American Fantasy
A Novel
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected Apr 7, 2026
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- $18.99
Publisher Description
NAMED A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2026 BY NEW YORK TIMES, PEOPLE, AND TIME, HARPER'S BAZAAR, OPRAH DAILY, AND US WEEKLY
"I can hardly remember the last time I read anything that brought me such pure joy.”— Ann Patchett
“American Fantasy is such a fun, delicious, big-hearted book.” –Taylor Jenkins Reid
“You will feel so understood by this novel.” –Rainbow Rowell
From New York Times bestselling author of This Time Tomorrow, an irresistible story about what happens when your teenage fantasy comes true after you’re already an adult.
When the American Fantasy cruise ship sets sail for a four-day themed voyage, aboard are all five members of a famous, nineties-era boy band and three thousand screaming women who have worshipped them since childhood.
Feeling slightly out of place amid this crowd is Annie, here on a lark to appease her sister. Yet when the lights come up and the idols of her youth begin to sing, something is unlocked. Call it memory. Call it nostalgia. Call it the chemical reaction of hormones, hope, and sexual reawakening. Between the slushy alcoholic drinks, the familiar music, and the throngs of middle-aged women acting like lovesick teenagers, Annie finally reconnects to a long-submerged part of herself. By the time she meets one of the band members—not just a celebrity but someone in need of a friend—she has accessed a new sense of possibility.
In a smart and incisive book packed with laugh-out-loud reflections on fame, aging, and marriage, Emma Straub delivers a richly textured story that shows us real passion is never truly lost, that what we love makes us who we are, and that deep meaning can sometimes be found in a sea of screaming fans.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Reliving your childhood takes on a new meaning in this delightful comedy. Middle-aged Annie gets stuck by herself taking a fantasy cruise starring her teen-dream boy band after her sister injures her leg. She decides to make the best of it for her sister’s sake but soon finds herself pulled into the enthusiasm and drama. Especially after she makes an unexpected connection with one of the singers, Keith, who’s tired of this nostalgia-circuit life and in the middle of some deep soul-searching. Throughout the themed activities, dances, photo ops, and many potent drinks with names like “the Sexy Sunrise,” Annie realizes that reliving her past is a way of reconnecting with her present. Author Emma Straub balances humour and poignance as she gives real humanity and depth to fully grown adult women dressed in spangles, sequins, and shirts plastered with their idols’ faces. This sense of community and excitement makes American Fantasy a joy even if you never found yourself drawn into boy band fandom.
