Those who grew up in the
1990s will probably remember the girl band Sleeper. If you recall a time when
you spent afternoons poring over magazines like Big and Smash Hits (guilty!)
then I imagine you've heard of singer Louise Wener. Having quit the pop scene
quite a few years ago, Louise is now a novelist. Different for Girls is a
memoir, detailing her life from a music-loving youngster to a young woman,
reaching the height of her Britpop career.
Louise first tells us of her
days as a child, when she first started taking an interest in music. She
recorded the weekly top 40 on her tape recorder (again, guilty...) and borrowed
her older brother's records, beginning to get to know her style and soon
becoming more knowledgeable in the field that was to give her fame in later
years.
As a fan of this kind of
funny memoir, I couldn't wait to read this, especially as I too grew up in the
90s, loved Top of the Pops and dreamed - only as a kid, honest! - about
becoming a pop star. Louise tells about her childhood crushes, her musical
loves, and her life in school. She goes on to describe her life as a teenager
and then as a twenty-something, as her musical influences change and she meets
new people, joins new bands, getting ready for the life ahead. She describes
how she gets her record deal and delves into life as a touring pop star. I can
only imagine how much I would loved this book back in my teenage years!
Different for Girls is
written in a witty and funny way and I couldn't help but love Louise and her
tales. It was quite the nostalgic read, taking me back to the days of magazines
and wall-posters and pop music. I love memoirs and this is one of my favourites
so far, full of witty accounts and true stories from a world that plenty of
youngsters have dreamt of.
Having not yet read any of Louise Wener's novels, I'm about to get hold of them as I loved this so much and can't wait to see what else she has to offer!
Rating: 5/5
