube Star Christina Grimmie. These are just to name a few known celebrities who were killed by their fan's obsession.
I enjoyed this book and I recommend this if your looking for something dark and witty and refreshing.
Did I love them because they were the only boys in my life who consistently told me I was beautiful? Probably. I loved The Ruperts for who they were, sure, but I mostly loved them for how they made me feel. Which was happy. The Ruperts made me happy. The simplest thing to be in the world. And the hardest.
I'm quite the fangirl myself, the poor girl version that is (LOL^^) because unlike the girls here who can afford to go to concerts and get VIP passes and other things a fan girl can do to support their idols, I on the other hand can only stalk them on social media or watch their growing fame on celebrity channels, reading all articles involving them and get excited with their upcoming projects but that's about it.
You know in South Korea these crazy fan girls are called " sasaeng ", they do all the extreme things fans do such as stalking their fave boy band's private lives, chasing their cars which can lead to accidents, hacking their personal accounts and just be where their idols are, they don't care whether it's a restroom or their bedroom, they just sneak in wherever they want, some would even try to hurt themselves to prove how committed they are or it can be the other way around and that's just scary and traumatizing for celebrities.
How many celebrities died because of fans like these? John Lenon of The Beatles, Latin Songstress Selena Quintanilla-Perez, Soccer star Albert Ebossé and the most recent is Youtube Star Christina Grimmie. These are just to name a few known celebrities who were killed by their fan's obsession.
I enjoyed this book and I recommend this if your looking for something dark and witty and refreshing.
February 13, 2017
This book! So hilarious yet dark. Check out my full review on my booktube channel at http://youtube.com/peterlikesbooks
May 6, 2016
Kill the boy band is hilarious, ridiculous and yet realistic take on fandom and modern boy bands fangirls. The moment I saw it, I wanted to read it. This title and the cover are one of those that automatically draw attention.
So, this is a story about four fangirls, our narrator and her three best friends Erin, Apple and Isabel, and how they met their favorite band The Ruperts. These girls are Strepurs (backward of Ruperts) and they are the band’s die-hard fans. And being a die-hard fan, besides obsessing and daydreaming about band boys, includes stalking, engaging in internet wars, writing fanfiction, going to as many shows as possible, stan wars, andobviously erm kidnapping.
Oh, you don’t say.
I must admit I was never much of a fangirl. My highest fangirl moments include listening songs of my favorite band on repeat or watching interviews with them, and I was never into boy bands anyway. So, as you can see, I couldn't really relate to these girls, but with the way this book was written I could understand the allure of being part of such a community. The fun, the friendships, the sense of belonging, and the happiness.
This book is filled with humor, OTT situations and pieces of truth about fandom and boy bands. I had so many laugh out loud moments while reading it, and I laughed even when I probably should have not. And I won't even mention of how many times I internally screamed This Is Madness!! I didn’t like any of the characters, and that’s the biggest reason for my rating. Although that was not my case, I can understand why some people would find this kind of humor offending, but I would still recommend this book.
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
So, this is a story about four fangirls, our narrator and her three best friends Erin, Apple and Isabel, and how they met their favorite band The Ruperts. These girls are Strepurs (backward of Ruperts) and they are the band’s die-hard fans. And being a die-hard fan, besides obsessing and daydreaming about band boys, includes stalking, engaging in internet wars, writing fanfiction, going to as many shows as possible, stan wars, and
Just because I was a Ruperts fangirl does not mean I was crazy. I think it’s important that you know that up front. Because everything I’m about to tell you is going to seem … well, crazy.
Oh, you don’t say.
I must admit I was never much of a fangirl. My highest fangirl moments include listening songs of my favorite band on repeat or watching interviews with them, and I was never into boy bands anyway. So, as you can see, I couldn't really relate to these girls, but with the way this book was written I could understand the allure of being part of such a community. The fun, the friendships, the sense of belonging, and the happiness.
Maybe it was obsession, but it was also happiness; an escape from suckiness of everyday life. And when you find something that makes you happy and giddy and excited every day, us fangirls know a truth that everyone else seems to have forgotten: You hold on to that joy tenaciously, for as long as you can. Because it’s rare to get excited about anything these days.
This book is filled with humor, OTT situations and pieces of truth about fandom and boy bands. I had so many laugh out loud moments while reading it, and I laughed even when I probably should have not. And I won't even mention of how many times I internally screamed This Is Madness!! I didn’t like any of the characters, and that’s the biggest reason for my rating. Although that was not my case, I can understand why some people would find this kind of humor offending, but I would still recommend this book.
There was so little logic to fandom. At the end, the only thing left was passion. Madness.
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 24, 2016
I was not expecting Kill The Boy Band to be one of my 2016 favorites. First of all, it's contemporary, but then again it's not romance so I guess it had that going for it. Second, it was completely unpredictable and weird, but in a good way. And third, it was about boy bands. I don't really care for boy bands, neither have I been fans of them.
The interesting thing about this book is that the main character's name is never mentioned. The entire story is told from her point of view, as she describes the events that transpired between Erin, Apple, and Isabel and The Ruperts. Or more specifically, one band member, Rupert P., who is "accidentally" taken as hostage. Really, what happens from there is hectic, and then it turns into a murder mystery. This book kind of reminds me of a satirical version of Dangerous Girls, in that you have NO IDEA who the culprit is.
And the main character, who gives out fake names to everyone who questions her, like Sloane (I'll be calling her Sloane from now on), is running around trying to reason with the girls about all of this, especially when things go from bad to worse. The dynamics between her and her best friend, Erin, changed throughout the novel as well.
I think I'm just going to come out and say that I did see a couple of problematic issues in it (which inspired my problematic issues discussion post!), but it didn't really affect my enjoyment. I elaborated more in my post if you wanted to take a look for yourself.
This review is just incredibly hard to write because I rather not spoil anything, it's really just better to go into Kill The Boy Band blind and read it for yourself. Overall, all I can say is that this was definitely an adventure, and I was not expecting it at all!
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Quotes taken from ARC may or may not be in the published edition.
The interesting thing about this book is that the main character's name is never mentioned. The entire story is told from her point of view, as she describes the events that transpired between Erin, Apple, and Isabel and The Ruperts. Or more specifically, one band member, Rupert P., who is "accidentally" taken as hostage. Really, what happens from there is hectic, and then it turns into a murder mystery. This book kind of reminds me of a satirical version of Dangerous Girls, in that you have NO IDEA who the culprit is.
And the main character, who gives out fake names to everyone who questions her, like Sloane (I'll be calling her Sloane from now on), is running around trying to reason with the girls about all of this, especially when things go from bad to worse. The dynamics between her and her best friend, Erin, changed throughout the novel as well.
I think I'm just going to come out and say that I did see a couple of problematic issues in it (which inspired my problematic issues discussion post!), but it didn't really affect my enjoyment. I elaborated more in my post if you wanted to take a look for yourself.
This review is just incredibly hard to write because I rather not spoil anything, it's really just better to go into Kill The Boy Band blind and read it for yourself. Overall, all I can say is that this was definitely an adventure, and I was not expecting it at all!
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Quotes taken from ARC may or may not be in the published edition.
January 2, 2017
I can't believe this was published. Truly, I give up on life.
Apparently, I was supposed to find this funny.
Sorry, but the inconsiderable number of naming callings in"schizo", "psycho" and other delicacies that is just ignorance did not make me laugh. Nor did a girl groping, harassing, stalking and doing-other-stuff-without-consent make me laugh. This was supposed to be dark from what I gathered from the raving reviews. It was supposed to teach me something about how fangirls behave and make a comment as a society. Cuz sure targeting young girls and describing them as "schizo" and "fucking fans" throughout the novel is really what women need when they are part of a social comment. We have been told enough time how "fucking crazy" we are. Strangely enough, fanboys don't exist in this satire. Fandoms are all about the "crazy girls", y'know?
I am definitely not laughing.
The fatshaming was gross and epic in terms of stereotype. This book had diversity yet it described everyone as a walking-stereotype. Isabel, the Puerto Rican, knows "crime", people. She's a toughie. Apple is fat and that's all there's about her. She can tackle a man to the ground. She brings nothing on a trip but a bag of free popcorn. Are you finding this just hilarious??? There's even a girl who's a liar so obviously she is a writer. Then, generic popular girl who always gets her way.
I would slow-clap but I can't believe what I have just read.
This is the kind of books that make me ponder if I'm getting too old for YA. Because murder just isn't fun. Rapey girls just aren't fun. Insta-love and bullying and kidnapping just aren't fun.
Apparently, I was supposed to find this funny.
Sorry, but the inconsiderable number of naming callings in"schizo", "psycho" and other delicacies that is just ignorance did not make me laugh. Nor did a girl groping, harassing, stalking and doing-other-stuff-without-consent make me laugh. This was supposed to be dark from what I gathered from the raving reviews. It was supposed to teach me something about how fangirls behave and make a comment as a society. Cuz sure targeting young girls and describing them as "schizo" and "fucking fans" throughout the novel is really what women need when they are part of a social comment. We have been told enough time how "fucking crazy" we are. Strangely enough, fanboys don't exist in this satire. Fandoms are all about the "crazy girls", y'know?
I am definitely not laughing.
The fatshaming was gross and epic in terms of stereotype. This book had diversity yet it described everyone as a walking-stereotype. Isabel, the Puerto Rican, knows "crime", people. She's a toughie. Apple is fat and that's all there's about her. She can tackle a man to the ground. She brings nothing on a trip but a bag of free popcorn. Are you finding this just hilarious??? There's even a girl who's a liar so obviously she is a writer. Then, generic popular girl who always gets her way.
I would slow-clap but I can't believe what I have just read.
This is the kind of books that make me ponder if I'm getting too old for YA. Because murder just isn't fun. Rapey girls just aren't fun. Insta-love and bullying and kidnapping just aren't fun.
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