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kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Cute and interesting YA story that features a member of a boy band and a mega-fan of said band and the unexpected ways that their lives collide. I thought mental-health and LGBTQIA+ issues were dealt with well in this book. Not my favorite of Oseman’s books, but definitely a good, quick read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Biphobia, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Islamophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Outing, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
samchase112's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I've done it. I've read all of Alice Oseman's published works. I put this one off until last because I didn't recognize as much of myself in it — when compared to her others — and that remains true. (Well, I don't see much of myself in Heartstopper, either, but I also can't resist a romance that adorable.) Reading this I Was Born for This made me really sad, but by the end, really hopeful, as well. It was a downer of a book, but in a raw, emotional, well-written way. All these characters need a big hug and a whole lot of therapy, and I hope they get it. As soon as possible.
It's quite impressive how real Alice Oseman made these characters, this band, their world, in just a couple hundred pages. That's really the magic of her writing, beyond even the wonderful way she writes teenagers: her ability to make everything feel so completely real. That's why we all love her characters so much, and why I keep coming back to her work, again and again. Another win, one that makes me want to go back and reread the rest of her novels (yes, novels) as soon as I get the chance. In the spirit of Angel's imagined words to her boys, I hope Alice Oseman keeps making books forever and ever. I know I'll keep reading them as long as she does!
It's quite impressive how real Alice Oseman made these characters, this band, their world, in just a couple hundred pages. That's really the magic of her writing, beyond even the wonderful way she writes teenagers: her ability to make everything feel so completely real. That's why we all love her characters so much, and why I keep coming back to her work, again and again. Another win, one that makes me want to go back and reread the rest of her novels (yes, novels) as soon as I get the chance. In the spirit of Angel's imagined words to her boys, I hope Alice Oseman keeps making books forever and ever. I know I'll keep reading them as long as she does!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Homophobia, Racism, and Transphobia
dalek_caan's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I found this book to be enjoyable and a pretty quick read. I found Angel to be a really annoying pov character at first but she grew on me as the story went on. I definitely felt like there was a lot of nuance with the characters overall, which I definitely appreciated. It was also kind of interesting to follow two sides to the same story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Biphobia, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Outing, and Sexual harassment
kits_den's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Racism, Toxic relationship, Islamophobia, and Sexual harassment
lizziaha's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
As someone who has participated in multiple different fandom spaces, some of the things in this book immediately put me on the defensive. But I think it was good for me to flex those muscles and really examine how I and other people were interacting within fandoms. I also think that these main characters did a lot of things that I might not do or want them to do, but I think that made me engage with the text more as well. Definitely an interesting read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Blood, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Biphobia, Confinement, Racism, and Transphobia
starlitpage's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, and Alcohol
Moderate: Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Racism and Outing
hnagarne's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
That's why people get into fandom and bands and stuff. They just want to hold on to something that makes them feel good. Even if it's all a big lie.
Have you ever loved something (a book, a show, a band) so much that you made it your entire personality? Have you ever felt that you needed it to survive? That you would simply lose the will to live if you didn't get another book, another episode, another song? Angel Rahimi has, and so have I, and that's what makes I Was Born for This such an absolute gem.
CW: panic attacks, anxiety, transphobia, biphobia, depression, suicide (mentioned), parental abandonment, death of a loved one (mentioned), alcohol abuse, assault
One of my favorite aspects of this book is how it's, in essence, a love letter to fandom and the way it brings people together.
Angel Rahimi lives for one thing: The Ark, a boyband catapulting to stardom. She's followed The Ark from their early days on YouTube, runs a popular Twitter account dedicated to them, and has ditched her school's "leaving ceremony" in order to attend the last concert on their tour before they sign a new contract and (fingers crossed) make it big in the United States.
In order to attend said concert, Angel plans to stay with her internet friend of two years, Juliet Schwartz. Angel and Juliet talk nearly every day online, and they share one major thing in common: their love of The Ark. They've never met in person.
Angel and Juliet fangirl over The Ark's public appearances, attend a fan meetup, and even plan to do a meet and greet before the concert. There's a deeper story to be explored here between Angel and Juliet: Spoilerwhile Angel is busy fangirling over The Ark, Juliet's life appears to be falling apart, and in the end we get a gentle reminder that people are more than the things they love, and sometimes (often times) there are things more important than boy bands.
Seeing Angel's love for The Ark and its fans reminded me of how much I love my fandoms, including the people I met along the way, and how meaningful they were and continue to be in my life.
This isn't just a story about Angel, though. It's told from dual first person perspective, with alternating chapters told from Angel's POV and Jimmy's POV.
Jimmy Kaga-Ricci is The Ark's frontman, and life has changed so drastically in such a short period of time that he's just trying to stay afloat. Playing with The Ark is all he's ever wanted, but he finds that it often only exacerbates his anxiety. The Ark's fangirls perceive a romance between him and his best friend and bandmate, Rowan Omondi. They read into their every interaction, write erotic fanfiction, tweet about every brief glance. (What they don't know: Rowan has a secret girlfriend, Bliss Lai, who desperately wants her life to stay normal.)
As their stories begin to intersect, we see from Angel's perspective how perhaps our idols are not what they seem, and from Jimmy's we see that even the most passionate fans can still be kind, caring, and empathetic human beings. In the end, maybe that's all any of us want: to be seen as human.
Being a fan isn’t always about the thing you’re a fan of. Okay, well, it sort of is, but there is much more to it than just going online and screaming that you love something. Being a fan has given me people to talk to about the things that I like for the past five years. Being a fan has made me better friends online than I’ve ever encountered in real life; it has entered me into a community where people are joined in love and passion and hope and joy and escape. Being a fan has given me a reason to wake up, something always to look forward to, something to dream about while I’m trying to fall asleep.
Have you ever loved something (a book, a show, a band) so much that you made it your entire personality? Have you ever felt that you needed it to survive? That you would simply lose the will to live if you didn't get another book, another episode, another song? Angel Rahimi has, and so have I, and that's what makes I Was Born for This such an absolute gem.
CW: panic attacks, anxiety, transphobia, biphobia, depression, suicide (mentioned), parental abandonment, death of a loved one (mentioned), alcohol abuse, assault
One of my favorite aspects of this book is how it's, in essence, a love letter to fandom and the way it brings people together.
Angel Rahimi lives for one thing: The Ark, a boyband catapulting to stardom. She's followed The Ark from their early days on YouTube, runs a popular Twitter account dedicated to them, and has ditched her school's "leaving ceremony" in order to attend the last concert on their tour before they sign a new contract and (fingers crossed) make it big in the United States.
In order to attend said concert, Angel plans to stay with her internet friend of two years, Juliet Schwartz. Angel and Juliet talk nearly every day online, and they share one major thing in common: their love of The Ark. They've never met in person.
Angel and Juliet fangirl over The Ark's public appearances, attend a fan meetup, and even plan to do a meet and greet before the concert. There's a deeper story to be explored here between Angel and Juliet: Spoilerwhile Angel is busy fangirling over The Ark, Juliet's life appears to be falling apart, and in the end we get a gentle reminder that people are more than the things they love, and sometimes (often times) there are things more important than boy bands.
Seeing Angel's love for The Ark and its fans reminded me of how much I love my fandoms, including the people I met along the way, and how meaningful they were and continue to be in my life.
This isn't just a story about Angel, though. It's told from dual first person perspective, with alternating chapters told from Angel's POV and Jimmy's POV.
Jimmy Kaga-Ricci is The Ark's frontman, and life has changed so drastically in such a short period of time that he's just trying to stay afloat. Playing with The Ark is all he's ever wanted, but he finds that it often only exacerbates his anxiety. The Ark's fangirls perceive a romance between him and his best friend and bandmate, Rowan Omondi. They read into their every interaction, write erotic fanfiction, tweet about every brief glance. (What they don't know: Rowan has a secret girlfriend, Bliss Lai, who desperately wants her life to stay normal.)
As their stories begin to intersect, we see from Angel's perspective how perhaps our idols are not what they seem, and from Jimmy's we see that even the most passionate fans can still be kind, caring, and empathetic human beings. In the end, maybe that's all any of us want: to be seen as human.
Being a fan isn’t always about the thing you’re a fan of. Okay, well, it sort of is, but there is much more to it than just going online and screaming that you love something. Being a fan has given me people to talk to about the things that I like for the past five years. Being a fan has made me better friends online than I’ve ever encountered in real life; it has entered me into a community where people are joined in love and passion and hope and joy and escape. Being a fan has given me a reason to wake up, something always to look forward to, something to dream about while I’m trying to fall asleep.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Outing, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Biphobia, Racism, Transphobia, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death
glen3's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Blood, and Alcohol
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Racism, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Outing
bobisthecoolest's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This book is near perfect. Definitely a must read if you had/have an obsession with a (boy) band. This books talks about what happens when artists and fans meet and how fucked up fan culture can be sometimes. Will make you think
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction, Stalking, and Outing
Minor: Biphobia, Racism, Transphobia, and Injury/Injury detail
vaniavela's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Angel Rahimi, hijabi Muslim teenager whose life revolves around The Ark, an internationally famous boyband. Jimmy Kaga-Ricci, a biracial transgender gay musician and member of The Ark. What happens when the two paths unexpectedly collide?
I liked that the sexuality of the main characters are not plot points in this book. It is part of them, but it doesn't define all aspects of their lives; they are unique people with personalities.
I loved the portrayal of mental health. I felt represented as I read anxiety can keep you from doing things, no matter how simple and easy they may seem. There are times when we are terrified of things we used to love, have self-esteem issues and even harmful thoughts that have a tendency to affect our personal relationships.
Another aspect that really needed to be talked about was fandoms. The culture of fandoms was portrayed, the toxic aspects of them and how people can behave in dangerous ways. One of the aspects that makes me most uncomfortable and annoying is how people forcefully ship real people into a relationship, getting intense about it. Creating these romantic scenarios and then getting furious when the people involved deny it is unhealthy. I feel like this was well reflected in how Angel (and half the fandom) is Jowan's shipper and upon the revelation that they were nothing, one of the fans throws a brick at them.
Anyway, while it wasn't the book I enjoyed the most from Alice, I can say I liked it. Plus, I loved the cover.
Rep: biracial (indian and italian) anxious gay trans guy mc, persian muslim hijabi mc, side black character, bisexual sc, biracial (chinese and white) bisexual sc.
CW: panic attacks and paranoia, transphobia, biphobia, racism, discussions of sexual assault, depression, suicidal ideation, obsession and stalking, surgery, alchohol abuse.
I liked that the sexuality of the main characters are not plot points in this book. It is part of them, but it doesn't define all aspects of their lives; they are unique people with personalities.
I loved the portrayal of mental health. I felt represented as I read anxiety can keep you from doing things, no matter how simple and easy they may seem. There are times when we are terrified of things we used to love, have self-esteem issues and even harmful thoughts that have a tendency to affect our personal relationships.
Another aspect that really needed to be talked about was fandoms. The culture of fandoms was portrayed, the toxic aspects of them and how people can behave in dangerous ways. One of the aspects that makes me most uncomfortable and annoying is how people forcefully ship real people into a relationship, getting intense about it. Creating these romantic scenarios and then getting furious when the people involved deny it is unhealthy.
Anyway, while it wasn't the book I enjoyed the most from Alice, I can say I liked it. Plus, I loved the cover.
Rep: biracial (indian and italian) anxious gay trans guy mc, persian muslim hijabi mc, side black character, bisexual sc, biracial (chinese and white) bisexual sc.
CW: panic attacks and paranoia, transphobia, biphobia, racism, discussions of sexual assault, depression, suicidal ideation, obsession and stalking, surgery, alchohol abuse.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Stalking
Moderate: Biphobia, Racism, and Transphobia
Minor: Alcoholism and Sexual assault