The Daydreams by Laura Hankin
I’ll be honest, I hopped into this book thinking it was going to give me big The OC vibes. I was super excited about that, especially because I just did a big rewatch of all four seasons. Instead, The Daydreams is more like High School Musical, which I was not mad about at all. If you love early 2000s pop culture, especially early 2000s TV, I think you’ll love this book. This one is also perfect for fans of Daisy Jones and the Six.
Back in 2004 (which was 20 years ago, OMG), a little TV series called The Daydreams launched four young actors into superstardom. There was Summer, the innocent girl next door and the biggest rising star of the show; there was Noah, the leading man, and Summer’s love interest, both on and off the screen; Kat was the show’s villain (think Sharpay, and I promise this will be my last High School Musical reference); and Liana was the best friend. Every week on the show, the foursome would sing and dance and act out a story that bled into their real lives. The world ate up every moment of it. Then, on their live finale, everything fell apart.
Since then, Summer, Noah, Kat, and Liana have all gone in different directions. Noah is an A-list actor. Kat left showbiz to become a successful lawyer. Liana married a famous athlete. And then there’s Summer…whose life following the series has been a bit of a trainwreck.
With everyone hungry for 2000s nostalgia these days, it’s no surprise that the fans begin clamoring for a The Daydreams reunion special. Each of the former stars has their own reasons for agreeing to do the special. But there was also a reason everything became so disastrous all those years ago. Will this reunion be the big moment that heals all of those former wounds? Or will this only dig up old secrets and open up old wounds?
You’ve never seen The Daydreams, obviously. It isn’t a real show. But after you read this book, you’ll feel nostalgic about a show that never existed. From the first to the final page, this book was just such a fun experience. It’s like watching the best 2000s teen show while reading the juiciest celebrity gossip while also catching up with an old friend (or four). I hope you’ll love it as much as I did!