Kill the Boy Band

February 8, 2016
Moldavsky's debut is a dark-humored, tongue-in-cheek novel with elements of noir. Teenagers Isabel, Apple, Erin, and an unnamed narrator have an intense friendship formed around their shared adoration of a British boy band, the Ruperts. Proud to call themselves "Strepurs" (Ruperts spelled backward), they follow the boys everywhere, hoping to catch a glimpse of them, even reserving a hotel room where they are staying. There, the girls come "to be in possession of very own boy bander," when Apple tackles a Rupert (the "Ugly One") on her way to get ice, knocks him out cold, and drags him into their room. References to fanfiction and "feels" place the story firmly in the present, though boy band mania is far from a new phenomenon. A late revelation throws the circumstances into a different light, yet sympathizing with the protagonists isn't really the point. The story's strength is in its bitingly satirical look at the extremes of fandom and how reality can be an unwelcome intrusion into carefully constructed fantasy worlds. Ages 14âup. Agent: Jenny Bent, Bent Agency.

December 15, 2015
Boy bands gets the Heathers treatment in this madcap macabre. Moldavsky's debut novel is a subversive take on the discontents of celebrity and obsessive fandom. Her 15-year-old narrator is so unreliable that readers never learn her real name; she uses a series of sobriquets culled from her favorite John Hughes films of the 1980s. She surrounds herself with fellow "Strepurs," manic fans of The Ruperts, a boy band curated by the host of the fictionally hilarious So You Think the British Don't Have Talent? This nest of vipers--vapid, vicious, and vitriolic--is led by queen bee Erin, whose "biggest talent in life [is] making being bad feel so good." Backed up by the bellicose Isabel and spoiled Apple, Erin orchestrates an overnight escapade in the SoHo hotel where The Ruperts are staying. Murder and mayhem ensue. As the situation spirals out of control and the panicked girls begin to behave even more erratically than their normal crazed-fan selves, the narrator eventually realizes that her so-called best friends are actually psychopaths. When they close ranks to dispute her own detailed memory of the night's events, she and readers both begin to wonder if she might be the craziest Strepur of them all. A sendup of the artificiality of the fame-making machine from both sides, the novel's humor is mercilessly black, and no one comes up smelling like roses. (Fiction. 14 & up)

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January 1, 2016

Gr 10 Up-What if a group of fangirls decide to meet their idols by any means necessary? In the case of Strepurs-that's Ruperts spelled backward-the thing they most desire are the boy band The Ruperts. Discovered on So You Think the British Don't Have Talent?, four boys named Rupert are thrust into the spotlight and become every fangirl's dream. When the singers arrive in the Big Apple to film a Thanksgiving special, thousands of fans surround their hotel in an attempt to get a glimpse of the guys. Apple, Erin, Isabel, and the unnamed narrator decide to get a room at the hotel and will do anything to meet the group. When a coincidental meeting with Rupert P., the untalented Rupert, leads to him being strapped to a chair in the girls' hotel room, misunderstandings, chance meetings, Twitter revelations, and murder ensue. Told in the first person, Moldavsky's debut novel is filled with dark humor and pop culture references and will have readers laughing until the end. Fans of boy bands and reality TV talent contests will notice parallels between The Ruperts and current pop groups. The power of social media and fandom and its impact on teens and adults alike make this a relevant read. Sexual innuendos and language make this book better suited to older teens. VERDICT A hilarious read to satisfy readers' inner fangirls. A must-have for high school and teen library collections.-Ashley Leffel, Griffin Middle School, Frisco, TX

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2016
Grades 9-12 In the wake of her father's death, Moldavsky's unlikely heroinewho insists on assuming movie-inspired aliases (Sloane Peterson, for example)is left with very little: a shabby string bracelet, a case of deep-seated anxiety, and a mother who is never home. But when the Ruperts, the haphazard product of a British reality-TV show, stumble to stardom, everything changes for our protagonist (let's go ahead and call her Sloane ). In addition to hit singles, an onslaught of speaking wristwatches, and the occasional juggling routine, what the heartthrob Ruperts offer Sloane is a strain of hope, replete with fantasies, fan fiction, and new friends. Hoping to catch a glimpse of the boys during a performance in New York, Sloane and her gal pals ambush an unsuspecting Rupert P. at the ice machinewhere it becomes clear that the girls will require something far more treacherous than a simple autograph. Although teen readers will identify with Sloane's brand of solemn spunk, Moldavsky's tale of self-doubt, revenge, and atonement will appeal to anyone who's ever had the fortuneor misfortuneof being a fan. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2017
Unreliably narrated in the first-person by Samantha Baker, this is the "true" account of how she and her fellow-fangirl friends came to accidentally kidnap Rupert P., a member of famous boy band The Ruperts. A hysterical dark comedy filled with tons of pop-culture references and a nod to fanfiction--today's teens will have a lot of fun with this one.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)