Published by Atlantic Library, Kola Boof’s new novel, Virgins in the Beehive, explores what it takes for a woman to survive in the music industry. Sharing the sensational story of a female singing trio — JennaSet, Darling Nikki and Destiny Matthew — Boof exposes how popular culture’s obsession with European beauty standards affects her characters.
Needless to say, this isn’t typical commercial fiction. What’s being described as a “pop” novel works as a critical examination of popular culture, as Boof’s plot, which features fictitious representations of many familiar celebrities, also shares an inescapable judgment of an entertainment industry rampant with hypersexuality, drug use, extramarital affairs, violence, and even murder.
Reading Boof’s narrative pushes readers to question an industry that’s revered by so many. What are entertainers willing to risk as they strive to be famous? What do they gain as they acquire access to the world’s most restricted paradises? Is it worth it?
It’s no wonder this book was already optioned for film. Full of scandal, drama, treachery, and lust, Virgins in the Beehive is Valley of the Dolls meets Dream Girls.
If you’ve always wondered about the inner lives of pop divas, Boof’s novel will more than satisfy your curiosity about the truth. –patricia maaru
Patricia Maaru is a poet and educator. Follow her at twitter.com/vizionheiry.
