American Fantasy by Emma Straub: ‘Who’s ready for the best weekend of their lives?’  

Emma Straub writes reliably enjoyable fiction, tending more towards the commercial than the literary. I’ve read most of her novels but was surprised to find I’d only reviewed The Vacationers back in the early days of the blog. American Fantasy has an unusual premise: a full-on nostalgia cruise for over two thousand mostly female fans of a boy band, now way past their youth but prepared to spend four days a year acting as if they’re teenagers.

No one looked at him and saw a has-been or a bloated version of his teenage self or someone who had peaked too early or a moron. They just loved him. If it weren’t so excruciating, it would have been wonderful.

Annie finds herself bunked up with Maira after her sister’s birthday Boy Talk extravaganza has been ruined by a broken leg. Although once a fan, she’s hardly the typical Talker having worked for an opera magazine for decades, bemused at the lengths hardcore fans will go to attract the attention of their idols. The bands spend little or no time together outside their annual four-day performance. Keith only turns up to appease his brother, Boy Talk’s unofficial leader, still bouncing around as if he’s eighteen and expecting the others to follow suit. Sarah’s in charge of the show, used to smoothing rough edges, ruffled egos and anticipating trouble. The cruise kicks off with the usual deafening screaming of over excited fans for who the following four days offer an opportunity to escape middle-aged life, immerse themselves in nostalgia, snag a selfie with the band and, for the fortunate few, attend the late night afterparties. As ever, each day is organised down to the last minute until simmering tensions boil over.

Annie wondered if her predilection for Boy Talk had been living dormant in her body, the way chicken pox stayed quiet for decades and then bloomed into shingles.

Straub unfolds her narrative from the perspectives of Annie, Sarah and Keith, all at awkward stages in their lives: Sarah has just been dumped and can’t resist trawling Instagram for posts of her ex’s new girlfriend; Annie has not long divorced; and Keith seems lost, friendless and unwanted by his wife and daughter, only there thanks to Shawn’s bullying. It’s all highly entertaining and often funny but Straub has serious points to make about fame and its fallout. The adulation and joy of the fans, fuelled by a seemingly endless stream of alcohol and carefully choreographed appearances by the band, contrasts smartly with the lives of their idols none of whom have escaped unscathed in one way or another. There were a few sticky moments when I thought she might step too far into overly sentimental romcom territory, but Straub neatly avoided that. An enjoyable, escapist, holiday read that will likely resonate with boy band fans: I’m sure Straub was one of them.

Michael Joseph: London 9780241453483 400 pages Hardback (Read via NetGalley)