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A review by sphynxreads
Chords of Strength: A Memoir of Soul, Song and the Power of Perseverance by David Archuleta
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
Anyone who knows me well knows how much I love David Archuleta. He is basically my Taylor Swift. Many of his life experiences mirror mine: growing up Mormon and serving a mission, having a music-filled home, coming out as queer, and eventually leaving the church. I have always connected with his music because of this, even way past his American Idol days.
I went into this book not really expecting to be left in awe of him as a person—he was a teenager when this came out after all—but to get a glimpse of what he was like before everything changed for him following his coming out.
The writing is very juvenile here, which was to be expected. And having read Jennette McCurdy's I'm Glad My Mom Died, I was hyperaware of just how "not normal" the childhoods of young artists are. So much of what Archuleta went through at the encouragement of his father—who has turned out to be emotionally abusive—left me in discomfort considering just how young he was when he was put on the spotlight. In addtion, you get the sense in this book that Archuleta felt the need to be inspirational, which is a lot to ask for someone his age back then.
Overall though, it's pretty clear that Archuleta's passion for music is unquestionable. The man lives and breathes it. Looking forward to his new memoir this year. I think it will shed more light and vulnerability on the events recounted here.
I went into this book not really expecting to be left in awe of him as a person—he was a teenager when this came out after all—but to get a glimpse of what he was like before everything changed for him following his coming out.
The writing is very juvenile here, which was to be expected. And having read Jennette McCurdy's I'm Glad My Mom Died, I was hyperaware of just how "not normal" the childhoods of young artists are. So much of what Archuleta went through at the encouragement of his father—who has turned out to be emotionally abusive—left me in discomfort considering just how young he was when he was put on the spotlight. In addtion, you get the sense in this book that Archuleta felt the need to be inspirational, which is a lot to ask for someone his age back then.
Overall though, it's pretty clear that Archuleta's passion for music is unquestionable. The man lives and breathes it. Looking forward to his new memoir this year. I think it will shed more light and vulnerability on the events recounted here.