Unless you were living under a rock during the late 80's and early 90's, you probably heard of the group New Kids On The Block. Five young guys, they rose to fame with songs like "I'll Be Loving You" and "Hangin' Tough". They've sold over 80 million records worldwide, and were the first pop band to ever play Fenway Park back in 2011. It took just 6 minutes for their comeback show at Madison Square Garden to sell out back in 2008 - so their fan base from the beginning is still with them, even 20 years later - which is amazing.
I'm not, nor ever have been, an "NKOTB" fan. I made fun of them. I'd rather walk across hot coals then listen to "Hangin' Tough". In fact, I remember purchasing a poster of them, specifically to use as a dart board for party we were having in junior high. So, while this book wasn't even close enough to being my cup of tea, I sat down to read it. And grumbled to myself the most of the way through, because it's hard to keep an open mind when you loathe something so much. On the other hand, it triggered memories of back when I was a kid - so I guess, that made it worth my while. ;)
However, my thoughts aside, if you were a fan of New Kids On The Block, you'll probably enjoy this book a lot. It's full of stories and reflections by the group members themselves, and a great behind the scenes look at their rise to fame. Unlike today's musical talent, NKOTB can honestly say they became superstars without the power of the Internet - and even though I'm muttering as I typing this, that's a pretty gosh darn feat in itself. (Which makes you wonder? Would they have been even bigger, had they become an Internet sensation? Or would they have been passed over for not being "pretty" enough? Who knows?!) If you're looking for a Christmas gift for the 80's lover, or someone you know had posters of these guys all over their bedroom wall - this is the perfect idea. There was a lot of information about the guys that I had never heard of in this book. (Although, if you are a diehard fan, maybe you have?)
New Kids On The Block: Five Brothers And A Million Sisters by Nikki Van Noy is a hardcover biography book published by Touchstone. It is 288 pages long. The suggested cover price is $25.00, but Amazon has it available for $15.67 as of this posting. It is also available as an e-book for the Kindle and other e-readers.
I received a copy of this book in order to read it and share my thoughts on it. All opinions are my own, and not that of the author(s) or publisher.
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