Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fun, funny coming-of-ager explores fame and identity.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In I WAS BORN FOR THIS, 18-year-old Angel is super excited to be spending a week in London. Not only will she get to see her favorite band, The Ark, in concert, but she's also got tickets to a meet-and-greet before the show. And if that wasn't enough, she'll be meeting Juliet, her best friend, for the first time in real life, and attending some fan meetup events in the days building up to the concert. At the same time, The Ark's Jimmy, 19, is trying to cope with the mounting pressures of the kind of fame where you can't even go outside your house without being mobbed. That, the final concert of their current tour, and being rushed into signing a new contract with the record company are magnifying Jimmy's anxiety. Jimmy and Angel eventually meet under circumstances no one could have imagined, and when they do, they're both changed in ways they never would have thought possible.
Is It Any Good?
This is a fun and funny story about fame and celebrity worship that's as thoughtful as it is entertaining. Amid good-hearted fun and wry humor, I Was Born for This explores fame, fandom, and how identity is both formed and perceived by celebrities and their biggest fans. Alternating between two narrators keeps the pages turning and keeps the perspectives on events fresh.
The characters are well fleshed out and believable. Teens will enjoy their banter, their adventures, and what happens when their worlds collide, and they'll also be exposed to a variety of perspectives on celebrity culture/worship in the era of social media. Parts of the biblical story of Noah and the ark, as well as quotes from the martyr Joan of Arc, provide further food for thought, especially about perseverance and bravery.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the strong language in I Was Born for This. Is it realistic? Does that make a difference? Is it a big deal?
The cast of characters in I Was Born for This is diverse. Why is diverse representation in books and other media important? How do you feel when you read or see characters like you? What do you learn from those who are different from you?
Are Angel and Jimmy positive role models? What are their character strengths and weaknesses? Who's your favorite character, and why?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Coming of Age
- Topics : Friendship
- Character Strengths : Compassion , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Scholastic Press
- Publication date : October 18, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 18
- Number of pages : 384
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
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