Book Review: “I Was Born for This” Encapsulates Teenage Hyper-Fixation

This YA novel by Alice Oseman follows dual teenage narrators Angel Rahimi and Jimmy Kaga- Ricci. Jimmy is the lead singer of the internationally famous boy band that Angel is obsessed with, so it’s fascinating to hear both perspectives on fandom and fame from people who are both coming of age. The story is technically part of the “Osemanverse”, but I couldn’t find any direct connection to Oseman’s other novels, not that it needs a connection to be interesting.

I was reminded of my NSYNC days when reading this, remembering how I collected their merch and thought that going to one of their concerts was the greatest moment of my life at the time. I even drafted a letter to my favorite member, Lance, but I guess even 10-year-old me was wise enough not to send it. Angel is similarly obsessed with “The Ark”, a three-member boy band from England who are just starting to become internationally recognized in this novel. Angel, 18 and finishing up secondary school, collects merch, memorizes songs and videos, and proclaims to genuinely love the members of the band. Her family members, especially her mother, think it’s just a phase and chastise her obsession, but Angel stands strong in her love of the band. I think both Angel and her mother are right; Angel’s feelings are valid and true at the time, but she does eventually realize that it’s unhealthy to make a boy band her entire personality- she has to be her own person too. But teenagers must learn these lessons on their own; relentlessly telling them that they’re silly will only create a schism in your relationship.

Jimmy also has to figure out how to be his own person when he has a relentless touring schedule for his band and no free time to make “normal” friends or have “normal” experiences while living in London. I’ve always felt a bit of pity for people that become celebrities as children or teenagers because it prevents them from properly socializing with their peers and forming a basis of what ordinary life is like for most people. And even if you’re famous, that doesn’t mean it’s easy to stand up for what’s best for you, which Jimmy learns as a new international touring contract is practically shoved down their throats. He needs both his band-mates and ordinary friends to help ground him in reality when surrounded by screaming fans and endless selfie requests.

The first part of this book is generally rollick-good fun as the characters gear up for an Ark concert; new friendships are established and we get to know the heart of the main characters. Once we get to the day of the concert, the novel becomes more serious as the characters grapple with the ugly side of fame and the public eye. The two narrators are thrust together in an interesting way that has unexpected ramifications later on. As the characters confront their personal flaws and the changing world around them, the readers get a sober look into how serious and fraught teenage lives can be with such high stakes. Just because they’re young doesn’t mean their lives are less meaningful, and in fact it means they undergo so much more change and growth as a result.

Oseman does such a wonderful job of depicting the truth of being a teenager in a fast-paced, hyper-connected world like we have today. It makes me thankful that I didn’t grow up with such easy access to the internet. She also handles a sub-plot in an interesting way. Angel Rahimi’s real name is Fereshteh, which means “angel” in Farsi, and so Angel is her social media handle. When meeting fellow fans for the first time, they use her online name and she doesn’t correct them. When she finally tells her new friends her real name at the end of the book, it is such a wonderfully honest moment of Fereshteh being true to herself after so much effort to fit in with her mostly white peers. And this story being from Oseman, we also get lots of beautiful queer characters in this novel along with queer sub-plots. Having such good representation on the page is the kind of realism I wish I had as a teenager.

I Was Born for This was released in the UK in 2018, and will be released with a new hardcover in the US on October 18 this year. Even though this book doesn’t directly correspond with the well-known Heartstopper characters, you can find the timeline of the Osemanverse on her website.