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lola425 's review for:
The Love Song of Jonny Valentine
by Teddy Wayne
Wayne really inhabits the character of Jonny Valentine, a preteen superstar (Justin Beiber pretty purposefully evoked) who is struggling with tepid album sales and an mini-empire that depends on him, an eleven year old boy, to keep hundreds of people employed. Jonny's insular world keeps him from doing such mundane preteen things as surfing the internet, having friends, going out for ice cream without being watched (either by chance or by a publicist's strategic planning). His best friend is his middle-aged bodyguard. He can't sleep without medication. He spends most of his non-touring time playing video games and attending meetings, at which he has little to no input. His adolescent development is both retarded and accelerated by the conditions placed upon him by his fame and wealth. The novel gives you a feeling of what it must be like to have that kind of celebrity. His analysis of the media (including blogs) is spot on. If you've ever made a disparaging remark about Bieber or taken malicious pleasure in a Lindsay Lohan mug shot (and be honest, who hasn't), Wayne might actually have you thinking twice before doing so again.