Just like being a fan of a boyband, this book promises fun and entertainment, and delivers a lot more. There is plenty of fun to be had here with the central murder plot and lots of engaging insights and interest about the music industry and fandom. However, there's also depth, especially on the topic of friendship and what fandom really really offers those who participate in it. I'm sure other boyband fans would enjoy recognition reading this, and for those of us who have not had that experience, the book makes a strong argument to take fandom more seriously. I also appreciated the slightly widened representation within the book through the range of fans, and the moment where Harri is (subtly) asked to check her privilege - a sound inclusion, I felt, and a good example of the text's depth. Great fun and more besides! Will definitely be recommending this to students.

This book was a quick, easy read where the author is clearly involved with fandom culture and captures it well. The mystery aspect of this book was lost on me, it definitely felt more focused on the fandom perspective and aspect of this book.

When I saw the cover of this one I just instantly pictured all the cheese and was 100% here for it. However, it wasn't as cheesy as I thought - I was expecting something like 'SLAY' by Kim Curran but this one is more like 'I Was Born For This' by Alice Oseman. It was still a great read but not quite was I was hoping for when I sat down to start.

I have never been in such an intense fandom so I wasn't 100% on board with that side of it as it all seemed a little too far fetched for me - but I did love the friendship that came out of the fandom. I also found the PR agency behind the band representation really interesting. Obviously I know that bands have PR agencies but to actually see that in action is quite shocking.

I just want to give a special shoutout to Stef because oh he is boyfriend goals! He was just so not judgy throughout the whole thing and I loved that.

OK, if it has the word 'boyband' in the title you know I'm going to read it, right?!?

The murder mystery of the title is a perfectly good story in its own right, but what I LOVED was the perfect way the book captures all the wonderful things about fandoms and those who fill them. So often written off as screaming girls to be mocked, but actually as individuals and as collectives they are the life blood of bands like Half Light (who, by the way, I'm pretty sure I would've been into in a big way!). The friendships made, the random facts you can recite about band members you've never even met, the bemused expressions on other people's faces when you talk about it... Spot on.

Also great exploration of the PR machine and the brand identity behind a boyband, the fantasy characters created through a combination of clever PR and the fans' own desire to believe vs the reality of the real lives of the stars.

Finally the concert scene near the end of the book just about had me in tears, the descriptions and feelings again were so accurate. Made me miss gigs so much.

I also think Stef deserves a mention here - a boyfriend/potential bf who accepts your fangirl ways without question? A keeper for sure!!

Anyone who has ever been part of a boyband fandom i guarantee you will love this book!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my review copy.

I absolutely adored this book! The mystery drives the story forward, but this book is so much more than a mystery. It’s about friendship and family and I found the girl’s relationships so well written and realistic.
I loved how they unravelled the mystery (I had no clue who it was!) and wish I was half as resourceful as Hari and co! I felt like I was part of the fandom family, and by the end I was so attached to everyone I had tears as I read the final few chapters.
Loved it!

I loved this book! It's a fun, engaging read that is perfect for anyone who has ever been part of a fandom. I enjoyed the mystery and raced through this book. Highly recommended!

For a book with "boyband" and "murder mystery" in the title, I actually wouldn't recommend it for a good read about either of those. As a story about online friendships and fandom, however... (if you can get over the characters all being university students.)

Eldred does a good job of pacing the story throughout the novel, and keeping the balance between main- and side-plots. Unfortunately, however, I found the protagonist highly unlikable and very difficult to relate, too. Add into that the fact that the majority of plot points go beyond the realm artistic licence into completely implausible, and sadly, it became a novel that wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an early copy of this book.


*Sigh*


I wanted to like this book. I really did.
But I didn't.
From the first page to the last one, I kept raising my eyebrows, frowning, and clenching my teeth because it kept making me angry.

I think the main character, Harri, might just be one of the most infuriating brat of YA literature. I mean, seriously – her family and friends are amazing, and yet, she keeps being an asshole to them, accusing them of murder notably. Girl. Stop it already!
She's also very veryyyy delusional and felt very childish to me. For the love of God, I wanted to tell her to just grow up a bit.

The plot didn't work either. It's just – too much. It's sort of like bad fan fiction published in a novel. Every single thing that happened seemed so far-fetched that, at some point, I had to put down my Kindle and take a very deep breath.
I totally get being in love with a group of singers, or actors, or whatever. Fandom is awesome... but it's not everything.
Never in the history of ever will fans solve a murder case involving someone they're a fan of. Never in the world of ever will members of a group just chill in a fan's room because said fan sent them an Instagram message.

I honestly know the author must have had a lot of fun writing this, and I'm glad about that, but it just wasn't for me. I need my fiction to be at least slightly plausible.

Harri and Jas are mega fans of the boyband ‘Half Light’ and are shocked when the bad boy of the group, Frankie, is arrested for murder. With the help of other fans around the world, they take it upon themselves to investigate and clear Frankie’s name.

Pros - engaging story, good final reveal

Cons - the main character, Harri, is a bit of a brat. For being a university student, she seems very immature, and her Uni halls romance seems a bit shoehorned in to the story.

I think I’d have enjoyed this more if Jas was the main character, she was much more of a rounded and likeable character than Harri. It’s possible that I’m just too old to understand this level of fandom (Take That were my boyband of choice, pre-internet!) so some of it seemed a bit extreme and borderline obsessive (which I guess is the point). It also highlights the downside of fame, having your every move scrutinised and judged!

3.5/5

Thanks to Netgalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review

I'm not one to usually pick up a murder mystery, but knowing this was about boybands and fangirls swayed me. It was a really enjoyable, light (is that possible for a murder mystery?) read, and I'm so glad I picked it up.

Although it was a murder mystery, the thing that resignated with me throughout was the idea around being a fan, and the friendships you can form with that. I have those friendships, and it was wonderful to see that depicted here.

I loved this book! This was such a fun read and I really enjoyed the portrayal of the power of the fandom once a member of the boyband, Half Light, is accused of murder. I thought that Eldred was spot on in the way she described the unique, electrifying experience of being a true, committed fan. I really hope that she will write more books under this theme and hopefully revisit these characters and their friendship.

I was so obsessed with this! I loved the pacing, the characters and the entire nostalgia the 'fandom' gave to me! Definitely took me back to being a teen (minus the, y'know, murder)

4* just because at the beginning I thought things happened abit "too" coincidentally for my liking!

I've never found myself being so enamoured with a boyband that I could fully understand the mentality of those who find themselves immersed in the fandom. I know it happens, but there's something inherently worrying for me that people can become so attached to a construct that they come to define themselves by it. The friendships forged in the name of such fandom can, I'm sure, be intense...and perhaps my lack of understanding for such a situation is why I found myself not quite as engaged with this as I hoped to be.
The Boyband Murder Mystery sounds as if it should have all the ingredients for success. A world-famous boyband, a close friend, an inter-group relationship and something alarming that happens which threatens to rock the band to its core should make for an interesting story, but there were times within the story where I found myself not being quite sure what I was reading.
Our main character is Harri, a nineteen year old in her first year at university, who has spent the last five years defining herself by the friendships formed around her love of the boyband Half Light. For Harri, the boys (Frankie, Kyle and Jack) are everything and she - along with the other millions of girls like her - is convinced she knows everything about the boys, would do anything to save them and can't live without them.
When Frankie is arrested on suspicion of murdering his best friend, Evan, nobody can quite believe it. Harri and her best friend Jas - who she has never met, and doesn't really know - are determined that they will use their knowledge of the group to do whatever it takes to prove Frankie's innocence.
Now, a far more interesting story might have been if such a person had murdered someone...but the focus is really on the girls, so we assume he is innocent and watch as they carry out their own investigations - without ever coming across a police officer - and try to work out who is responsible for setting him up.
There's no doubt this was entertaining. The story itself felt crazily far-fetched and I found myself quite irritated by Harri and her inability to interact with anyone in the flesh - but it was a good way to while away a few hours. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this before its publication.

This book captures the experience of fandom perfectly. I felt instantly transported back to my teens, spending my time on McFly forums or talking to the friends I made their. I couldn't help imagining what I would do if one of them had been accused of murder. It doesn't shy away from criticising fandom either though and suggesting that maybe Harri is that bit to invested at times.

The plot is fast paced and really pulls you in. I love a whodunit and this is a fun fresh take on it. The mystery is interesting and keeps you guessing throughout with a satisfying conclusion.

I've been anticipating reading this, after seeing people receiving proofs on social media and it did not disappoint. I love YA that doesn't treat the audience as if they're stupid, this does not shy away from using complex words and sentence structuring. Does well to pay tribute to the age of the fandom, for each generation

The boy band murder mystery is a story that was quite refreshing and honest about the fandom life- and honestly how it never....ever...leaves you. Many Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for allowing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Plot summary:
Harri has met all her friends through her love of Half Light- a boy band that has helped her overcome some of the most difficult times in her life.

But when the lead singer Frankie is accused of murdering his best friend Evan, the entire fandom is thinking the same thing- it wasn't him. With the support of her best friend Jas and the worldwide fandom they work to prove Frankie's innocence and save the band they all love from destruction.

Review:
Plot wise- a very intriguing take on a murder mystery that I definitely have not seen before but would love to read again. It kept me engaged throughout. It took me a while (and a few guesses) but the ending and the plot was genuinely satisfying and well thought out. The pacing was very fast but honestly as a ,mystery book for teens it worked extremely well.

Character wise- I loved Harri, Jas and the friendship that blossomed between them throughout the book. the development was well thought out for all the main characters and the boys within the band. Some of the side characters, e.g. Georgia, I felt were slightly lacking but that could just be due to the short time they were brought into it for.

World building- I don't have a lot of knowledge of the music industry but this explains it pretty well for me to be able to understand the premise of the story and what is happening to progress the story.

Final Thoughts:
An engaging and very relatable book to anyone who would do anything for a band they grew up in the fandom of. Engaging, mysterious and is definitely going to be a hit.

4 stars? 3,5 stars?
A huge thanks for Netgalley and the publishers for a copy (specially since its been a while)

I didn't want to give 3 stars, but maybe 4 is too much. But for the target audience, I think it could be a 4 stars. But I'm a 27 cynical woman, outside of every fandom because they are usually pretty toxic, people are too delusional and use to think they know their idols "better than themselves" *eye roll*. Publicity stunts are a real thing!

Maybe the main character can be relatable, but definitely not unlikeable. She's that kind of person who doesn't thinks she's actually better than others but sure acts like it. She literally accused three people of being the murder, one of them being a close friend. And honestly in this digital era it's very common for famous people don't even bother to menage their own media accounts. We also got a totally side relationship that's not even plot-device, is even less than that. And to crown it all, the solution wasn't even about being smart or whatever. It's all coincidental coincidences. Also, lol, what kind of police wouldn't charge you of crimes you actually committed and confessed just bc you were trying to clears someone else's name?

To be honest the only character I actually liked was Jack. The rest of them is just so... whatever. I couldn't even care. Oh, and Kyle? Honestly? I think he's an a**hole

Oh, and to think the author says she was inspired by One of us is lying! This doesn't even begin to look like one of Karen's works even remotely

Great for fans of one of us is lying and good girls guide to murder.
I was quite excited to read this. I do love a good thriller and trying to guess who done it. Took me back to being a teenager and my favourite band trying to imagine a murder and who would have done it!

This YA modern mystery novel is fast paced and easy to read, although at times very unbelievable, I know it’s a story, but… It has a heavy focus on fandom and how it can bring people together. The boyband in the story is incredibly similar to several boybands that have graced our airwaves over the years.

When Frankie, the lead singer of the band is accused of murder, Harri, who is a huge fan of Half Light, and her fandom friends decide to try and prove his innocence, using their love and knowledge of their favourite band.

As is the way with this genre of book, a lot of the story is rather far-fetched and certain situations involving the band members, or the access they get to the Half Light team are somewhat unrealistic, but somehow this doesn’t detract from the storyline.

Most of the characters are there with a purpose and it adds layers to both the friendships and the mystery. Not sure how Stefan fits in to this though, he is a bit of a let-down and seems to add very little to the story. The friends from across the globe, connected to Harri by their love of the band. Could have had more focus or even involvement to connect the fandom/friendship dynamic.

This novel was an easy, fun, at times annoying read. I read it in one sitting and would recommend this to older YA.

I would like to thank Penguin Random House Children’s UK and Netgalley for an Earc in return for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Children’s UK for giving me an e-arc of this title in exchange for an honest review.

This modern mystery novel is fast paced and easy to read, with a heavy focus on fandom and how it can bring people together. The boyband in the storyline is incredibly reminiscent of One Direction though, admittedly, there are multiple other bands which could probably draw comparisons. That being said, the strange familiarity does drag the reader in to the all-encompassing world of being a fan.

The protagonist - Harri - is dragged into a police investigation when her favourite boyband member is accused of the murder of his best friend and, utilising the friends she has made through the internet, sets out to catch the real killer, the person she believes to have set him up.

As is to be expected of this type of book, a lot of the narrative is rather far-fetched with certain instances involving the band members or the access to their management/publicity team extending past all realm of possibilities, yet this doesn't detract from the narrative. At times, the story can read a little like fanfiction, but Eldred pulls back before delving into this too much.

While most of the characters are engaging and add layers to both the friendship narrative and the mystery, Stefan is a bit of a let down and seems to add little to the story. Other characters - friends from across the globe, connected to Harri by their love of the band - could have had more focus, development or even involvement in order to really connect the fandom/friendship dynamic.

However, the novel is a fun, easy read and one which is easy to whizz through in one sitting. It may not be believable, but it is enjoyable nonetheless.