An example: the New Kids started their first big tour as the opening act for Tiffany, and Jonathan Knight dated her for a while. As the group became more and more popular, the bill was flipped and Tiffany started opening for them. But Jonathan and Tiffany's relationship, and the effect this must have had on them--a key focus of the E! True Hollywood Story episode about the New Kids--isn't even mentioned in the book.
Jonathan Knight later admitted he's gay--after being accidentially "outed" by Tiffany, if you can believe it--and the inner turmoil and confusion he must have felt as a teen idol must have been almost unbearable. That could also make some interesting material for the book, but there's no sign of it here. (Knight's sexuality, and his coming to terms with it, is dealt with in just a couple of pages.)
The New Kids' fall was even quicker than their rise--by 1994, they were called "NKOTB" on the cover of their more "mature" album Face the Music, and split up shortly thereafter. Some members had moderately successful solo careers, branched into real estate and music producing, and Donnie Wahlberg followed his brother Mark into an impressive acting career. Rumours of a New Kids reunion kept coming up, but came to nothing--until 2007, when a new album and successful tour were launched.
Five Brothers and a Million Sisters actually spends at least as much time dealing with the group's post-reunion tours and projects (including the "NKOTBSB" tour with the reunited Backstreet Boys, and even an annual cruise) as it does on their 1989-91 heyday. I'm glad to see the guys are still doing well, but this material just isn't what I had in mind, and I think most readers would feel the same way.
I'm a sucker for books about the rock stardom and the music industry, and I really did start this one with an open mind. The adult New Kids seem like decent guys, and genuinely devoted to their longtime fans. But aside from a few interesting tidbits here and there, there's nothing that anyone even moderately familiar with the group--not to mention dedicated New Kids fans--wouldn't already know. My sixteen year-old self would have told me not to waste my time.
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