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Groupies
In a debut perfect for fans of Daisy Jones & The Six, Mary Jane, and The Final Revival of Opal & Nev, Sarah Priscus shines a bright light on the grungy yet glittery world of 1970s rock 'n' roll and the women – the groupies – who unapologetically love too much in a world that doesn’t love them back.
It’s 1977, and Faun Novak is in love with rock ‘n’ roll.
After her mother’s death, Faun, a naïve college dropout, grabs her Polaroid and hops a Greyhound to Los Angeles. In the City of Angels, she reconnects with her charismatic childhood friend Josie, now an up-and-coming model and muse. To make their reunion even sweeter, Josie is now dating Cal Holiday, the frontman of the superstar rock band Holiday Sun, and Faun is positively mesmerized.
Except it’s not just the band she can’t get enough of. It’s also the proud groupies who support them in myriad ways. Among the groupies are: a doting high school girl at war with her mother; a drug-dealing wife and new mom who longs to be a star herself; and a cynical mover-and-shaker with a soft spot for Holiday Sun’s bassist.
Faun obsessively photographs every aspect of this dazzling new world, struggling to balance her artistic ambitions with the band’s expectations. As her confidence grows for the first time in her life, her priorities shift. She becomes reckless with friendship, romance, her ethics, and her bank account.
But just as everything is going great and her boring, old life is falling away, Faun realizes just how blind she has been to the darkest corners of this glamorous musical dreamland as the summer heats up and everything spirals out of control . . .
Equal parts an evocative coming-of-age and a cutting look at fame, desire, and the media, Groupies is a novel that will have you turning the pages until the music and drug-fueled end.
It’s 1977, and Faun Novak is in love with rock ‘n’ roll.
After her mother’s death, Faun, a naïve college dropout, grabs her Polaroid and hops a Greyhound to Los Angeles. In the City of Angels, she reconnects with her charismatic childhood friend Josie, now an up-and-coming model and muse. To make their reunion even sweeter, Josie is now dating Cal Holiday, the frontman of the superstar rock band Holiday Sun, and Faun is positively mesmerized.
Except it’s not just the band she can’t get enough of. It’s also the proud groupies who support them in myriad ways. Among the groupies are: a doting high school girl at war with her mother; a drug-dealing wife and new mom who longs to be a star herself; and a cynical mover-and-shaker with a soft spot for Holiday Sun’s bassist.
Faun obsessively photographs every aspect of this dazzling new world, struggling to balance her artistic ambitions with the band’s expectations. As her confidence grows for the first time in her life, her priorities shift. She becomes reckless with friendship, romance, her ethics, and her bank account.
But just as everything is going great and her boring, old life is falling away, Faun realizes just how blind she has been to the darkest corners of this glamorous musical dreamland as the summer heats up and everything spirals out of control . . .
Equal parts an evocative coming-of-age and a cutting look at fame, desire, and the media, Groupies is a novel that will have you turning the pages until the music and drug-fueled end.
1 pages, Audio CD
First published July 12, 2022
204 people are currently reading
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About the author
Sarah Priscus
2 books167 followersCanadian author Sarah Priscus lives in Ottawa, Ontario. She is a 2021 graduate of the University of Ottawa, where she studied English and Theatre. Groupies (2022, William Morrow and Co.) is her debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 707 reviews
August 10, 2022
I love all things 70’s. The music, the bell bottoms, the roller skating, ok maybe not so much the hair. It seemed like a groovy time to be a teen. I wasn’t one until the 80’s - but boy, I envied those teens like a drooling dog.
But as much as I love the decade, I didn’t love this story. It was bland. Boring. Benign.
I saw the ratings plummet on this release which was a month ago. A sign I failed to acknowledge. Too YA for me.
It does not compare to Daisy Jones & The Six. Read that if you haven't. The Final Revival of Opal & Nev is also a great 70's story. Mary Jane also a delightful one. The movie, "Almost Famous" is a fantastic glimpse into the groupie world.
DNF 1⭐️
But as much as I love the decade, I didn’t love this story. It was bland. Boring. Benign.
I saw the ratings plummet on this release which was a month ago. A sign I failed to acknowledge. Too YA for me.
It does not compare to Daisy Jones & The Six. Read that if you haven't. The Final Revival of Opal & Nev is also a great 70's story. Mary Jane also a delightful one. The movie, "Almost Famous" is a fantastic glimpse into the groupie world.
DNF 1⭐️
July 13, 2022
NOW AVAILABLE!!
now that's how you bang open a novel!
this is a sleazy, breezy summertime book that would be great friends with Daisy Jones & The Six; both of them time capsules splaying out the excesses of the 70s rock scene in all its tawdry glory.
it's set in 1977 california, where childhood besties faun-and-josie reunite in LA after they have both dropped out of their respective colleges. faun arrives on the west coast to find josie already entrenched in the celebrity scene—working as a model and dating holiday sun frontman cal holiday, a man and a band both girls high-school-crushed on. aspiring photographer faun quickly becomes one of the many girls on the band's periphery; a fan turned intimate inner-circle; a groupie unofficially tasked with soothing egos, deflecting squabbles, taking constant polaroids of the backstage lives of the band and their on-and-off paramours—sex, drugs, rock and roll and parties parties parties.
it's pretty much everything you'd expect from a novel-version of Almost Famous; women rebranding sex as emotional support, elevating the position of groupie into a necessary, almost spiritual purpose:
through faun's eyes, we are immersed in a celebration of the glamor and grit of the 70s music scene, where Life was rainbows and muck—given a doped-up backstage pass to holiday sun's highs and lows; a neverending party where underage girls drift in and out of the bars and bedrooms of the rich and famous and no one is ever sober for long.
faun, who has spent her life treading the paths that dazzling josie boldly cut through the world, soon becomes intoxicated by the buzzy lifestyle and...various intoxicants, networking via parties and hookups, chronicling holiday sun's bacchanals, and spinning out beautifully.
it's a splashy, ragged-edged, guilty-pleasure story—who doesn't love a juicy tell-all, even when it's about an imaginary band? but it's not all good-time frivolity and fandom—in a shocking act of betrayal, faun makes a selfish decision that spirals into capital-c consequences, and then faun's drinking-unto-oblivion is more about squashing her guilt than having a good time, gleaning some hard-won insights along the way.
the world most certainly doesn't love groupies, and josie and girls like her are scrutinized and judged by jealous holiday sun fans and those people who love to hate any expression of female sexuality.
it's a pretty impressive debut—priscus' writing is like movie-buttered popcorn: slick and addictive, with some nicely-phrased descriptions <--- that last quality is not to be found in movie-buttered popcorn:
along with the behind-the-scenes dirt of the music scene, priscus captures a moment in time, where—despite all the casual sex and substance abuse, the world seemed safer, more innocent:
i mean, that's for sure some sugarcoating and revisionist history thru drug-smacked eyes—the world has never been safe for women, but it's a lovely dreamworld sentiment nonetheless, although faun will very quickly learn that this perception of safety is really just willful ignorance; turning a blind eye to the reality of abuse going on all around her.
it's a solid story about being young and dumb; unapologetically bursting through life, making mistakes and paying the price. it's a 3.5, but i'm rounding up, why not?
come to my blog!!
Josie, who'd be covered in blood on bathroom tiles in nine months' time, met me at the Greyhound station.
now that's how you bang open a novel!
this is a sleazy, breezy summertime book that would be great friends with Daisy Jones & The Six; both of them time capsules splaying out the excesses of the 70s rock scene in all its tawdry glory.
it's set in 1977 california, where childhood besties faun-and-josie reunite in LA after they have both dropped out of their respective colleges. faun arrives on the west coast to find josie already entrenched in the celebrity scene—working as a model and dating holiday sun frontman cal holiday, a man and a band both girls high-school-crushed on. aspiring photographer faun quickly becomes one of the many girls on the band's periphery; a fan turned intimate inner-circle; a groupie unofficially tasked with soothing egos, deflecting squabbles, taking constant polaroids of the backstage lives of the band and their on-and-off paramours—sex, drugs, rock and roll and parties parties parties.
I turned and vomited into a rosebush.
I was having the time of my life.
it's pretty much everything you'd expect from a novel-version of Almost Famous; women rebranding sex as emotional support, elevating the position of groupie into a necessary, almost spiritual purpose:
We needed something to nurture, and they needed nurturing. Constant attention made you need it even more. The band never learned to be alone and neither did we. But if they were starved for attention and we were, too, didn't we make a perfect pair?
through faun's eyes, we are immersed in a celebration of the glamor and grit of the 70s music scene, where Life was rainbows and muck—given a doped-up backstage pass to holiday sun's highs and lows; a neverending party where underage girls drift in and out of the bars and bedrooms of the rich and famous and no one is ever sober for long.
faun, who has spent her life treading the paths that dazzling josie boldly cut through the world, soon becomes intoxicated by the buzzy lifestyle and...various intoxicants, networking via parties and hookups, chronicling holiday sun's bacchanals, and spinning out beautifully.
Life kept getting better. Broader. My world was expanding so quickly that I couldn't stop it, nor did I want to.
it's a splashy, ragged-edged, guilty-pleasure story—who doesn't love a juicy tell-all, even when it's about an imaginary band? but it's not all good-time frivolity and fandom—in a shocking act of betrayal, faun makes a selfish decision that spirals into capital-c consequences, and then faun's drinking-unto-oblivion is more about squashing her guilt than having a good time, gleaning some hard-won insights along the way.
Everything I'd loved I'd lost, and every time I'd lost it, I said it was my own fault. A lot of the time it was. But not always. Self-pity is so simple. So is self-blame. Easier than having to understand the world doesn't revolve around you, that it doesn't always love you back.
the world most certainly doesn't love groupies, and josie and girls like her are scrutinized and judged by jealous holiday sun fans and those people who love to hate any expression of female sexuality.
People said she was self-obsessed and conniving, only interested in Cal and his kin for the fame. People said the same of any groupie. We all want things. Desire's not deviant. It's human nature.
it's a pretty impressive debut—priscus' writing is like movie-buttered popcorn: slick and addictive, with some nicely-phrased descriptions <--- that last quality is not to be found in movie-buttered popcorn:
The tears on my cheeks had dried, leaving my face tense and shiny. I had a look of slept-in insanity, with eyes that felt burst, but I didn't cry again.
along with the behind-the-scenes dirt of the music scene, priscus captures a moment in time, where—despite all the casual sex and substance abuse, the world seemed safer, more innocent:
Roaming the streets alone didn't scare her—it bored her. It bored all of us. Sure, socially I sometimes felt anxious enough to puke, but when I was out walking, I was never afraid. The world seemed bright and open-armed, not deadly. My mother had been wrong about everything.
We were at the very end of the golden era of fearless girls. Soon, women would learn distrust, pumped full of fear by serial-killer newsreels and common sense. But those things weren't in our reality yet. They existed but seemed impossible. Faraway. False. Sure, soon, every girl would look over her shoulder at every turn and lock her car as soon as she hopped into it—but not quite yet. We were still lawless and mindless. Gaggles of bright-eyed girls would prod at each other on the bus, sharing lipstick by kissing, leaving home with only a five-dollar bill and, if they were cautious, a house key. We'd kiss anyone and touch anyone and go anywhere with anyone, as long as the person smiled.
i mean, that's for sure some sugarcoating and revisionist history thru drug-smacked eyes—the world has never been safe for women, but it's a lovely dreamworld sentiment nonetheless, although faun will very quickly learn that this perception of safety is really just willful ignorance; turning a blind eye to the reality of abuse going on all around her.
it's a solid story about being young and dumb; unapologetically bursting through life, making mistakes and paying the price. it's a 3.5, but i'm rounding up, why not?
come to my blog!!
June 20, 2022
3.5 Stars
I am fascinated by rock bands and loved the autobiography "I'm With the Band: Confessions of a Groupie" written by the famous 70s groupie Pamela Des Barres. I also love the seventies era (when I was a teenager), so naturally gravitated towards this book.
Faun Novak is a college dropout from Massachusetts who relocates to Los Angeles after her mother's death, staying with her best friend from high school days, Josephine (Josie) Norfolk. Faun's mother never approved of Josie, a girl who was very popular and could dazzle anyone she met. Josie's current boyfriend is a famous musician who is financing her apartment- Cal Holiday of the band Holiday Sun. This is one of Faun's favorite bands and she just can't believe she is going to get to meet them through Josie. Faun's prized possession is a Polaroid camera, and she feels she has a special talent in photography.
I experienced a multitude of emotions and opinions while reading this book. I guess you could say it was thought-provoking, and I became judgemental of various characters. The aura of a groupie might make someone jealous who is stranded on the outside of the rich and famous, but a lot of their experiences left me feeling empty and grateful for my boring- but orderly and contented life. There were endless parties, drugs, easy sex/nudity, lack of responsibility and a revolving door of staying with different people. Quite frankly, I was embarrassed for some of the female characters. Some of them had strained and troubled childhoods/ home lives and it reminded me of some of the female Manson followers looking to glorify someone like a god.
The writing style was good, but could have been edited down some, at almost 400 pages. I also questioned the constant use of a Polaroid camera by Faun, when at a certain point she transitioned to professional photographer status. Earlier in the story she says she would like but cannot afford an expensive SLR camera. I never heard of a professional photographer getting jobs using a Polaroid camera, even in the seventies. There was another incident towards the end of the book involving the police questioning a character after a serious crime, and I found his handling of a potential suspect rather weak and out of the norm. Otherwise, I found the book interesting as a psychological/sociological voyeur journey. I struggled whether to rate it a 3 (good) or a 4 (really good) and settled upon 3.5 rounded up to 4. When I first started the book I was a bit underwhelmed and purposely didn't read any other books at the same time, worried that my attention would drift away from getting back to this. So I stayed the course reading this solo and managed to get through it without getting bored. I was a little confused sometimes with the character of Faun and her observations. She seemed all over the place, lacking in personal integrity and character. It would be interesting if the author would take this character forward into a subsequent book to see if with some maturity she could redeem herself.
Thank you to the publisher William Morrow who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
I am fascinated by rock bands and loved the autobiography "I'm With the Band: Confessions of a Groupie" written by the famous 70s groupie Pamela Des Barres. I also love the seventies era (when I was a teenager), so naturally gravitated towards this book.
Faun Novak is a college dropout from Massachusetts who relocates to Los Angeles after her mother's death, staying with her best friend from high school days, Josephine (Josie) Norfolk. Faun's mother never approved of Josie, a girl who was very popular and could dazzle anyone she met. Josie's current boyfriend is a famous musician who is financing her apartment- Cal Holiday of the band Holiday Sun. This is one of Faun's favorite bands and she just can't believe she is going to get to meet them through Josie. Faun's prized possession is a Polaroid camera, and she feels she has a special talent in photography.
I experienced a multitude of emotions and opinions while reading this book. I guess you could say it was thought-provoking, and I became judgemental of various characters. The aura of a groupie might make someone jealous who is stranded on the outside of the rich and famous, but a lot of their experiences left me feeling empty and grateful for my boring- but orderly and contented life. There were endless parties, drugs, easy sex/nudity, lack of responsibility and a revolving door of staying with different people. Quite frankly, I was embarrassed for some of the female characters. Some of them had strained and troubled childhoods/ home lives and it reminded me of some of the female Manson followers looking to glorify someone like a god.
The writing style was good, but could have been edited down some, at almost 400 pages. I also questioned the constant use of a Polaroid camera by Faun, when at a certain point she transitioned to professional photographer status. Earlier in the story she says she would like but cannot afford an expensive SLR camera. I never heard of a professional photographer getting jobs using a Polaroid camera, even in the seventies. There was another incident towards the end of the book involving the police questioning a character after a serious crime, and I found his handling of a potential suspect rather weak and out of the norm. Otherwise, I found the book interesting as a psychological/sociological voyeur journey. I struggled whether to rate it a 3 (good) or a 4 (really good) and settled upon 3.5 rounded up to 4. When I first started the book I was a bit underwhelmed and purposely didn't read any other books at the same time, worried that my attention would drift away from getting back to this. So I stayed the course reading this solo and managed to get through it without getting bored. I was a little confused sometimes with the character of Faun and her observations. She seemed all over the place, lacking in personal integrity and character. It would be interesting if the author would take this character forward into a subsequent book to see if with some maturity she could redeem herself.
Thank you to the publisher William Morrow who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
July 15, 2022
This is giving Taylor Jenkins Reid in that it's all #aesthetic and no substance, but unfortunately it doesn't even have TJR-level of prose to make reading fun instead of a slog.
This is a book about a charisma-void character who gets swept up in the groupie scene where everyone acts like they're in a cult because The Band is, like, SO important! but at no point we're shown anything to justify why the band is supposedly so charismatic and the scene so enthralling.
The willfully blind narrator stumbles her way with exaggerated naivety through coke-fuelled parties that feel dreadfully boring to read about, makes eyes and gives blowjobs at random musicians she doesn't even like, is a catty bitch to all her groupie acquaintances who are also catty bitches in return, and sometimes will have thoughts that feel jarringly OCC to what little characterization she has but are plainly just thrown in to let modern audiences know that the author does not endorse what the characters are doing (if you need to disclaim that, you're not good enough of a writer).
At one point there's a twist that comes far too late into the book to make reading worth it, but almost makes it seem for half a second that something decent may happen. Fear not - that flame of promise, of anything but mind-numbing apathy is quashed literally 3 pages later, and the resolution is both mind-numbingly boring and mind-numbingly sad. I felt like I was being lobotomized the whole time.
Anyway, this book is not gritty, is not sleazy, it's just sad. I guess it thinks it's portraying something frail and flawed and beautiful, or Making A Point, but it's just clumsy written navel-gazing about rock n roll and the patriarchy and shooting up at afterparties where no one has a backbone. This book gave me nothing whatsoever which is fine because I don't want anything from it.
This is a book about a charisma-void character who gets swept up in the groupie scene where everyone acts like they're in a cult because The Band is, like, SO important! but at no point we're shown anything to justify why the band is supposedly so charismatic and the scene so enthralling.
The willfully blind narrator stumbles her way with exaggerated naivety through coke-fuelled parties that feel dreadfully boring to read about, makes eyes and gives blowjobs at random musicians she doesn't even like, is a catty bitch to all her groupie acquaintances who are also catty bitches in return, and sometimes will have thoughts that feel jarringly OCC to what little characterization she has but are plainly just thrown in to let modern audiences know that the author does not endorse what the characters are doing (if you need to disclaim that, you're not good enough of a writer).
At one point there's a twist that comes far too late into the book to make reading worth it, but almost makes it seem for half a second that something decent may happen. Fear not - that flame of promise, of anything but mind-numbing apathy is quashed literally 3 pages later, and the resolution is both mind-numbingly boring and mind-numbingly sad. I felt like I was being lobotomized the whole time.
Anyway, this book is not gritty, is not sleazy, it's just sad. I guess it thinks it's portraying something frail and flawed and beautiful, or Making A Point, but it's just clumsy written navel-gazing about rock n roll and the patriarchy and shooting up at afterparties where no one has a backbone. This book gave me nothing whatsoever which is fine because I don't want anything from it.
August 3, 2022
When it comes to pop culture, I have determined there are two types of people – those who love the movie Almost Famous and me. In this new release readers are told right from the jump that Josie will be covered in blood in nine months’ time. You just have to read three-quarters of the book to find out why (but it’s not really a shocker). I’m eleven trillion reviews behind so I’m not going to waste a lot of time bashing this one. Different strokes for different folks. I’m sure many will love this, but I couldn’t stand Faun and unlike Almost Famous these gals were most definitely not there for the music, they truly were groupies . . . .
October 29, 2021
I was lucky enough to get an early look at this book. With an astonishing level of authenticity, you would swear author Sarah Priscus was a fly on the wall recording every detail of the 1970s L.A. music scene for her engrossing debut, GROUPIES (she wasn’t even born then). It’s all happening in this book, which — unlike ALMOST FAMOUS — does not romanticize the girls who worship often very badly-behaved rockstars but, instead, properly locates them on a continuum of abject loneliness and wild abandon.
Faun arrives on a Greyhound from the East Coast to join her intoxicating friend Josie, who appears to be living a carefree, bohemian life in 1977 Los Angeles. Josie is “with the band,” dating the lead singer of Holiday Sun, into whose orbit Faun is quickly pulled. She captures intimate candids of the band with her Polaroid camera: band members and the women whose self-worth stems from their reflected glow, women who see their support as a higher calling. Her camera symbolizes Faun’s separation from the true insiders, which gnaws at her. She follows in Josie’s footsteps, partying hard and bedding various band members, in a desperate attempt to outrun her existential despair. Everything begins to unravel as the alcohol and cocaine-fueled all-nighters take their toll, and the story takes a tragic turn.
Told through dreamlike, impressionistic prose full of colorful and vivid characters, GROUPIES captures the allure of the Never Neverland surrounding musicians and entertainers while exposing its dark underbelly with keen observation and tremendous heart. Highly recommended.
Faun arrives on a Greyhound from the East Coast to join her intoxicating friend Josie, who appears to be living a carefree, bohemian life in 1977 Los Angeles. Josie is “with the band,” dating the lead singer of Holiday Sun, into whose orbit Faun is quickly pulled. She captures intimate candids of the band with her Polaroid camera: band members and the women whose self-worth stems from their reflected glow, women who see their support as a higher calling. Her camera symbolizes Faun’s separation from the true insiders, which gnaws at her. She follows in Josie’s footsteps, partying hard and bedding various band members, in a desperate attempt to outrun her existential despair. Everything begins to unravel as the alcohol and cocaine-fueled all-nighters take their toll, and the story takes a tragic turn.
Told through dreamlike, impressionistic prose full of colorful and vivid characters, GROUPIES captures the allure of the Never Neverland surrounding musicians and entertainers while exposing its dark underbelly with keen observation and tremendous heart. Highly recommended.
January 28, 2022
thank you netgalley, william morrow, and sarah priscus for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review! groupies follows faun novak as she travels to los angeles to live with her best friend. she becomes involved with the rock ‘n’ roll scene, as her friend is dating the lead singer of a popular rock band, and becomes fascinated with the groupies that follow them.
i picked up this novel because of the comparisons to daisy jones and the six and the girls and, while it is similar, it’s hard for me to review because something about it seemed… off to me. it’s a wonderful debut novel and contained some beautiful prose and gripping stories about la in the 70’s, but there was something about the story that kept me from connecting to it completely. i think this may be because there are a lot of characters introduced quickly and it was hard to care for them because i easily got them mixed up. i also thought some of the writing was a bit weird or tedious at times, but there were also some stunning quotes i highlighted throughout.
however, despite my small problems with the first 70% or so, the ending was fantastic and helped sell the story for me. i didn’t expect the plot twist, but that made me love it even more.
my favorite movie is almost famous and this book definitely reminded me a lot of that, especially with josie and cal. i also related a lot to faun with her insecurities and ambition to prove herself. it’s a good coming-of-age novel that shows that everything isn’t always as perfect as it seems. i feel like my problems with the story could be a complete personal issue and i do recommend this book to fans of the 70’s, almost famous, and/or beautiful writing.
3.5 stars
i picked up this novel because of the comparisons to daisy jones and the six and the girls and, while it is similar, it’s hard for me to review because something about it seemed… off to me. it’s a wonderful debut novel and contained some beautiful prose and gripping stories about la in the 70’s, but there was something about the story that kept me from connecting to it completely. i think this may be because there are a lot of characters introduced quickly and it was hard to care for them because i easily got them mixed up. i also thought some of the writing was a bit weird or tedious at times, but there were also some stunning quotes i highlighted throughout.
however, despite my small problems with the first 70% or so, the ending was fantastic and helped sell the story for me. i didn’t expect the plot twist, but that made me love it even more.
my favorite movie is almost famous and this book definitely reminded me a lot of that, especially with josie and cal. i also related a lot to faun with her insecurities and ambition to prove herself. it’s a good coming-of-age novel that shows that everything isn’t always as perfect as it seems. i feel like my problems with the story could be a complete personal issue and i do recommend this book to fans of the 70’s, almost famous, and/or beautiful writing.
3.5 stars
July 26, 2022
This book was a little out of my comfort zone. I’ve seen it compared to Daisy Jones and the Six and I can see why. I can also see it compared to Almost Famous. It takes place in 1977 and revolves around two friends Josie and Faun and details their experience with rock band Holiday Sun. I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the narrator. I thought it was entertaining however overall it was just ok.
After her mother’s death, Faun Novak drops out of school hoping to start fresh in L.A. She reconnects with her friend Josie who is ecstatic to be dating rock ban Holiday Sun’s lead singer.
Faun is quickly plunged into rock n’ roll lifestyle of sex and drugs. She documents everything with her camera. Eventually Faun sees the other side of fame and she begins to question the lifestyle and her choices.
Groupies is available now!
After her mother’s death, Faun Novak drops out of school hoping to start fresh in L.A. She reconnects with her friend Josie who is ecstatic to be dating rock ban Holiday Sun’s lead singer.
Faun is quickly plunged into rock n’ roll lifestyle of sex and drugs. She documents everything with her camera. Eventually Faun sees the other side of fame and she begins to question the lifestyle and her choices.
Groupies is available now!
July 9, 2022
The year is 1977 and Faun Novak has arrived in Los Angeles seeking fun and excitement. She had dropped out of college, lost her mother and was ready for a fresh start. Josie, her best friend from high school, happily took her in. Josie is dating the lead singer of rock band Holiday Sun. Josie brings Faun into her world of sex, drugs and rock’n’roll. Faun takes her camera everywhere she goes and starts taking photos of the scene, which she soon becomes a part of. Behind the glitz and glamour, Faun starts to see that everything is not as wonderful as it initially appears.
Groupies author Sarah Priscus has created a very real feeling and well done account of the 1970s LA rock scene. The books starts with “Josie, who'd be covered in blood on bathroom tiles in nine months' time, met me at the Greyhound station.” And by the time this line is written again later in the book, the realties of the party scene have become very apparent. I was hoping for a more upbeat story but respect that the author decided to tell a gritty, dark tale of the lives of people who wanted to shine in the glow of others. It’s a sad coming-of-age story worth a look for fans of rock music and stories of this period.
Many thanks to William Morrow for the advance.
Rated 3.5 stars.
Groupies author Sarah Priscus has created a very real feeling and well done account of the 1970s LA rock scene. The books starts with “Josie, who'd be covered in blood on bathroom tiles in nine months' time, met me at the Greyhound station.” And by the time this line is written again later in the book, the realties of the party scene have become very apparent. I was hoping for a more upbeat story but respect that the author decided to tell a gritty, dark tale of the lives of people who wanted to shine in the glow of others. It’s a sad coming-of-age story worth a look for fans of rock music and stories of this period.
Many thanks to William Morrow for the advance.
Rated 3.5 stars.
August 7, 2022
This book is slow, ponderous, and the writing is not nearly as smart as it thinks it is. If you want something real, read Pamela DesBarres. As silly as her book is, she doesn't try to be something she isn't.
November 12, 2022
This was so bland. I was expecting a story set in the world of 1970s rock music to have more style, atmosphere, and intrigue. But this just did not. I wanted more depth from the characters and for the band to feel more developed so that I could tell how famous they were supposed to be. While I wasn’t the biggest fan of Daisy Jones & The Six, at least Taylor Jenkins Reid does an excellent job at making all of her fictional famous people feel so real, like they were actual celebrities from the past. In this book I never got that feeling from the band Holiday Sun or any of the groupies.
Almost Famous is probably my favorite movie of all time, so I’m primed to love stories set in the rock world of the 70s. I was excited for this book to get a look at groupies, or the young women who surrounded the famous rock bands, from the woman’s perspective. But this just didn’t deliver. Also, I was getting irrationally angry that the main character Faun wanted to be a professional photographer but never progressed past taking polaroids. Like at a certain point she’s getting paid gigs but still takes polaroids and never gets a more professional camera?? Would record companies and magazines really just let her only submit polaroids? I don’t know but it was pissing me off, along with a bunch of other stuff in this book.
I think this book could’ve been a great opportunity to explore the ways that rock music exploited young women and got away with it. And about the ways that famous men are excused for their actions while women are vilified. The book definitely has moments that touches on these topics, but it just isn’t successful in fully bringing it all together with compelling characters, atmospheric writing, and a tight plot.
Almost Famous is probably my favorite movie of all time, so I’m primed to love stories set in the rock world of the 70s. I was excited for this book to get a look at groupies, or the young women who surrounded the famous rock bands, from the woman’s perspective. But this just didn’t deliver. Also, I was getting irrationally angry that the main character Faun wanted to be a professional photographer but never progressed past taking polaroids. Like at a certain point she’s getting paid gigs but still takes polaroids and never gets a more professional camera?? Would record companies and magazines really just let her only submit polaroids? I don’t know but it was pissing me off, along with a bunch of other stuff in this book.
I think this book could’ve been a great opportunity to explore the ways that rock music exploited young women and got away with it. And about the ways that famous men are excused for their actions while women are vilified. The book definitely has moments that touches on these topics, but it just isn’t successful in fully bringing it all together with compelling characters, atmospheric writing, and a tight plot.
August 14, 2022
Boy, did I hate this book! It was way too long for what it was. Faun was horrible. I wanted to stick her freaking Polaroid camera someplace very unpleasant. There no way she was taking professional grade pictures with that mess.
November 7, 2022
WOW this was a hard read and I feel like 2 stars was very generous.
I felt very misled by the INCREDIBLE first sentence and the really enticing plot summary. I was coming off of a high from reading Daisy Jones & The Six and Mary Jane. I thought I would be similarly charmed. But that was not the case.
None of the characters were likable and there was close to no plot, just a nonstop party scene with drugs, alcohol, sex, and violence. None of the characters had chemistry, there were about a million of them that I couldn’t keep track of, and I couldn’t root for any of them, not even the protagonist. This book had a ton of potential of showing the truly ugly side of 1970s rock n roll that is often hyper glamorized, but I think in order to properly do that you need to show some good parts too. This book had zero good. I had no idea what kind of character Faun was supposed to be. Was she a goody two shoes? Was she a poser? Yes she was a GROUPIE and was ever molding and was lost in the LA scene and sold out her friend to gain exposure, but who IS she? I feel like the author did not properly develop her character to make any action she did believable and use her as a plot device. OD on drugs? Alright. Cuddle up to every producer? Sure. Sell out her friendship with Josie for money and fame? Somehow even more believable. Know what’s not believable? Her friendship with Josie. How are you going to lead a story off with it being about the friendship between these two women and have them have zero chemistry or likability. Speaking of Josie, domestic abuse is no joke. However, somehow the main victim of domestic abuse in this novel is one of the least sympathetic, least likable, and least developed characters of them all. Go figure.
Also, this book did not really pick up until the last maybe 100 pages when the plot actually thickens from the normal “nobody likes anybody here and everyone is fucking everyone over so I’m just going to snort cocaine and forget about it” plot happening for the first 250 pages, and even then it was a slow crawl to the finish. The book also had way too happy of an ending for how depressing it was.
Anyway, I could drone on and on about how unlikable all of these characters were and how sad and simultaneously bored this book will make you, but I think you get the point. Gave 2 stars over 1 because the characters still do make somewhat believable decisions and it does seem to be an accurate portrayal of 1970s LA.
I felt very misled by the INCREDIBLE first sentence and the really enticing plot summary. I was coming off of a high from reading Daisy Jones & The Six and Mary Jane. I thought I would be similarly charmed. But that was not the case.
None of the characters were likable and there was close to no plot, just a nonstop party scene with drugs, alcohol, sex, and violence. None of the characters had chemistry, there were about a million of them that I couldn’t keep track of, and I couldn’t root for any of them, not even the protagonist. This book had a ton of potential of showing the truly ugly side of 1970s rock n roll that is often hyper glamorized, but I think in order to properly do that you need to show some good parts too. This book had zero good. I had no idea what kind of character Faun was supposed to be. Was she a goody two shoes? Was she a poser? Yes she was a GROUPIE and was ever molding and was lost in the LA scene and sold out her friend to gain exposure, but who IS she? I feel like the author did not properly develop her character to make any action she did believable and use her as a plot device. OD on drugs? Alright. Cuddle up to every producer? Sure. Sell out her friendship with Josie for money and fame? Somehow even more believable. Know what’s not believable? Her friendship with Josie. How are you going to lead a story off with it being about the friendship between these two women and have them have zero chemistry or likability. Speaking of Josie, domestic abuse is no joke. However, somehow the main victim of domestic abuse in this novel is one of the least sympathetic, least likable, and least developed characters of them all. Go figure.
Also, this book did not really pick up until the last maybe 100 pages when the plot actually thickens from the normal “nobody likes anybody here and everyone is fucking everyone over so I’m just going to snort cocaine and forget about it” plot happening for the first 250 pages, and even then it was a slow crawl to the finish. The book also had way too happy of an ending for how depressing it was.
Anyway, I could drone on and on about how unlikable all of these characters were and how sad and simultaneously bored this book will make you, but I think you get the point. Gave 2 stars over 1 because the characters still do make somewhat believable decisions and it does seem to be an accurate portrayal of 1970s LA.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2022
2¾⭐
Ɱ◎◎ĐႽ…
⬧ 70s Rock Scene ⬧ Drugs, Sex, and Rock n’ Roll ⬧ Historical ⬧ Coming of Age
Okay, first off this is nowhere near the story that Daisy Jones & the Six was…it really didn’t have the same vibe at all…other than the time period. Also, the first half felt more like a rip-off of Almost Famous than an actual comparison to it. Overall, this was bogged down by bland characters, and a super slow-moving plot, it really could have been shortened up in length. Its only saving grace was the ending…it wasn’t enough to carry the whole book but it gave the story the closure that it needed.
⬧Narrated by: 🎙️Alex McKenna 📣 Her voice was pleasant enough but she was quite robotic with the delivery of her lines.
Total Score 5.36/10⬧Opening-5.5⬧Characters-4.5⬧Plot-5⬧Atmosphere-5⬧Writing Style-6⬧Ending-6.5⬧Overall Enjoyment-5
Ɱ◎◎ĐႽ…
⬧ 70s Rock Scene ⬧ Drugs, Sex, and Rock n’ Roll ⬧ Historical ⬧ Coming of Age
Okay, first off this is nowhere near the story that Daisy Jones & the Six was…it really didn’t have the same vibe at all…other than the time period. Also, the first half felt more like a rip-off of Almost Famous than an actual comparison to it. Overall, this was bogged down by bland characters, and a super slow-moving plot, it really could have been shortened up in length. Its only saving grace was the ending…it wasn’t enough to carry the whole book but it gave the story the closure that it needed.
⬧Narrated by: 🎙️Alex McKenna 📣 Her voice was pleasant enough but she was quite robotic with the delivery of her lines.
Total Score 5.36/10⬧Opening-5.5⬧Characters-4.5⬧Plot-5⬧Atmosphere-5⬧Writing Style-6⬧Ending-6.5⬧Overall Enjoyment-5
July 17, 2022
High hopes dashed! What a boring, corny waste of a good idea.
Was the sole research a showing of Almost Famous? It could have been fun if it seemed authentic or anyone had any personality. It almost had a sense of being a ‘80s Regan era reactionary cautionary tale. Don’t do drugs and sleep with rock stars or you might end up in jail until you’re 50!
The repeating of the main character’s being unfamiliar with “woman’s lib” was also strange. What? Why? The fact that she was a drop out from a woman’s college in the 1970s made that seem even stranger.
Was the sole research a showing of Almost Famous? It could have been fun if it seemed authentic or anyone had any personality. It almost had a sense of being a ‘80s Regan era reactionary cautionary tale. Don’t do drugs and sleep with rock stars or you might end up in jail until you’re 50!
The repeating of the main character’s being unfamiliar with “woman’s lib” was also strange. What? Why? The fact that she was a drop out from a woman’s college in the 1970s made that seem even stranger.
September 4, 2022
It’s difficult for me not to compare the book to some extent with Almost Famous since it’s one of my all-time favourite movies. So, while the author captures the mood of the 70s pretty well, the story doesn’t excite as much. It’s a good starting point if you want to know about groupie culture and haven’t read anything previously. But if you have, then it might not impress as much.
Want to read
June 2, 2022Giveaway Win!
January 28, 2022
This book is about to become my entire personality for a very long time!
Sarah Priscus’s debut is as glittering as it is breathtaking, with an undercurrent of suspense and grit that make her vulnerable, vibrant characters feel so incredibly real, they felt like friends I’ve known. GROUPIES is the book I have been waiting my whole life for and it is absolutely not one to miss!
Sarah Priscus’s debut is as glittering as it is breathtaking, with an undercurrent of suspense and grit that make her vulnerable, vibrant characters feel so incredibly real, they felt like friends I’ve known. GROUPIES is the book I have been waiting my whole life for and it is absolutely not one to miss!
February 16, 2024
this took me on a trip through the 70’s, feeling as though i were right there with the funky groupies and rockstars. i loved the atmosphere! despite the apprehension of their world falling apart, i was hoping the end wouldn't feel so sad.
i don't like sad books.
but i do like rockstars being rockstars and their girlfriends being incredible.
i don't like sad books.
but i do like rockstars being rockstars and their girlfriends being incredible.
March 16, 2024
someone please get this girl a therapist and better friends
January 30, 2022
I am completely blown away by Sarah Priscus’ debut novel Groupies, a book which follows a wannabe photographer Faun as she joins her best friend Josie, who is now dating the front man of the band Holiday Sun, on one crazy ride through the late 70’s music scene as one of the band’s fan girls. You are likely to hear this book being compared to Daisy Jones and the Six, but whereas Daisy Jones shown a spotlight on a band’s actual members, Groupies, naturally, gives its attention to a band’s female followers in all their sex-crazed, drug-fueled glory. Titillating, exploitative, and nostalgic, Groupies will definitely be on the minds of readers and the tips of their tongues for a long time to come.
Groupies is told from the POV of Faun Novak, a novice Polaroid photographer back when instant film was all the rage. She joins her best friend Josie in California after the death of her mother, and is surprised to learn that Josie is in a relationship with Cal Holiday, the lead singer of the band Holiday Sun. Josie invites Faun backstage after a Holiday Sun show, and before she knows it, Faun is one of the groupies and the band’s unofficial photographer, capturing all of their intoxicatingly exhilarating behind the scenes moments on film. Over one heady, euphoric year, Faun becomes ingrained in the lives of the band and its groupies until she cannot tell where they end and she begins. However, all the glitters is not gold, and like Icarus, a dazed and dazzled Faun soon finds herself flying too close to the sun, sure to be burnt.
At its heart, Groupies is a story of friendship and loyalty with Faun and Josie in the starring roles. Josie is an American sweetheart, a girl that everyone loves and wants to be. Faun, who is used to living in Josie’s shadow, struggles with feelings of jealousy and resentment as she grapples to prove her worth alongside her effervescent best friend. Her envy and feelings of inadequacy often push Faun to behave in ways that are uncouth and traitorous, and readers will find that she is quite an unlikeable character … but a necessary one, as it is she who pushes this story to the shocking limit and spurs an explosive twist that you won’t see coming.
Always in the background of Faun and Josie’s story is Holiday Sun and its groupies. Priscus captures the 70’s music scene perfectly, bringing to life a noxious, glittering world where anything and everything goes. The groupies are a tribe of lost girls, selling their hearts and souls for what feels good in the moment, belonging to everyone and no one all at the same time. Swept up in a world that doesn’t require them to think or care, the groupies flit from one moment to the next, never realizing that when you dance with the devil you are his to claim.
Priscus’ Groupies is chaotic, mesmerizing, and well-worth your time. While you may be led to believe that this novel is all sex, drugs, and rock and roll, rest assured that it is not. My heartstrings were completely wrapped up in this story, and I devoured it with bated breath awaiting its ultimate outcome. It is depraved and glorious all at the same time, but also eye-opening and memorable. Sure to be enjoyed by readers of provocative musical novels or evocative books from the 70s, Groupies comes highly recommend.
Groupies is told from the POV of Faun Novak, a novice Polaroid photographer back when instant film was all the rage. She joins her best friend Josie in California after the death of her mother, and is surprised to learn that Josie is in a relationship with Cal Holiday, the lead singer of the band Holiday Sun. Josie invites Faun backstage after a Holiday Sun show, and before she knows it, Faun is one of the groupies and the band’s unofficial photographer, capturing all of their intoxicatingly exhilarating behind the scenes moments on film. Over one heady, euphoric year, Faun becomes ingrained in the lives of the band and its groupies until she cannot tell where they end and she begins. However, all the glitters is not gold, and like Icarus, a dazed and dazzled Faun soon finds herself flying too close to the sun, sure to be burnt.
At its heart, Groupies is a story of friendship and loyalty with Faun and Josie in the starring roles. Josie is an American sweetheart, a girl that everyone loves and wants to be. Faun, who is used to living in Josie’s shadow, struggles with feelings of jealousy and resentment as she grapples to prove her worth alongside her effervescent best friend. Her envy and feelings of inadequacy often push Faun to behave in ways that are uncouth and traitorous, and readers will find that she is quite an unlikeable character … but a necessary one, as it is she who pushes this story to the shocking limit and spurs an explosive twist that you won’t see coming.
Always in the background of Faun and Josie’s story is Holiday Sun and its groupies. Priscus captures the 70’s music scene perfectly, bringing to life a noxious, glittering world where anything and everything goes. The groupies are a tribe of lost girls, selling their hearts and souls for what feels good in the moment, belonging to everyone and no one all at the same time. Swept up in a world that doesn’t require them to think or care, the groupies flit from one moment to the next, never realizing that when you dance with the devil you are his to claim.
Priscus’ Groupies is chaotic, mesmerizing, and well-worth your time. While you may be led to believe that this novel is all sex, drugs, and rock and roll, rest assured that it is not. My heartstrings were completely wrapped up in this story, and I devoured it with bated breath awaiting its ultimate outcome. It is depraved and glorious all at the same time, but also eye-opening and memorable. Sure to be enjoyed by readers of provocative musical novels or evocative books from the 70s, Groupies comes highly recommend.
July 11, 2022
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!
3.5 stars rounded up.
Being a big music lover and fan of the ‘70s aesthetic I thought I would enjoy this book, and I was right! The sense of “place” is spot on one can almost smell the cigarette smoke and hear the sounds of a 1970s LA rager. This novel explores the groupie lifestyle in all its glory and debauchery.
What knocked this book’s rating down a bit is simply the over-abundance of characters: I sometimes had a hard time keeping all the groupies and band members straight, not to mention managers and roadies and producers, etc. For a relatively short read this book is filled to the brim with characters, and it becomes a bit much to follow. I think one more editing pass would’ve done this story some good: a paring down of characters would’ve maybe bumped this up to 5 stars, or at least a very strong 4.
Still, I enjoyed this one and I’m glad I was approved for an advance copy. This would make for perfect summer reading, especially for fans of books like Daisy Jones and the Six.
3.5 stars rounded up.
Being a big music lover and fan of the ‘70s aesthetic I thought I would enjoy this book, and I was right! The sense of “place” is spot on one can almost smell the cigarette smoke and hear the sounds of a 1970s LA rager. This novel explores the groupie lifestyle in all its glory and debauchery.
What knocked this book’s rating down a bit is simply the over-abundance of characters: I sometimes had a hard time keeping all the groupies and band members straight, not to mention managers and roadies and producers, etc. For a relatively short read this book is filled to the brim with characters, and it becomes a bit much to follow. I think one more editing pass would’ve done this story some good: a paring down of characters would’ve maybe bumped this up to 5 stars, or at least a very strong 4.
Still, I enjoyed this one and I’m glad I was approved for an advance copy. This would make for perfect summer reading, especially for fans of books like Daisy Jones and the Six.
May 16, 2022
”Josie, who’d be covered in blood on bathroom tiles in nine months’ time, met me at the Greyhound station.”
Groupies starts out with a bang and it just 👏🏻 doesn’t 👏🏻 quit. 👏🏻
This book feels like Daisy Jones and the Six meets the Manson girls meets Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen. It is both an ode to the spirit of young, passionate women and a gripping, salacious perspective on celebrity and fame.
I feel like books are so often described as either plot-focused or character-focused, but this strikes such a lovely balance of both. Priscus writes her characters into existence with such evocative, beautiful, succinct sentences. Take this description of our main character’s best friend, Josie:
“Everything about her screamed faux maturity, from the flick of her eye makeup to her platform sandals. I loved her immediately because I feared no one else did. She was still pink-cheeked at sixteen.”
I loved her immediately because I feared no one else did!!! Ugh! Kills me! Young women contain multitudes and it was so fun to get to know the intricacies of each girl’s motivations and hopes and fears. It was also just generally fun to be a fly-on-the-wall during so many gossipy, secretive little moments.
There are easily 20 other quotes I want to pull here, but I’d much rather you just get the book and find them yourselves within the pages.
A big thank you to Sarah Priscus for the ARC! Can’t wait for this to hit the shelves in July.
Groupies starts out with a bang and it just 👏🏻 doesn’t 👏🏻 quit. 👏🏻
This book feels like Daisy Jones and the Six meets the Manson girls meets Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen. It is both an ode to the spirit of young, passionate women and a gripping, salacious perspective on celebrity and fame.
I feel like books are so often described as either plot-focused or character-focused, but this strikes such a lovely balance of both. Priscus writes her characters into existence with such evocative, beautiful, succinct sentences. Take this description of our main character’s best friend, Josie:
“Everything about her screamed faux maturity, from the flick of her eye makeup to her platform sandals. I loved her immediately because I feared no one else did. She was still pink-cheeked at sixteen.”
I loved her immediately because I feared no one else did!!! Ugh! Kills me! Young women contain multitudes and it was so fun to get to know the intricacies of each girl’s motivations and hopes and fears. It was also just generally fun to be a fly-on-the-wall during so many gossipy, secretive little moments.
There are easily 20 other quotes I want to pull here, but I’d much rather you just get the book and find them yourselves within the pages.
A big thank you to Sarah Priscus for the ARC! Can’t wait for this to hit the shelves in July.
February 28, 2022
Sigh.
This one was just ho-hum. So-so. Fine.
The main character is incredibly unlikeable and, frankly, stupid. She’s an absolute trash friend and all around dumpster fire of a human.
I thought the story was fine, although very far fetched and out of touch. So many scenarios, reactions, and behaviors that just would never happen. They felt inauthentic and disingenuous. I just didn’t believe any of what or to whom it was happening.
Thanks to HarperCollins for the arc!
This one was just ho-hum. So-so. Fine.
The main character is incredibly unlikeable and, frankly, stupid. She’s an absolute trash friend and all around dumpster fire of a human.
I thought the story was fine, although very far fetched and out of touch. So many scenarios, reactions, and behaviors that just would never happen. They felt inauthentic and disingenuous. I just didn’t believe any of what or to whom it was happening.
Thanks to HarperCollins for the arc!
September 18, 2022
I don't know who compared this to Daisy Jones and the Six because these two books couldn't be more different.
I was so excited to win the ARC of this book from Goodreads. I was left completely underwhelmed by it.
Set in the late 70s is the story of Faun, whom moved to LA after the death of her mother and joined up with a childhood friend, Josie.
She is an Insecure and striving to become a photographer.
I was so excited to win the ARC of this book from Goodreads. I was left completely underwhelmed by it.
Set in the late 70s is the story of Faun, whom moved to LA after the death of her mother and joined up with a childhood friend, Josie.
She is an Insecure and striving to become a photographer.
August 28, 2022
2.5
no offense but this was awful
no offense but this was awful
December 12, 2022
3.5 rounded up.
This is a story of all things music—from the band and the roadies, to the groupies, those who love music the most. It’s about a time when life was more carefree and people loved and trusted in a way that now seems lost. In the midst of the parties, concerts, and clubs is the story of friendships and findings one’s own path in life.
There was so much to take in and ruminate on while reading this. When I wasn’t reading it I was thinking about it, wondering what would happen next for Faun & Josie. At times, this made me feel quite sad for the girls, wishing I could jump into the book and give them much needed self esteem pep talk. I believe being uncomfortable with this parts of this story was inevitable, the content was quite heavy at times. It also could’ve been edited down a bit and still made an impact.
This definitely gave me Almost Famous vibes, which is one of my favorite movies—so I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also dug the photography angle and thinking back on a time when a Polaroid was the crème de la crème!
I think it’s important not to go into this expecting Daisy Jones & The Six, they are very different stories and formats. But for those who love the 70s, getting a look behind the scenes of band life, and don’t mind a MC who’s selfish and a bit whiny, add this to your list!
Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
This is a story of all things music—from the band and the roadies, to the groupies, those who love music the most. It’s about a time when life was more carefree and people loved and trusted in a way that now seems lost. In the midst of the parties, concerts, and clubs is the story of friendships and findings one’s own path in life.
There was so much to take in and ruminate on while reading this. When I wasn’t reading it I was thinking about it, wondering what would happen next for Faun & Josie. At times, this made me feel quite sad for the girls, wishing I could jump into the book and give them much needed self esteem pep talk. I believe being uncomfortable with this parts of this story was inevitable, the content was quite heavy at times. It also could’ve been edited down a bit and still made an impact.
This definitely gave me Almost Famous vibes, which is one of my favorite movies—so I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also dug the photography angle and thinking back on a time when a Polaroid was the crème de la crème!
I think it’s important not to go into this expecting Daisy Jones & The Six, they are very different stories and formats. But for those who love the 70s, getting a look behind the scenes of band life, and don’t mind a MC who’s selfish and a bit whiny, add this to your list!
Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
July 20, 2022
"Maybe we knew what we were doing, turning ourselves into specters, leaving pieces of ourselves behind, in search of something new. Promising ourselves that if we went to one more concert or kissed one more famous face, that this time, it'll really be good."
the sheer self destruction of these characters for the chase of something higher??? we follow faun as she moves in with her childhood best friend josie and enters the world of rock 'n' roll. everything is glamorous until it isn't and the true nature of josie and cal's relationship felt like a perfect analogy for the book and how everything seems perfect until the veil is pulled back and it's just ruinous. i did feel like this was missing something for me, so i'm struggling to give it a 3 or a 4 - but we're going to stick with the 4. this was a book where even if i wanted to put down, i couldn't. i was sucked into the world from those first few chapters.
the sheer self destruction of these characters for the chase of something higher??? we follow faun as she moves in with her childhood best friend josie and enters the world of rock 'n' roll. everything is glamorous until it isn't and the true nature of josie and cal's relationship felt like a perfect analogy for the book and how everything seems perfect until the veil is pulled back and it's just ruinous. i did feel like this was missing something for me, so i'm struggling to give it a 3 or a 4 - but we're going to stick with the 4. this was a book where even if i wanted to put down, i couldn't. i was sucked into the world from those first few chapters.
July 11, 2022
Im such a sucker for books about the music industry and any glimpse behind the scenes so I was super excited about this atmospheric setting! Bonus points for such a stunning cover!
There was so much that I loved about this one and then a lot that I didn’t care for. I enjoyed the characters as a collective group, yet didn’t like any of them individually and ultimately just never felt fully connected or invested and found it to drag a little.
This tale of sex, drugs and rock and roll was a fun ride that explored some interesting topics of fandom and obsession and the lengths that some will go to achieve fame or even be associated with it. The story felt authentic and I totally felt like I was in the 70s groupies scene!
This was a solid dark and gritty debut from a Canadian author and look forward to seeing what see does next!
“𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝”
3.5 stars rounded to 4 for goodreads
There was so much that I loved about this one and then a lot that I didn’t care for. I enjoyed the characters as a collective group, yet didn’t like any of them individually and ultimately just never felt fully connected or invested and found it to drag a little.
This tale of sex, drugs and rock and roll was a fun ride that explored some interesting topics of fandom and obsession and the lengths that some will go to achieve fame or even be associated with it. The story felt authentic and I totally felt like I was in the 70s groupies scene!
This was a solid dark and gritty debut from a Canadian author and look forward to seeing what see does next!
“𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝”
3.5 stars rounded to 4 for goodreads
July 20, 2022
slapper!! groupies really delivered on the 70s band atmosphere. took me a while to read this bc I was staying w my family but I normally would have devoured this one. faun and josie had the type of female friendship I love to read about and the rest of the cast was fun as well. thought it was especially interesting to get faun’s thoughts on the women’s lib movement and how it did/did not intersect w her life as a groupie. enjoyed the exploration of the co-dependent relationship between the band and the women who love them. another part I really liked was faun feeling more like she wanted to love everything than actually loving it. ooooh that hits good for me! also any good band book will make me think of one direction.. so while 1d was no holiday sun.. I was thinking abt them. overall this book was exciting from the get go and kept it up the whole way through! love!
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