Today I wanted to talk about two of the most important themes in I Was Born For This by Alice Oseman which is my YA Book Of The Month for March. I just wanted to chat about the roles they play in the story and other books that share these themes.
n.b. I am now using YABOTM to abbreviate YA Book Of The Month because it is otherwise too long and doesn't fit in to the title.
FANDOM
Definition of fandom: 'the state or condition of being a fan of someone or something.'
Fandom is where the character of Angel comes in. She is a huge fan of The Ark, they mean more to her than anything else. However, she soon discovers that fandom encompasses a lot of lies and not all the fans have the same respect that she has for their idols. This may seem strange, that people don't respect those that they look up to, but it is very well represented in this book. You see how some of the fans take their obsessions too far and push the boundaries of what is (or should be) acceptable.
The community aspect of fandom is especially important to the book. There is a meet-up, where all the fans heavily involved in that circle get to know each other and make new friends, all whilst talking about their favourite band. Perfect, right?
On paper, yes. Fandom would be the ideal place to find your new best friend. But as Angel discovers, you don't know these people in person. We all know about the dangers of people you meet online but that's not really what I mean. You may have talked to this person for hours over text, done everything together over video, but staying with someone and spending every minute of every day with someone is a totally different ball game.
Books with representation of fandom:
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
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FAME
For most of us, fame is something we will only dream about. The problem is that we fantasize it too much and it becomes something we long for, and quite a few books explore what fame is really like and how it affects people.
In I Was Born For This, fame has a detrimental impact on The Ark, especially Jimmy. This is where fame and fandom links because the only reason the fame becomes almost unbearable is because the fans are extreme and the press equally so. So what it comes down to is that fame becomes such a horrible thing for those involved in this instance because of society and certain groups within it.
Where it all gets complicated is when you think about the way that the fans have given these people everything. Without the fans, they wouldn't have a career doing for the most part what they love. So they need fans to get the fame.
Fame is a strange thing. Looking at it from the outside, these people usually have short careers, become very rich, get to do what they love all day every day and have a huge group of people behind them supporting them all the way. What this book exposes, is when that gets too much and how the press and the pressure of constantly being in the public eye can really be hurtful and impact relationships with those closest to them too. This is certainly the case for Jimmy in I Was Born For This.
The pressure of being famous is also something addressed in the book. How their every move is dictated by what people will think and how every song and concert needs to be amazing. They always have to be at the top of their game and pretending to feel great, when everyone has bad days and sometimes, we just need a day to ourselves to relax and take care of our bodies and take a step back. In the public eye, this is not possible. You're expected to post on social media, to attend meetings and take part in TV shows and interviews. The pressure of fame is also something that really gets to Jimmy.
Fame can make or break a person and obviously, we need those people to look up to. It's in the way that they are treated that lies the problem and this is highlighted in this fascinating book.
Books with representation of fame (however big or small):
If This Gets Out by Cale Dietrich and Sophie Gonzales
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
A Good Girl's Guide To Murder by Holly Jackson
One by Sarah Crossan
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I hope this post has been interesting and that you will pick up I Was Born For This. It truly is a fantastic story with so many messages and ideas that I would love to explore further. I know Alice Oseman wants to write a sequel, and I will DEFINITELY be reading that! I love this book so much and I hope you will too! Thank you so much for reading this!
Let's chat!
Have you read I Was Born For This? What did you think? What books do you know of that talk about fandom and fame? Any recommendations?
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I have not read I Was Born For This? I used to want fame when I was younger, but really don't want it at all now. Interesting book.
ReplyDeleteFame is such a fascinating concept and this book approaches it so well! I feel the same, I used to want to be famous but now I would rather live my life without having to be surrounded by bodyguards every time I want to go into a bookshop!
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