A review by merlin_reads
Larger Than Life: A History of Boy Bands from NKOTB to BTS by Maria Sherman

3.0

 

I don't wanna brag, but I'm kind of a boy band guru. It all started with the New Kids and just exploded from there. While I was on the younger side for the New Kids (still a Blockhead to this day), I was the perfect age when NSYNC and BSB hit the mainstream. So to say boy bands are life doesn't even begin to cover it.

This book was given to me as a gift from a friend because of my love and so I sat down to read it, wondering what new information I could gleam about this phenomena. And while there were a few new tidbits to learn - Jesse McCartney wrote the Leona Lewis hit "Bleeding Love", the scale that New Edition was screwed in their contract - most of it was facts that a boy band follower already knew.

One thing that bothered me was how biased the writer was. I get it, fans are loyal to their boy bands but if you're going to write a book on the history of boy bands AND you're an actual music journalist, maybe take the biases out. And in case you're wondering, One Direction was the author's mad love. There were also a few facts on the bands that were incorrect but I mean, there's a lot of information out there, it's just where you go for the source.

This book touches on most of the boy bands to have hit the scene, but it definitely does not cover all. And then there are some condescending tones used when discussing some of the not so known ones. If she hadn't stated it in the beginning, I would have questioned whether she was a fan of boy bands.

Overall, this is a good book for newbie fans looking to start their boy band education. But for those of us who have been here for awhile, it was just all right.