New Kids on the Block: Five Brothers and a Million Sisters by Nikki Van Noy

New Kids on the Block: Five Brothers and a Million Sisters by Nikki Van Noy is an authorized biography of a boy-band that millions of girls and women fell in love with in the late 80s and 90s. The group has had its ups and downs over the years, but has managed to come back together and remains a strong group that has countless fans around the world. If you were or are a NKOTB fan, this is a book you’ll want to read.

Book Description

“Jordan, Jon, Joe, Donnie, and Danny. They set the bar for every boy band that followed and changed the course of pop music forever. In the 1980s, for millions of young girls around the world, they were gods. But behind the scenes, they were just kids. In this authorized biography of the band, the New Kids tell it all to rock journalist Nikki Van Noy. 

From makeshift stages in Boston clubs to soldout shows at Madison Square Garden, through winning American Music Awards and selling 80 million records, the New Kids on the Block (NKOTB) were a rite of passage and a touchstone of youthful memories. Scoring platinum albums, and with a series of sold-out international tours, NKOTB blazed through North and South America, Europe, Australia, and Asia, leaving throngs of screaming teen and tween girls in their wake. But after a few heady years, the guys (and their fans) grew up, and moved on. The New Kids disbanded in 1994 and, for nearly fifteen years, there was every reason to believe that the NKOTB phenomenon was over once and for all. 

But then an unexpected thing happened. The band (and their fans) got a second chance to relive their youth when NKOTB reunited in 2008. And they realized that this band has something special—an unbreakable bond with their fans and with each other that has only strengthened with the passage of time. Today, fans both old and new celebrate the band’s triumphant comeback with sold-out concerts, cruises, and top-selling albums. And this time, Jordan, Jon, Joe, Donnie, and Danny are enjoying it all right alongside them. An intimate, all-access backstage pass to everything New Kids on the Block, from their meteoric rise to fame 

Nikki Van Noy talks directly to those loyal fans, as well as to all five band members and their families, weaving their stories together in this no-holds-barred chronicle. With frankness and honesty, each New Kid recalls nearly thirty years of experience with the group, both on and off the stage. Like a time machine, this book will take you right back—giving you an inside look at the New Kids like you’ve never seen them before. 

An intimate, all-access backstage pass to everything New Kids on the Block, from their meteoric rise to fame in the 1980s to the band’s breakup in the 1990s— and their triumphant comeback today.” – New Kids on the Block: Five Brothers and a Million Sisters

My Thoughts

New Kids on the Block: Five Brothers and a Million Sisters brought me back to when I was a kid and loved this group. Sure, I was young, but even then, I had the posters on my wall, a sleeping bag, T-shirts, and of course, their music. It was pop music I could sing along to, and the boys were cute. I wasn’t a crazy fan, and I have never seen them in concert, but they did start my love of boy bands. All fans have a story about their favorite band, and Nikki Van Noy does an excellent job of telling heartwarming fan stories about New Kids on the Block in this biography.

I was really young when the band first came out, so I never knew much about their actual story of rising to the top, or why I stopped hearing their music and fell in love with the Backstreet Boys and N*Sync. This authorized biography tells their story of how things actually happened, what they thought of one another then, and how things are with the group now that they are back together again.

What I really appreciate about this group is their love and appreciation of their loyal fan base. Not all groups are lucky enough to have fans that still love their music, and care about the band members as people after over twenty years. This biography was written by a true fan, and it shines throughout the book. If you call yourself a NKOTB fan, this book is for you.

* Thank you to the publisher of New Kids on the Block: Five Brothers and a Million Sisters, Touchstone, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.