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849 reviews for:
Disney High: The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel's Tween Empire
Ashley Spencer
4.0 AVERAGE
849 reviews for:
Disney High: The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel's Tween Empire
Ashley Spencer
4.0 AVERAGE
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Alcohol
For anyone that grew up with this iteration of Disney Channel, this is a nostalgic and interesting look behind the scenes that brings you right back to that time. There were a few sections that had me choked up for no other reason than thinking about my own life at the time the shows were airing. I appreciated that the dark sides were also mentioned, but think I would’ve enjoyed digging a bit deeper into that. On one hand though, I get it if the author was preferring to let those that have been and are speaking about their experiences to continue to do it with their own voices.
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
Disney High by Ashley Spencer is a behind-the-scenes look at how Disney Channel transformed into a tween TV empire, producing cultural phenomena. Through insider interviews, the book reveals the calculated business strategies, intense creative control, and image management behind the channel’s squeaky-clean brand. It also uncovers the darker realities faced by its young stars—mental health struggles, off-camera scandals, and the pressures of growing up under constant scrutiny.
This one caught my attention because I’m always down for the inside scoop, and as a Disney Channel kid, I was excited to revisit some of my favorite shows like Lizzie McGuire, That’s So Raven, and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. Each show had its own chapter, which was cool, but a lot of them felt like they ended abruptly—I kept wanting more behind-the-scenes stories and deeper dives into how everything came together. It gave a pretty basic overview of how the shows and stars came to be, and while it wasn’t scandalous or super revealing, it was still interesting to see the bigger picture.
I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by Lalaine (aka Miranda from Lizzie McGuire), and that nostalgic touch made the experience even better. Definitely recommend it for any Disney fan who appreciates a light, behind-the-scenes look at how their favorite stars got their start.
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informative
reflective
medium-paced
I don’t know if I hyped this up a bit too much but i wasn’t as invested as I thought I would be. You can tell it’s a really well researched book, but it’s quite forgettable for me.
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Super well researched book with insight on how a corporation exploited their child stars. Loved the narration by Lalaine. It was a good mix of hard facts, insider quotes from industry people, and good ol fashion “tea” but done tastefully without making a spectacle of any of the stars
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug abuse, Rape, Suicide, Alcohol
informative
reflective
medium-paced
I found this both fascinating and incredibly sad. It was really interesting to read about the history of the channel that I watched quite a bit of as a young adult. I liked the backstory on all the popular shows even though it was sad to hear about how all the executive management manipulated these young kids.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Alcohol
informative
medium-paced
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
This was an interesting recap of the golden age of the Disney Channel in the 2000s and how the company's demands weighed on the stars it made. But its focus on the financials and the scandals dimmed the asides about how damaging the Disney Channel machine was for so many people.
Each chapter follows one of the big stars -- think Miley, Raven, the Jonas Brothers -- but I really would've liked to have seen more input from people like Cristy Carlson Romano, Alyson Stoner and David Henrie, the Disney Channel actors who never reached "peak" stardom but were still very present for a very long time on the scene.
A fun walk down memory lane for anyone who grew up on High School Musical and Hannah Montana but don't expect too much commentary on the legacy Disney Channel's personal ethics have left on Hollywood.
Each chapter follows one of the big stars -- think Miley, Raven, the Jonas Brothers -- but I really would've liked to have seen more input from people like Cristy Carlson Romano, Alyson Stoner and David Henrie, the Disney Channel actors who never reached "peak" stardom but were still very present for a very long time on the scene.
A fun walk down memory lane for anyone who grew up on High School Musical and Hannah Montana but don't expect too much commentary on the legacy Disney Channel's personal ethics have left on Hollywood.
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced