Review of American Fantasy by Emma Straub

Rabid middle-aged fans of the 90s boy band Boy Talk converge on a ship for meet and greets, photo ops, and collective love for their idols. Annie's own trip down memory lane is unexpectedly hedonistic, joyful, and full of chance encounters as she considers her life.

Maybe that was nostalgia after all, the music a direct vein to her childhood, the least complicated part of her life. A shortcut to happiness.

The American Fantasy ship is headed out on a four-day voyage, and its honored guests are the five-member nineties boy band Boy Talk--along with three thousand of the band's rabid fans.

Annie agreed to come on the trip with her sister, because while Annie's rabid youthful obsession has faded, her sister's love for the band has only strengthened over the years. But when her sister is unable to come at the last minute, Annie reluctantly embarks on the trip anyway, hoping to send her sister photos and reports--while maybe having time to hole up and read her book. After all, the other fans on the ship are likely Too Much for Annie, and she's not dying to come face to face with the celebrity crushes of her teenage years.

Hearing the music of her youth helps Annie tap into forgotten joy. She's surprised to be so charmed by the meet and greets, the fun and funny group activities, the organized photo ops, and the masses' collective admiration for the band, celebrated fully here--while considered has-beens in the rest of the world.

By chance, she experiences unexpected, vulnerable moments with members of the band, and must realize that they are squabbling, middle-aged, complicated, imperfect men. But we see that the band members also work hard together to create unforgettable moments and a satisfyingly nostalgic, fulfilling weekend for their dedicated admirers. And through the character of the ship director, one of the band members, and Annie herself, we witness three adults, occasionally intersecting, who are considering their life paths and where they hope to go next.

The premise is fantastic, and Straub immerses the reader in the sentimental, hedonistic, sometimes claustrophobic cruise environment. The boy-band mania is fun, and Straub doesn't look down on the fandom; she made me admire the women's commitment and dedication to the musicians who played the soundtrack of their youth. When Annie befriends one of the band members, it seems at first as though it will lead to something momentous, but in a more realistic turn, the moment that holds the most meaning in the book is not dramatic or outrageous; it's a connection between two human beings who each need a friend.

The ending felt a little rushed after that point, but I appreciated that Straub didn't go of the rails with an unlikely turn of events.

I listened to an audiobook library version of this title through Libby.

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Emma Straub is also the owner of the Books are Magic bookstore in Brooklyn, New York, and she's the author of This Time Tomorrow.

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