Indeed, my favourite part of the novel was the intelligent discussion of fandom, which sits at the novel’s very core. The first-person perspective goes deep beneath the surface of what being a fan - and a member of a boyband - is really all about.

Each of the characters has their own well-drawn vulnerabilities and strengths, nuances and inner conflicts - there are no stock types or clichés, which could be a worry when writing a novel about fans and boy bands. Oseman also has a particular gift for bringing the characters on the page alive in a really believable way, especially those Gen Z characters. I was truly impressed by the way she writes from the point of view of a teenager in 2018, getting the tone so right, sounding neither patronising nor clichéd. At a decent 400 pages, the novel packs in a lot, both in terms of themes explored and story told, even if it does take place over the course of just a few days.Īs a millennial herself, Oseman channels the Generation Z voice so well. What follows in a very eventful week causes both Fereshteh/Angel and Jimmy to call a lot of what they thought they believed into question, as both fangirl and boyband member begin to interrogate their commitment to their various causes, at once lending the novel a bildungsroman feel and facilitating discussion of the highs and lows of being a fan.Īlice Oseman effortlessly and joyfully brings these characters and others to life, treating her subjects - and the subject matter - with compassion and non-judgement, while discussing questions of friendship, teenage identity, fandom and online friendships.

The novel has a dual narrative structure, flipping between Fereshteh/Angel’s and Jimmy’s perspectives over the course of one week, during which the former attends an Ark concert and meet-and-greet with members of the band, including Jimmy. The novel, by 27-year-old author and illustrator of the sensationally popular (for good reason) Heartstopper series of graphic novels, follows teenage fangirl Fereshteh (who goes by her online alias of Angel) and the object of her affections, Jimmy Kaga-Ricci, one-third of the sensationally popular boy band The Ark (which, while fictional, certainly finds a few parallels in the real world).

I Was Born For This by YA author and illustrator Alice Oseman is a heartwarming and eye-opening look at the often misunderstood world of fandom and online culture, which brings to life a delightful and very human set of characters with compassion and nuance.

I was born for this alice