American Fantasy

The cruise ship American Fantasy sets sail for a long weekend of nostalgia with boy band Boy Talk and their ageing fans the ‘Talkers’. Annie is 50 and was meant to be accompanying her sister who is a massive Boy Talk fan but she’s broken her leg and can’t come but implores Annie to still go. She’s reeling from her recent divorce, has just found out her new boss is young enough to be her daughter and isn’t feeling very optimistic about the cruise itself. But she quickly befriends her roommate Maira and comes to realise there’s a certain freedom that comes with being at sea. Nothing matters except living in the present!

This was a slow read but in a good way! Every generation has a boy band fan base and I could definitely see myself in these fans and the feeling of nostalgia was strong. I loved how human this book felt overall - we have three POVs - Annie, Sarah (a staff member in charge of the cruise), and Keith (one of the members of Boy Talk) and they each had a different perspective yet all felt so realistic. The themes of ageing, finding a new direction and the idea of small moments presenting new opportunities when you’re at a crossroads made this a lovely read.

American Fantasy is a fun read that felt fresh and new and full of fascinating characters experiencing the cruise of a lifetime. From multiple perspectives we get an intimate experience of what it’s like going on a cruise with a famous boy band who are rapidly aging like the rest of us. It’s about fame and parasocial relationships, love and second chances, and what can happen when our dreams start to become part of our reality. If you like Below Deck, or enjoy books by Taylor Jenkins Reid, then I think you should give this one a try!