Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman

76 reviews

embla_v's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful

4.25

Den här boken var inte det jag förväntade mig men jag är glad att den inte var det. Otroligt underhållande, dramatisk och känslosam. 

Boken har två POVs, det första är Angel. Angel är en fangirl och hon lever för the Ark. Det andra POVet är Jimmy, en av de tre medlemmar i the Ark. 

När Jimmy och Angel plötsligt mötts inser de att allt kanske inte är som det verkar och att verkligheten skiljer sig från tankar och drömmar. 

Det här är en otrolig "coming of age" bok som bjuder på skratt, visdom och tårar. Oerhört relaterbara karaktärer och bra representation. 100% läsvärd!!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Addiction, Outing, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, and Transphobia

Minor: Death of parent, Eating disorder, and Sexual assault

shapesandcolours's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness

Moderate: Blood

Minor: Abandonment, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, and Transphobia

marywahlmeierbracciano's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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

4.0

I Was Born for This is a story of friendship, platonic love, believing in yourself, and making your life what you want it to be.  It centers on Jimmy—a trans boy band member—and Angel—one of his biggest fans.  Both narrators happen to be religious (Jimmy Christian and Angel Muslim), but I was pleasantly surprised to find that their religiosity was represented simply as a special part of each character’s way of thinking and was not at all preachy or uncomfortable.  Joan of Arc appears symbolically throughout the novel alongside a diverse cast of complex characters.  Buckle up for a wild ride full of tenderness and unexpected turns!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Cursing, Alcoholism, Violence, and Stalking

Minor: Vomit, Transphobia, Outing, and Homophobia

math_scooter's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

5.0

I was born for this af Alice Oseman er en bog jeg vil anbefale til alle fans af hvad som helst, og også alle andre faktisk. Jeg har hørt lydbogen to gange nu og den kan varmt anbefales, selvom bogen nok er lige så god i skriftlig form. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Stalking, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness

Moderate: Outing, Alcoholism, Violence, Addiction, and Alcohol

Minor: Biphobia, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Medical content, Transphobia, and Eating disorder

tuliptohru's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad tense 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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Alcoholism, Blood, and Stalking

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Outing

this_is_lee's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective tense 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

This book absolutely blew me away. It was nothing like what I expected, which was refreshing. I’ve never been horribly interested into fame/celebrity storylines but Alice crafted this so incredibly beautifully that I couldn’t not enjoy every minute. It has a slow start that snowballs into some breathtaking twists. 
I found this book to be so important because of the representation. Angel is a hijabi Muslim and Jimmy is not only a famous singer but is also a Transgender Christian. Reading through the perspective of these two characters came to be quite insightful. Everyone felt 3-dimensional and had real and relevant struggles. 
Overall, I learned a lot while reading this book in addition to enjoying the hell out of it! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Outing, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, and Stalking

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Grief, and Sexual content

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: Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness

Moderate: Stalking, Addiction, and Outing

Minor: Racism, Biphobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Transphobia

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.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Biphobia, Transphobia, and Racism

Minor: Sexual assault and Alcoholism

lyd41's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

The premise of this book was completely unique. Oseman decided to tell a story seldom told before. I loved themes of parasocial love and fandom culture and living as a celebrity and struggling with mental illness. This book would have been nice for me to read a bit younger 🥲. The exposition was a bit too slow, but the fast paced, tense, action filled ending made up for it in a way. Each character felt like a real being with motives and interests, which i enjoyed. I also thoroughly did not like some characters, just like real life!!! :D 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Outing, Stalking, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Blood, and Vomit

Minor: Transphobia, Self harm, Death, and Homophobia

nerdysread'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

5.0

My first Alice Oseman’s novel. I loved it. Okay at first I cringed. Because I was like Angel. Not with a band (it was Supernatural and it’s cast for me). And looking back I’m like « how could I be like that ». But yeah I lived for this fandom, it was something as big as the Ark for Angel. But I grew up. Just like Angel did. And that’s what I really love about this book. The characters and their evolution. 

Both Angel and Jimmy have their problems. They are great protagonists. They have their doubt, they strength, their flaws. They are human. Well all the characters in this book are really human. You can’t hate them. I’m really glad I started Oseman’s novels with this one. 

I loved the relationships between everyone and the way toxic fan culture is described. 

Anyway it’s a 5/5 stars. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Transphobia, Blood, Stalking, and Abandonment

Minor: Self harm, Outing, and Adult/minor relationship