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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I want to say this was like "Catcher In the Rye" 2013 and it was a cross between that and Justin Bieber's biography. I couldn't help but think of him and Selena Gomez. Some parts were comical and some parts were pretty sad, but overall, after reading several reviews of it, I enjoyed it.
My 2013 beach read, thanks sis-in-law. Creepy but I enjoyed it anyway.
rounding down from 4.5, but actually i liked this book much more than i thought i would. no clue where i heard of it--probably metafilter.
3.5. Felt this started a little flat but all of a sudden I was totally invested in the characters. Funny and clever and so much heart.
Kids sure grow up quickly these days. That's especially true if you're an 11-year-old pop star with legions of pre-teen female fans. No, it's not Justin Bieber, it's Jonny Valentine — the star of Teddy Wayne's sadly funny (or funny, but sad) new novel.
Chronicling the ups-and-downs of a cross-country arena tour (ending on Valentine's Day at Madison Square Garden), this novel puts Jonny's too-early collision with drugs, sex, hipsters, rejection, and loneliness on full display. Clearly, these are all things a bit above his age-grade. And he's confused. He wants to be a humble, normal kid — but that's impossible, thanks to his fame and his ridiculous fake-boobed mother/manager Jane, a stereotypical over-controlling parent/manager.
Jonny's only real friends are his bodyguard Walter, his tutor Nadine, and Zach, the mid-20s lead singer of the opening band on Jonny's tour, and the subject of a newly developed hero-worship. But these aren't his real friends, because they're paid to be near him — and they can all be replaced on a whim, as his mom/manager does throughout the tour. And that's sad — both for Jonny and for the reader.
The best/funniest parts of this novel are the frequent commentaries on and examples of how celebrity is often staged and disingenuous. For instance, Jonny goes on a "date" with another pop star/actress for publicity, and of course, is carefully coached on how to answer interview questions. But we all willfully ignore how stupid Hollywood entertainment executives think we are. And we're obsessed with these manufactured celebrities anyway.
For his own part, Jonny just wants something real. He invites the fake-date girl to hang out with him when they're back in LA, but she just laughs at him because she doesn't like to mix "business" with her personal life. And he spends much of the tour exchanging secret emails (he has to sneak Internet access, though, as his manager/mom won't let him go online) with his estranged father. Will they have a touching reunion at the end?
I hope you get the sense by now that this is far from a bubblegum YA novel. It's actually really smart. Some of the most interesting parts of the novel are when Jonny is "discovering" and telling us some truth that seems to him the most profound thing in the world. For instance, shooting a piece for a TV morning show at his old grade school, all the kids in the hallway are supposed to act natural and walk right by him in the hallway, but they can't help but glance at the camera. Jonny opines: "Everyone wants to be famous more than they want to see someone famous." Well, duh.
But this story is a lot of fun, too. Wayne certainly took a big risk with this novel, because it works or doesn't work for you depending on whether you like Jonny's voice. Young narrators can cause problems, but not here. I really liked Jonny's voice. And I think you will, too. Highly recommended!
Chronicling the ups-and-downs of a cross-country arena tour (ending on Valentine's Day at Madison Square Garden), this novel puts Jonny's too-early collision with drugs, sex, hipsters, rejection, and loneliness on full display. Clearly, these are all things a bit above his age-grade. And he's confused. He wants to be a humble, normal kid — but that's impossible, thanks to his fame and his ridiculous fake-boobed mother/manager Jane, a stereotypical over-controlling parent/manager.
Jonny's only real friends are his bodyguard Walter, his tutor Nadine, and Zach, the mid-20s lead singer of the opening band on Jonny's tour, and the subject of a newly developed hero-worship. But these aren't his real friends, because they're paid to be near him — and they can all be replaced on a whim, as his mom/manager does throughout the tour. And that's sad — both for Jonny and for the reader.
The best/funniest parts of this novel are the frequent commentaries on and examples of how celebrity is often staged and disingenuous. For instance, Jonny goes on a "date" with another pop star/actress for publicity, and of course, is carefully coached on how to answer interview questions. But we all willfully ignore how stupid Hollywood entertainment executives think we are. And we're obsessed with these manufactured celebrities anyway.
For his own part, Jonny just wants something real. He invites the fake-date girl to hang out with him when they're back in LA, but she just laughs at him because she doesn't like to mix "business" with her personal life. And he spends much of the tour exchanging secret emails (he has to sneak Internet access, though, as his manager/mom won't let him go online) with his estranged father. Will they have a touching reunion at the end?
I hope you get the sense by now that this is far from a bubblegum YA novel. It's actually really smart. Some of the most interesting parts of the novel are when Jonny is "discovering" and telling us some truth that seems to him the most profound thing in the world. For instance, shooting a piece for a TV morning show at his old grade school, all the kids in the hallway are supposed to act natural and walk right by him in the hallway, but they can't help but glance at the camera. Jonny opines: "Everyone wants to be famous more than they want to see someone famous." Well, duh.
But this story is a lot of fun, too. Wayne certainly took a big risk with this novel, because it works or doesn't work for you depending on whether you like Jonny's voice. Young narrators can cause problems, but not here. I really liked Jonny's voice. And I think you will, too. Highly recommended!
i read this really fast because i wanted to know what happened. at turns sad and hilarious, it made me want to find justin bieber and give him a hug. a bit harrowing.
I don't know about how this works for others, but very occasionally I flip through a People Magazine (or something similar) in the staff room during lunch. It instantly transforms me into something strange and zombie-like as turn the pages ogling at photos, but read very little text (and certainly no actual articles). In my imagination of myself, I might even be sporting a slack-jaw. I emerge and feel like I've been in a trance. I shake it off and wonder about this strange celebrity gossip-cognitive-vacuum phenomenon. For about 3 seconds.... then I snap back to normal and it's like the whole thing never happened.
Reading this book was that People Magazine experience, extended to hours and hours at a time. I could only justify it, at first, because I understand that it's a *commentary* on "our" collective fascination with celebrity and how it is ugly, sad, and ultimately ridiculous. And, yet, still. The experience of reading it felt like gazing at a car crash for an extended period of time, and it made me queasy. I guess that means the author did a very convincing job of writing (a made-up biography of Justin Bieber). After 200 pages, I had to stop. For my own sanity. No more staring at this car wreck just because it's there.
Finally, I want to add that I picked up this book because it is supposed to be FUNNY. A blogger on Book Riot called it one of the funniest of 2013 (also one of the best). She and I have a different sense of humor.
Reading this book was that People Magazine experience, extended to hours and hours at a time. I could only justify it, at first, because I understand that it's a *commentary* on "our" collective fascination with celebrity and how it is ugly, sad, and ultimately ridiculous. And, yet, still. The experience of reading it felt like gazing at a car crash for an extended period of time, and it made me queasy. I guess that means the author did a very convincing job of writing (a made-up biography of Justin Bieber). After 200 pages, I had to stop. For my own sanity. No more staring at this car wreck just because it's there.
Finally, I want to add that I picked up this book because it is supposed to be FUNNY. A blogger on Book Riot called it one of the funniest of 2013 (also one of the best). She and I have a different sense of humor.
This book was just terrible. I kept waiting for there to be a lesson or reason for the casual racism and frequent comments about how fat people are awful. Nope! I forced my way through numerous mentions of an 11 yr olds boner (that he often gets when his mom is involved)...
Poor Jonny Valentine. The poor kiddo needs a friend more than he needs a manager or a bodyguard. I felt so bad for him...and for all of the young celebrities out there. I mean, you've got to wonder how much they want to be famous versus how much they just want to be a kid.
Definitely made me think of all of those YouTube sensations (like Justin Bieber) and those poor kids with the potentially-crazy moms (like that Modern Family kid that's accused her mom of abuse).
As far as the book itself, I almost dropped it a few times. While the child celebrity factor was intriguing, the book is told from the perspective of an 11 year-old boy. So on one side, I was intrigued, the other I was annoyed by Jonny. I'm sure there are other books out there with young first-person protagonists, but there was something about this one that just didn't read well (or right) to me. Maybe it was that this one was told in the present and others are told using past tense.
Definitely made me think of all of those YouTube sensations (like Justin Bieber) and those poor kids with the potentially-crazy moms (like that Modern Family kid that's accused her mom of abuse).
As far as the book itself, I almost dropped it a few times. While the child celebrity factor was intriguing, the book is told from the perspective of an 11 year-old boy. So on one side, I was intrigued, the other I was annoyed by Jonny. I'm sure there are other books out there with young first-person protagonists, but there was something about this one that just didn't read well (or right) to me. Maybe it was that this one was told in the present and others are told using past tense.