New Kids on the Block by Nikki Van Noy

(Touchstone) I do not think the idea of a New Kids on the Block book is absurd. As one of the last American boy bands to explode in popularity without Disney or Swedish intervention, and as a group that had the same management/mentors as New Edition (children who notoriously lived lives that would kill most adults), there are stories to be told. But perhaps an authorized biography may not be the place to tell them. And more significantly, over twenty years after a band's heyday may not be the time to write a book that feels like it expects a primarily 14 year old readership. This book tells of loyal fans, a successful comeback, and loyal fans that fueled a successful comeback, but just because people in their late thirties still like their relatively youthful looking idols and still enjoy their solid pop tunes doesn't mean they still read Tiger Beat. I am baffled by why anyone would market a juvenile book to middle-aged people, but I guess no one ever went broke acting like people were stupid. That said, for a band that this book implies respects their fans profusely, this book is pretty insulting to their intelligence.