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4.18 AVERAGE
4.18 AVERAGE
JVN opens up about his life and a host of serious issues with this trademark humor and sass. Worth a listen, but make sure you have a box of tissues nearby because there is a lot of rough patches.
I appreciate all kinds of memoir, especially about struggles, but this lacked something for me. And the Bill Clinton interlude? I understand cutting the tension but this too fell flat. I feel like I didn't really learn much about who JVN is and instead was more impressed by his seemingly-encyclopedic knowledge of Olympic athletes.
I love JVN, and hearing this book read aloud was just
Is this literature? Probably not. Is it an engaging audiobook read by the author? Yes!
I'm not sure how this would read on paper, because the narrative feels like...not a book, but more of an extended monologue. I don't usually go in for celebrity memoirs, as they often fall flat for me (being good at acting/singing/comedy does not automatically make one a good writer), and while this one has some less successful moments, it also made me laugh out loud several times (especially the inclusion of his childhood essay on the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky scandal, which had me cracking up in traffic like a crazy person). There was a good balance between humor and the pain of his past, and it was ultimately uplifting, if a tad all over the place. It's a warm, inspiring message for people who have been through childhood trauma, addiction, or difficulty coming to terms with who they are. If I could give half-stars, I'd go for a 3.5.
I'm not sure how this would read on paper, because the narrative feels like...not a book, but more of an extended monologue. I don't usually go in for celebrity memoirs, as they often fall flat for me (being good at acting/singing/comedy does not automatically make one a good writer), and while this one has some less successful moments, it also made me laugh out loud several times (especially the inclusion of his childhood essay on the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky scandal, which had me cracking up in traffic like a crazy person). There was a good balance between humor and the pain of his past, and it was ultimately uplifting, if a tad all over the place. It's a warm, inspiring message for people who have been through childhood trauma, addiction, or difficulty coming to terms with who they are. If I could give half-stars, I'd go for a 3.5.
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
fast-paced
4.5 stars, rounded up.
After a really disappointing experience with Tan's book (I still love you Tan, I just struggled with your book - sorry!), I was so hesitant with this one. I didn't want anything to ruin the GORGEOUS view I have of JVN.
I am happy to report this did not at all disappoint. It's such an honest, vulnerable, well-written book, and I'm so glad he was brave enough to share his story. I think what is most remarkable about it is how relatable it is, even from the outset. I mean, aside from that fact that he literally mentions HANSON on page one (always a selling point for me), before the first chapter was through I found tears springing to my eyes at the honesty of what he was saying - He talks about how underneath his joyful, exuberant persona, lies this fear that "if you knew all of me, you wouldn't love me anymore." And I'll be damned if that isn't a fear I live with every single day of my life - do we all harbor that within us? He goes on to say, in the next paragraph:
I knew by page 7 I was going to love this book, and love it I did. Van Ness shares those various pieces that make him the person he is. It's his story, for sure, and at times it is a difficult one to reconcile with the person we see on our television screens, if only because it's hard to believe that someone who seems to have such a joy for life and comfort living in his own skin has been through so much pain in his life.
I think it's interesting the way he chooses to tell his story too. It's so easy to hear his voice as you're reading the pages (in fact, if you had never heard him speak, I would think there are a few turns of phrase that I don't know how they would read without his voice in your head). And he doesn't shy away from sharing some of the darkest things he's been through - abuse, bullying, addiction. Yet, he covers them without making a big deal out of them, if that makes sense. He doesn't gloss over the fact that he was sexually abuse at a young age, for example - he acknowledges that it happened, as well as the trauma it caused well into adulthood and the struggles that occurred when he told his family about it. But he also doesn't go into the gory details, as sometimes happens in books like this. He doesn't need to - his story makes its point without that.
I think one of the things that really stood out as I read was his ability - as an older, healthier version of himself - to look at some of those darkest times from a distance. To see what was really going on when he made the choices he did, or to understand that his parents were just doing the best they could for him, within the limitations of who they were as people. He really touched on the fact that we are all flawed. We all have pain, and we have all carried our trauma and experiences with us into our lives. We can be forgiven our mistakes - we just have to keep trying to do better. To be the best version of ourselves. A version of ourselves that WE are comfortable with, not one validated by those around us.
His story is powerful and raw and I love him all the more for sharing it.
After a really disappointing experience with Tan's book (I still love you Tan, I just struggled with your book - sorry!), I was so hesitant with this one. I didn't want anything to ruin the GORGEOUS view I have of JVN.
I am happy to report this did not at all disappoint. It's such an honest, vulnerable, well-written book, and I'm so glad he was brave enough to share his story. I think what is most remarkable about it is how relatable it is, even from the outset. I mean, aside from that fact that he literally mentions HANSON on page one (always a selling point for me), before the first chapter was through I found tears springing to my eyes at the honesty of what he was saying - He talks about how underneath his joyful, exuberant persona, lies this fear that "if you knew all of me, you wouldn't love me anymore." And I'll be damned if that isn't a fear I live with every single day of my life - do we all harbor that within us? He goes on to say, in the next paragraph:
I love everything packaged up neatly and put into an easily understandable box. I continue to realize that this is now how life works. Joy can live beside sorrow. Life is messy, unpredictable, and seldom tied into neat little boxes.
I knew by page 7 I was going to love this book, and love it I did. Van Ness shares those various pieces that make him the person he is. It's his story, for sure, and at times it is a difficult one to reconcile with the person we see on our television screens, if only because it's hard to believe that someone who seems to have such a joy for life and comfort living in his own skin has been through so much pain in his life.
I think it's interesting the way he chooses to tell his story too. It's so easy to hear his voice as you're reading the pages (in fact, if you had never heard him speak, I would think there are a few turns of phrase that I don't know how they would read without his voice in your head). And he doesn't shy away from sharing some of the darkest things he's been through - abuse, bullying, addiction. Yet, he covers them without making a big deal out of them, if that makes sense. He doesn't gloss over the fact that he was sexually abuse at a young age, for example - he acknowledges that it happened, as well as the trauma it caused well into adulthood and the struggles that occurred when he told his family about it. But he also doesn't go into the gory details, as sometimes happens in books like this. He doesn't need to - his story makes its point without that.
I think one of the things that really stood out as I read was his ability - as an older, healthier version of himself - to look at some of those darkest times from a distance. To see what was really going on when he made the choices he did, or to understand that his parents were just doing the best they could for him, within the limitations of who they were as people. He really touched on the fact that we are all flawed. We all have pain, and we have all carried our trauma and experiences with us into our lives. We can be forgiven our mistakes - we just have to keep trying to do better. To be the best version of ourselves. A version of ourselves that WE are comfortable with, not one validated by those around us.
His story is powerful and raw and I love him all the more for sharing it.
I LOVE JVN. He’s so inspirational and he really tells his truth in this very open memoir. It’s crazy how we are the same age and yet he has lived so much more than me. He had me laughing in the first chapter.
I listened to the audiobook of this, and it was a slam dunk for me. If you’re a JVN fan at all, I don’t know how you won’t like this memoir. He goes very deep and really talks more about his lowest of lows that have lead him to the highest of highs in just the last few years. Definitely recommend.
JVN is lovely and I immediately opted into his glow after the first episode of Gay of Thrones in 2013. After his memoir, I still absolutely love hearing from him. I listened to his memoir which was lovely because he has so much energy.
I think where most readers will struggle is that he explains a lot of historical happenings (namely those revolving around the Olympics and sports like gymnastics and ice skating) to compare it to something else he experienced. For me, this immediately took me out of hearing about the difficult things he dealt with, so it definitely made me feel like I was being kept at a distance (which is absolutely ok, but it did make it a tricky read). I've never read any memoir like this one, it's absolutely unique in how his voice translates to the page and script, and I really think that fans of JVN will enjoy hearing about his life. But definitely expect a lot of segues.
I think where most readers will struggle is that he explains a lot of historical happenings (namely those revolving around the Olympics and sports like gymnastics and ice skating) to compare it to something else he experienced. For me, this immediately took me out of hearing about the difficult things he dealt with, so it definitely made me feel like I was being kept at a distance (which is absolutely ok, but it did make it a tricky read). I've never read any memoir like this one, it's absolutely unique in how his voice translates to the page and script, and I really think that fans of JVN will enjoy hearing about his life. But definitely expect a lot of segues.
Didn’t know him at all but loved learning about his life. Jonathan has wonderfully loving views about everyone and is inclusive, brave, and kind.