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auntkat86's review
5.0
WOW. My niece gave me this book and i was not expecting it to be this good. I literally finished it within 3 hours. I couldn't put it down. Connor is definitely an old soul. I can relate to so many things in this diary and it has given me a new perspective. It was like a wake up call.
justinkhchen's review
3.0
3 stars
I wouldn't call myself a die-hard Connor Franta fan, but from following his IG and casually checking out his YouTube videos form time to time, he seems to be one of the few YouTube-started personalities who remains humble, and genuinely connected with the world around him. This collection of personal essay, poetry, and photography wholeheartedly reflects that.
To support his content, I pre-ordered this back in 2017, but only got to reading it this year (2020), and the lag in time does somehow affect my overall enjoyment. Phrasing it in a positive light, it's a time capsule, but it also means, the book is now a little dated. In a world where we can engage with its author on a day-to-day basis, Note to Self's central theme of mental recovery (heavily referencing his breakup at the time), and the collection of color-saturated visuals (that was THE aesthetic in the late 2010s) feel irrelevant; both Connor and the world has since moved on.
Unexpectedly, I find the poetry the most enjoyable; it is the most 'timeless' and universally applicable content here. The self-reflecting essays are fine, but they don't dive deep into the subject matter they are discussing, so unless you are aware (or still remember at this point) the events around that time period, consuming them alone lack the emotional punch to resonate.
Overall, it was a fine, if at time shallow, dive into the mind of a 25-year-old Connor Franta. I'll be curious to see if someday he will try his hand at a poetry collection, or even fiction.
I wouldn't call myself a die-hard Connor Franta fan, but from following his IG and casually checking out his YouTube videos form time to time, he seems to be one of the few YouTube-started personalities who remains humble, and genuinely connected with the world around him. This collection of personal essay, poetry, and photography wholeheartedly reflects that.
To support his content, I pre-ordered this back in 2017, but only got to reading it this year (2020), and the lag in time does somehow affect my overall enjoyment. Phrasing it in a positive light, it's a time capsule, but it also means, the book is now a little dated. In a world where we can engage with its author on a day-to-day basis, Note to Self's central theme of mental recovery (heavily referencing his breakup at the time), and the collection of color-saturated visuals (that was THE aesthetic in the late 2010s) feel irrelevant; both Connor and the world has since moved on.
Unexpectedly, I find the poetry the most enjoyable; it is the most 'timeless' and universally applicable content here. The self-reflecting essays are fine, but they don't dive deep into the subject matter they are discussing, so unless you are aware (or still remember at this point) the events around that time period, consuming them alone lack the emotional punch to resonate.
Overall, it was a fine, if at time shallow, dive into the mind of a 25-year-old Connor Franta. I'll be curious to see if someday he will try his hand at a poetry collection, or even fiction.
itsarthuradams's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
guillevaldata's review
3.0
The truth is that I don’t follow Connor Franta on social media, but the book was good.
I felt like he was talking directly to me at some parts, because as I was reading I found myself going through a lot of things he experienced too.
The only flaw was that I’m on a reading slump so I was really disconnected at some points, I’m sorry Connor.
3.5⭐️
I felt like he was talking directly to me at some parts, because as I was reading I found myself going through a lot of things he experienced too.
The only flaw was that I’m on a reading slump so I was really disconnected at some points, I’m sorry Connor.
3.5⭐️
vimki's review
5.0
absolutely LOVED this. i read it in a mere 2 hours and now my heart is BURSTING with love for this man. this book was so raw and real and beautiful and i loved it so much. always a pleasure to see this nerd and im so thankful that I went to his event on Friday to get this. LOVE LOVE LOVE
sonialusiveira's review
3.0
Surprisingly, I don't enjoy this at all as much as I enjoyed reading his first book. I usually love reading inner monologues, but I can't bring myself to take delight in reading Connor's monologues in this book. It is all too chiché and melodramatic. However, I do love the photos he included in the book.
pbraue13's review
3.0
Poet laureate Mr. Franta is not, but this book really touches on some topics that I needed to hear and knew I felt when this book initially was published and I first read it. Looking back, there are many moments that still ring true for me. The getting comfortable in your own identity, the pain of worrying about others needs while neglecting your own or seeing yours as less important, the feeling of that first heartbreak out of the closet, etc. all still feel so familiar to me. Reading it I was suddenly 18 again in my freshman college dorm. The poetry and photos (while beautiful) feel a lot like filler to me, but in the end I had a formative experience and was taken on a journey.
3.5/5 stars
3.5/5 stars