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unlikelyplaces's review against another edition
4.75
šæ The Daydreams - Laura Hankinšæ
āļø - 4.75
š§
Ok so just to caveat this, a lot of the reviews for this book are not that great so maybe take this with a pinch of salt but I really loved this book.
I have been in such a reading slump for the past couple of months really but I literally listened to this whole audiobook in two days (which is extremely fast for me). I found this so addictive, I couldnāt put it down.
The Daydreams follows the cast of a 2000ās teen show as they return for a reunion years later. It is clearly inspired by the stories of Disney/Nickelodeon child stars that have come out in recent years. To me, this story is primarily an exploration of the way that these stars (particularly the young women) are treated by the media. It does touch on other themes but that was definitely the one that stood out to me.
It did a really great job of making me constantly question how I felt about each of the characters which I think was intentional. And as I said, I literally just couldnāt stop listening to this. There was one aspect of the ending of this that Iām not sure I liked but that didnāt ruin the book for me.
I think I was just in exactly the right mood for this right now and now Iām at a bit of a loss of what audiobook to read next.
ā¼ļøContent warnings: predatory men, body image issues, eating disorder, addiction, parent death
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment and Death of parent
Moderate: Eating disorder, Addiction, and Body shaming
kdailyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Sexism, Alcohol, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Racism, Infidelity, Infertility, Body shaming, Car accident, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, and Bullying
Minor: Fatphobia
adlane22's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse
Minor: Sexual harassment and Sexual content
brooklynchaise's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Literally couldnāt put her down. Quite a few times I gasped out loud, alone in my apartment. Very funny with a realistic portrayal of fame, how media treats young women, and reckoning with the impulsive mistakes of youth.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Car accident and Body shaming
Minor: Racism
sdupont's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Pop culture girlies unite, this one is for you! I really enjoyed reading this book. Itās a smart commentary on how the media treated young women in the 2000ās and how their male colleagues sold them out for their own success. I was hooked and invested from the start. There are some fun twists along the way as well. While you mainly get Katās point of view you do get tidbits from the other costars. That on top of the dual timelines and media snippets really enhances the story. I appreciated the drama but I felt that the pacing was a little slow at times. I recommend this book for fans of Once More With Feeling by Elissa Sussman and Open Book by Jessica Simpson.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse
Moderate: Addiction, Death of parent, and Fatphobia
Minor: Racism and Sexual harassment
savyelizabeth's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism, Sexual harassment, Drug use, and Eating disorder
mynameisrebecca's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book suffers from expectation versus reality. It's a look into character relationships and how those change over time, and less about the Hollywood drama. I expected something a little more campy versus the serious tone the book took. Overall, it felt like it had too slow of a pace for the cadence of the story and plot. The character development is amazing and there's some great plot twists, though. The writing style incorporates multimedia (chat rooms, articles, etc.) which is really fun.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcoholism, Body shaming, and Alcohol
Moderate: Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Minor: Racism, Sexual harassment, and Adult/minor relationship
sarahyjackson's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A sumptuous, nostalgic feast that balanced sunshine & satire in such a satisfying way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use and Drug abuse
Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Fatphobia, and Misogyny
brooke_city's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It started out with catty promise, reminiscent of the 00's tabloid spirals of child stars. (a la Paris, Lindsay, Britney) But, Summer turned out to actually be the Mary Sue everyone projected onto her, with everyone around her having a hand in ruining her career and life.
The plot develops much like the Disney shows it parodies, including the cliche ending of the romantic leads running away together.
Lionna could've been a more interesting character, bringing more light to how Black actors are treated in comparison to their white peers. But she still ended up being the token with no growth, and gets the solo by default.
Despite drugs and alcohol use, and casual mentions about sex, this could've been a YA novel. The only thing adult about the characters are their ages.
The plot develops much like the Disney shows it parodies, including the cliche ending of the romantic leads running away together.
Lionna could've been a more interesting character, bringing more light to how Black actors are treated in comparison to their white peers. But she still ended up being the token with no growth, and gets the solo by default.
Despite drugs and alcohol use, and casual mentions about sex, this could've been a YA novel. The only thing adult about the characters are their ages.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual harassment
literaryintersections's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I was completely taken in by this book. It grabbed me from the first few pages and didn't let go until the end. I needed to know what happened to Summer, what happened the night of the Daydreams live show. But as I kept reading, I felt equal parts nostalgic and disgusted. Remembering the ways the early 2000s for myself: not fitting in, feeling inadequate compared to the beautiful thin superstars. And then realizing that those young women were just as vulnerable and confused as I was, but doing it in front of millions of people. And one "mistake" could, and did, change their entire lives. This book is fiction for sure, but it could be ripped from the headlines.
"But as it was, we were just two girls sent out into the world without any armor, and the only enemy we could see was each other."
A unique mix of the nostalgia of High School Musical, paired with the real life "downfall" of Britney Spears and her entire experience of the early 2000s. Interview past and present timelining of Daisy Jones and the Six. It is a complete cautionary tale of the impacts of the hollywood and entertainment industry's impact on young women and girls.
The sexual exploitation of Summer, the experiences she had as a child with her Dad and Mom (don't want to spoil), and ultimately the exploitation of Atlas and the industry was so hard to read. You love and hate Summer and Liana and Kat and Noah - all of them are complex. No person unscathed. All of them impacted.
"You ever wish we'd gotten famous just, like, seven years later? The world was kinder to girls seven years later."
I've been thinking about this line in particular - wondering if it is true. Is the world kinder to women now? Was it kinder to women in 2012? Kinder to girls who were trying to become or were famous? I don't know. I think about the hatred Selena Gomez experienced. Or Zendaya. All of the young Black girls who are forced to play stereotypes. The experience Chloe Bailey (and Halle for that matter) are having now. I don't think the world is any kinder to girls. I think it is just as horrible, exhausting, exploitative.
"But as it was, we were just two girls sent out into the world without any armor, and the only enemy we could see was each other."
A unique mix of the nostalgia of High School Musical, paired with the real life "downfall" of Britney Spears and her entire experience of the early 2000s. Interview past and present timelining of Daisy Jones and the Six. It is a complete cautionary tale of the impacts of the hollywood and entertainment industry's impact on young women and girls.
The sexual exploitation of Summer, the experiences she had as a child with her Dad and Mom (don't want to spoil), and ultimately the exploitation of Atlas and the industry was so hard to read. You love and hate Summer and Liana and Kat and Noah - all of them are complex. No person unscathed. All of them impacted.
"You ever wish we'd gotten famous just, like, seven years later? The world was kinder to girls seven years later."
I've been thinking about this line in particular - wondering if it is true. Is the world kinder to women now? Was it kinder to women in 2012? Kinder to girls who were trying to become or were famous? I don't know. I think about the hatred Selena Gomez experienced. Or Zendaya. All of the young Black girls who are forced to play stereotypes. The experience Chloe Bailey (and Halle for that matter) are having now. I don't think the world is any kinder to girls. I think it is just as horrible, exhausting, exploitative.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse
Moderate: Sexual harassment