Bubble tape.
That glorious, popstar pink, mysteriously-covered-in-something-that-looks-like-powdered-sugar gum.
And Big League Chew.
Damn, I could eat and entire pouch of grape Big League Chew right now. (Side note: I've swallowed every piece of gum I've ever chewed. Yeah, it's weird. No, it doesn't take 7 years to digest.)
The point is? You know it serves no nutritional purpose, but sometimes you just want the bubble gum.
That's what this book was for me.
I don't remember where I read it, but this book was described as a dark comedy look at the world of extreme teenage fandom. Fangirls gone wild, if you will.
Four friends bond over an insane, all-encompassing love for a British boy band called The Ruperts. Why The Ruperts? They're all named Rupert. Obvi.
The story begins with the air of confession and promises to set the record straight on what happened when they kidnapped one of the Ruperts during a Thanksgiving fan binge gone horribly wrong.
Which one did they kidnap? The ugly one. Every boy band has an ugly one. And, he ended up tied up in their room.
What happened over the course of the next few hours doesn't challenge your brain or make you look for underlying meaning. It just whips you through the crazed world of teenage girls who will do anything for the next Twitter mention or run-in or website hit or fan fiction inspiration.
Is it good?
It's like that Bubble Tape, really. It's deliciously satisfying at first, then it loses it's flavor. And, you're not ready to give up on it because you're getting a fair amount of satisfaction from blowing the bubbles and working your jaw.
I've taken that metaphor too far. My apologies.
It's a quick read and, like the boy bands it immortalizes, entertains on a superficial level. There are a couple of plot twists and moments of deeper intrigue built in, but in the end, it leaves you with nothing really left to hang onto.
Maybe it's not supposed to. As Violet Beaugegarde can tell you, even the best chewing gum can't last forever.
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