Reviews with content warning for Injury/Injury detail - I Was Born for This

The second half of this book was absolute god-tier stuff, but the first half just felt off which kinda messed up the whole vibe.

I understand that this is meant to be about the parasocial relationships between ‘famous’ people and their fans, but it really just read like a self insert wattpad fic. maybe i’m just a little too self aware that I have been exactly the same person and it’s a bit confronting like that, but it just set the tone of the story a bit off for me.

that being said, the second half was absolutely excellent and i loved the relationships between the characters once they properly developed

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booksandcoffeewithlexi's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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thatqueengabby's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective fast-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

5.0

these old alice oseman works have such a dark edge to them despite being contemporary novels, and i find them fascinating and incredible. alice sets out to examine and critique the parasocial relationship between fans and celebrities. and that's what she examines, and everything builds on it, and she leans into the darkness of it, because it's horrific and awful for the boys. she doesn't pull punches

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liss22's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective fast-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

I really loved reading this book! Alice Oseman has created such loveable and relatable characters, making this such an enjoyable and fun read.

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jesse_5's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious slow-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

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saucy_bookdragon's review against another edition

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adventurous 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

4.5

"I think the truth is that everyone in the entire world is confused and nobody understands much of anything at all."

Alice Oseman has really mastered the science of the YA contemporary, huh? Like her other books, I Was Born For This is a heartwarming but not without darkness, relatable, and realistic contemporary. Oseman's characters always feel like real teenagers and she puts such care into the representation, this one starring a cast of relatable hot messes that I couldn't help but root for.

IWBFT in particular is about bandom and so deals with themes such as of parasocial relationships, fame, obsession, online friendship, shipping real people, etc. As someone who's spent some time in similar spaces (though I have more experience with pop girls than boy bands). I found it to be pleasantly nuanced, not making any blanket statements about whether fandom is a good or bad thing, providing both the perspective of a famous boy band member and a fangirl and showing both the pros and cons.

All the characters are quite dynamic and have solid, natural arcs. Jimmy is struggling with anxiety that has only worsened with his rising fame. Angel is staying with an online friend, Juliet, but Juliet invited Some Guy™ and Angel's finding their dynamic isn't exactly the same online. I loved how they're all allowed to be messy in a realistic way! The cast is also really diverse, Jimmy is trans and multiracial, Angel is Muslim and possibly aroace, and the side cast has multiple POC and queer characters.

The story is a breeze to read, Oseman's prose being casual, fitting a contemporary with a plot that's slightly unhinged. Along with Alice Oseman's other books, I'd high recommend I Was Born For This! Especially if you have experience in musical fandoms.

TWs: panic attacks on page, discussions of suicide, physical assault, injury, medical emergency, mentions of transphobia, mentions of parental abandonment.

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marena02's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad fast-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

4.0

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samcsmith's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense 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

4.0

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