Alicia Thompson has the most amazing Substack newsletter (The Same Songs Over and Over) where she delves deep into music and popular culture, so I was excited to see if her fiction is just as engaging. Short answer, it really is! Never Been Shipped is terrific and a love letter to pop music in all its glory and messiness. 

The band ElectricOh were together for three years, starting when all the members were in their teens, and they had a couple of hit records, with the biggest one on a TV show with an enduring fandom.

Now thirteen years later, the band is offered the chance to play on a themed cruise, with all expenses paid, in return for playing two sets and making a few appearances. Apparently, five days on a cruise ship is justified for one decades-old teenage band to play four songs! With the past behind them, and the band members in their thirties, this cruise gives them five days to meet their contractual obligations, reconcile their pasts and rekindle their friendships.

They all jump at the chance, except ex-lead singer Micah. She’s reluctant because it brings up bad memories of a difficult time in her life and because she feels estranged from the rest of the band. She does agree to do the gig, however, and before the cruise even begins, the band members meet up and all their residual toxicity is laid bare, particularly Ryder’s, who was lead guitarist and Micah’s ex-boyfriend. With the exception of Ryder, the others all knew each other at school, so there’s a lot of history between them, too.

Micah is directionless and is lying low, living on royalties. Ostensibly, she blew up the band to pursue a solo career, and when that tanked, she withdrew from the industry completely, but she hasn’t found a career that is as meaningful. She also completely cut herself off from the others. As much as this is a romance, it’s also a reckoning for Micah. We gradually realise that her relationship with Ryder was toxic and this was the reason for her breaking up the band and her estrangement from them all.

John was the rhythm guitarist. He is a beta hero – plain name/plain man. He had a traumatic childhood which Micah didn’t realise at the time, and is now also a bit rudderless. He’s living in a share-house, plays in cover bands and works as a session musician, otherwise he’s also living off royalties from their biggest hit. John has always been in love with Micah, but he’s also valued her kindness (as it was back then), and the safe haven her family offered him. 

Both John and Micah’s lives have arrested for good reasons, and painful as that is, they can acknowledge this before they couple up. John adores Micah, but not just as the teenager she was. He knows she’s a different person now, but the core of her is the same and they are able to pick up from when she walked away from them all. He’s not angry, even though the band’s breakup was hard on him. Micah quickly realises that John is there for her, and while there is a lot to navigate, the core of their connection is not in doubt. Their past experiences are so poignant – heartbreaking and emotional – I teared up for all their missed opportunities.

Micah and John are great together and I cared – so much – about them, and their happily ever after is satisfying and believable. I would have liked even more comeuppance for Ryder and more closure for their teenage selves, but that doesn’t often happen in the real world, so leaving their past lives as messy memories feels authentic. The musical detail is deftly handled and I loved the rehearsals, the in-jokes, the instruments and how the music melds together. The author’s musical knowledge gives everything credibility, and the detail is natural and unforced. Not only will I be re-reading Never Been Shipped, but I’m off now to dive into Alicia Thompson’s earlier books.