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“For Angel Ahmadi, life is only about one thing: The Ark - a pop-rock trio of teenage boys who are currently taking the world by storm. Being part of The Ark’s fandom has given her everything - her friendships, her dreams, her place in the world.
“Jimmy Kaga-Ricci owes everything to The Ark too. He’s their frontman - and playing in a band is all he’s ever dreamed of doing. It’s just a shame that recently everything in his life seems to have turned into a bit of a nightmare. Because that’s the problem with dreaming - eventually, inevitably, real life arrives with a wake-up call.
“And when Angel and Jimmy are unexpectedly thrust together, they will discover just how strange and surprising facing up to reality can be.”
Boyband lit is not something that I would usually pick up and read (I’ve tried a few and found them to be oh-so-cringey!). However, when I heard about all the hype surrounding I Was Born For This, I knew I had to see what all the fuss was about.
And oh boy, was I glad I picked this up! I absolutely loved it. It really got into the nitty-gritty of what life is really like when you’re famous. Jimmy was a character who just got to me straight away – whatever he was feeling within the book I felt too and that is very hard to come by these days. Angel also stood out to me – she was a character who wasn’t perfect, but in the end came to learn from her mistakes.
Another thing that stood out to me about I Was Born For This was how diverse it was. There is a Muslim, a trans guy, a bisexual and a gay character. Diversity is needed more in YA Fiction and Alice knocked this out of the ballpark and I applaud her for it.
I Was Born For This is a beautifully written, very character-driven book that takes you on a very unexpected journey of what it is like on both sides of a fandom and ultimately how things can all come to a head in ways you can’t imagine. This is one of my favourite contemporary reads of 2018 so far and one that I won’t forget in a hurry.