As a rock star drummer in the hit band The Brightsiders, Emmy King’s life should be perfect. But there’s nothing the paparazzi love more than watching a celebrity crash and burn. When a night of partying lands Emmy in hospital and her girlfriend in jail, she’s branded the latest tabloid train wreck. Luckily, Emmy has her friends and bandmates, including the super-swoonworthy Alfie, to help her pick up the pieces. She knows hooking up with a band member is exactly the kind of trouble she should be avoiding, and yet Emmy and Alfie Just. Keep. Kissing.
Will the inevitable fallout turn her into a clickbait scandal (again)? Or will she find the strength to stand on her own?
Initial thoughts: The best part about The Brightsiders is the incredibly diverse cast of friends who love and accept one another. Even as Emmy spirals out of control, her friends and cousin care and watch out for her. The toxic relationships Emmy has with her parents and her girlfriend can come off as rather dramatic and over the top. Nonetheless, given the sensitivity with which The Brightsiders addressed the gaslighting, I think there was a good balance all around.
That being said, I wasn't a huge fan of how Emmy's motivations were very much underpinned by attraction and sex. I'm not the most comfortable with that level of detail, especially in YA fiction, but that's just a personal preference. Some readers, I'm sure, will welcome that there are no holds barred in this book.
