I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman - HIGH

I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman, 384 pages. Scholastic Press (Scholastic). 2022. $19. 

Language: R (100+ swears 99 'f'); Mature Content: PG13 (some kissing, talk of being sexually active - not descriptive, teen alcohol use); Violence: PG13 (Described knife would, suicide threats) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

18yo Fereshteh "Angel" Rahimi is obsessed with the boy band “The Ark.” They are finishing out their current tour in London, and Angel is meeting her friend Juliet in person (after a years-long online friendship) to attend the concert - they even have tickets to a meet and greet. Angel's favorite is Jimmy Kaga-Ricci. He is one of the band members and is a trans boy. The Ark has been a band for about 5 years. When the boys were just 13, their youtube video went viral, and now they are the most popular band in the country with a huge fan base. Jimmy is feeling the pressure of signing a new contract, and there's some social media drama happening as well, with fans wondering if Jimmy is more than just best friends with bandmate Rowan. During the "Meet and Greet" an angry fan attacks Rowan, and Jimmy ends up hiding in a restroom - when he meets Angel (well, he pulls a knife on her) and she talks him down from his panic attack. When his people find him, he realizes he left the knife behind - a special one his grandfather gave him.  Now he's got to find that girl again and get it back. Fortunately, Angel reaches out and DMs Jimmy.  He agrees to meet up to get back the knife, and the two spend the day together.

Told in alternating perspectives, Angel's story of meeting a friend for the first time in real life, and things not going exactly as she imagined, is a great story on its own. Adding Jimmy's POV, with the highs and lows of just a few days with the band, made "I was Born for This" a book I just couldn't put down. It's upbeat, yet serious. I loved Angel's phone conversations with her dad, who wasn't excited that she chose to take this trip into London. I loved the realistic look at superstardom, and how difficult it is for young people to maintain the pace, the friendships, and their view of themselves. Angel is Muslim. All of the characters are British. 

Lisa Librarian