I wanted to really like this book. I was a teenager in the 80s, and with its 1980s setting, I expected this to be a book I could really relate too. Sadly, I was disappointed.

Kissing Bowie opens with Melbourne-based, New Zealand-born photographer Sam attending the opening of a retrospective of her work at a London art gallery, where she meets a young fan, who reminds Sam of her own younger self, taking her back to her first, and only previous, stay in London.

And so we are taken back to 1980, as modern-day Sam writes down, with the help of her old diary, the story of that previous trip to London, where Sam is torn between her growing feelings for student Stuart, and her loyalty to her Bowie-obsessed best friend Laura, who is showing worrying signs of possible mental health issues.

The underlying story is a good one, and in the right hands could be a good, taut, tense exploration of friendships, love and consequences in the face of coping with one's own history. In Joan Taylor's hand, though, it's a good 300-page novel hidden within a 480-page book. I felt that the book was trying to be too many things. As well as mystery/thriller of Laura's story, and the chick-lit story of Sam's first love, there is commentary on press intrusion - applying the principles of the Leveson to a 1980 setting - and a party political broadcast on behalf of the Labour Party. Taylor is just trying to cram too many elements into this work, and it ends up being less than the sum of its parts.

Added to this was my increasing annoyance at Taylor's constant referencing of the date. We know the story is being told with reference to a diary, but it is not written in a diary style, so constantly seeing "Monday the 20th of October" or whatever date, grated. I first highlighted this tendency when that date was mentioned. By the time we got to "Wednesday the 10th of December" had had enough. Taylor frequently mentions other events that happened on those dates; it feels like she wants to show how clever she is, how much she knows about the year 1980. A little period detail gives a story context, but most of the detail in this book is unnecessary.

I'm not sure who this book is aimed at. In some ways, I felt too young for it - my memories of the 80s differ greatly from Sam's memoirs, probably because I was not yet in my teens in 1980, while Sam is 20. But perhaps I am, in fact, too old for it. Perhaps the historical references gives context to younger readers who remember nothing of the 1980s. I can't see it being of any significance to such an audience, though.

All in all, this book does not deliver on its promise. ( )

Famous photographer, Samantha Newell, returns to London in 2013 after a thirty year absence. She is there because her work is being shown at a gallery. She is asked a question about her work which leads to her documenting her life in London during the 1980's and why she left. In the form of a diary and using vivid detail, the author places the reader in the London of the 1980's. Samantha has come to London to reunite with her friend, Laura. Laura is charismatic and men are easily attracted to her, but she is obsessed with David Bowie. Joan Taylor's novel, kissing Bowie, follows the effect of the obsession on all those involved in Laura's life. Samantha recognizes Laura is not well. However, Samantha is not well, either, and is conflicted as to how to help her friend. She begins to question if she even wants to. Her decisions haunt her.
This is a well written story that takes the reader into minds of the characters. The novel examines the depths of friendship and all that comes with it. I found the book to be engrossing and interesting.
I received this book free of charge through LibraryThing Early Reviewers and I give this review of my own free will. ( )

kissing Bowie is a strong effort with a unique structure and pacing. The lives of two young women intersect as they travel to the UK from New Zealand and attempt to find themselves. Samantha, the narrator tells their story through memories and reflections in a diary. It makes use of her adult-self's photographs to set the tone of the action and express her feelings in the past. Laura, Sam's friend, has an obsession with David Bowie that controls both girls' lives. The book tracks where that obsession takes the young women as they forge friendships, relationships, and identities. An abrupt but fitting ending wraps the book up nicely.

The writing is fun though I agree with another reviewer that the memories are incredibly lucid for one recalling the events of 30 years prior. I did enjoy the photograph journal format of the book. While the book is based on Samantha's point of view there are multiple story arcs and developments, some of which dead-end and others that distract from the main story. There are, however, so arcs that essential to understanding the ending and Taylor does a good job of weaving all of them together considering. The ending will not be for everyone as the degree of closure is not to all readers' tastes.

This was an entertaining book that hints at good things to come from Joan Taylor. ( )

In the style of a memoir, kissing Bowie is a tale through the recorded memories of internationally famous New Zealand photographer Samantha Newel, He artistic thing is placing holes in strategic spots on her photos, and the book begins with a young fan asking her about this at a London exposition. What follows is a long confessional that takes us back more than 30 years, to a London where David Bowie was at the height of his musical popularity. Samantha follows her friend Laura to London where they live a rather austere life. Laura, however, has a problem -- her obsession with all things Bowie has become delusional, and it is affecting her life and happiness.

The obsession is preventing Laura from having normal relations with friends or potential mates. Stuart, a graduate student, wants to help but is shut out -- he tries to get to her via Samantha, who has a fatal attraction for Stuart herself. This leads to bad decisions by all as Laura's psychosis deepens, and mysterious notes by a stalker add to the mystery. Other guys involved in her life become suspects -- Chris, the paparazzo stalking Lady Di, Mike, the American acquaintance from a hostel they shared; Billy, a creepy dude who allegedly went to Paris at just the same time Laura went to New York on a expense-paid trip to see Bowie perform in Elephant Man; and finally Rupert, Sam and Laura's landlord and husband of their boss at a coffee shop. As the plot develops, a strong case is made against each one of these. Sam, meanwhile, is torn between loyalty toward her friend and pursuing her love, Stuart (who Laura believes is the culprit).

Samantha's memoir ends when Laura goes to New York and simply vanishes. The rest of the book happens occurs in 2013, where Sam unexpectedly gets closure that eluded her all these years. The ending makes perfect sense, and is yet unexpected.

Samantha's recollections, even with her detailed diary from the day, are little too lucid for being 30 years old. But as it hearkens back to my "coming of age" time -- in fact, a reference was made to Bowie performing Elephant Man in Chicago -- I saw one of those performances. The musical references were all familiar, and my own recollections of the time fit well with this story. ( )

As much as I wanted to love this book, I didn't. I liked it quite a bit. The story is of two roommates with their own psychological issues to deal with, but one commanding all of the other's time and mental power. Laura is obsessed with David Bowie and her life revolves around a fantasy she has created. This leaves her roommate Sam constantly walking on eggshells. The story takes a really long time to develop and meanders about. When Sam has finally had enough, Laura comes between her and a guys she loves. If the first half of the book moved as quickly as the last half, it would have been more interesting. During the whole book I thought the main plotline was Laura's obsession with David Bowie. About 3/4 of the way through Sam just takes off. End of everything. The book ends with her and Stuart reuniting. What happened to Laura? She was found dead? There needs to be a better wrap up. By the end of the book it was just a love story between Stuart and Sam. There needed to be more. ( )