GROUPIES

In 1977, a young woman moves to Los Angeles and quickly finds herself caught up in the exciting—but dangerous—music scene.

Priscus’ debut novel starts with a bang: “Josie, who’d be covered in blood on bathroom tiles in nine months’ time, met me at the Greyhound Station.” The “me” in question is Faun Novak, who has nothing to lose when she moves to LA to live with her high school best friend, Josie. A recent college dropout, Faun arrives with little more than her beloved Polaroid camera. Josie’s always been a bit larger than life, and now she’s spun her charm into something truly impressive: She’s dating Cal Holiday, the lead singer of the rock band Holiday Sun. Faun easily gets swept into Josie’s glamorous world, clutching her camera and taking photographs of the debauched situations she encounters behind the scenes as she and Josie party with the band. Faun befriends the other girls who hang out with Holiday Sun, the ones who are often dismissed as groupies—a band member’s wife, another band member’s underage girlfriend. But all that glitters isn’t gold, and Josie’s relationship with Cal Holiday isn’t as perfect as it looks from the outside. The lifestyle that Faun thought she wanted and the band she initially worshipped aren’t quite as exciting after countless concerts and parties. And as Faun’s journey races toward the bloody ending promised in the opening line, she realizes that she may be in way over her head. The story is peppered with so many details about debauched parties and blaring music that readers can almost see the Polaroids that Faun compulsively snaps. And although it’s quite effective as a time capsule of the 1970s rock scene, it’s also an exploration of obsession and a compassionate look at the women and girls many people would easily dismiss. This would be a perfect choice for fans of Daisy Jones & the Six.

A gritty, glamorous novel full of sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll.