I was Born for This by Alice Oseman

Summary from Goodreads:

From the bestselling creator of HEARTSTOPPER and LOVELESS, a deeply funny and deeply moving exploration of identity, friendship, and fame.

For Angel Rahimi life is about one thing: The Ark -- a boy band that's taking the world by storm. Being part of The Ark's fandom has given her everything she loves -- her friend Juliet, her dreams, her place in the world. Her Muslim family doesn't understand the band's allure -- but Angel feels there are things about her they'll never understand.

Jimmy Kaga-Ricci owes everything to The Ark. He's their frontman -- and playing in a band with his mates is all he ever dreamed of doing, even it only amplifies his anxiety. The fans are very accepting that he's trans -- but they also keep shipping with him with his longtime friend and bandmate, Rowan. But Jimmy and Rowan are just friends -- and Rowan has a secret girlfriend the fans can never know about. Dreams don't always turn out the way you think and when Jimmy and Angel are unexpectedly thrust together, they find out how strange and surprising facing up to reality can be.

A funny, wise, and heartbreakingly true coming of age novel. I Was Born for This is a stunning reflection of modern teenage life, and the power of believing in something -- especially yourself.

Review:

I LOVE the Heartstopper books. when Oseman’s new novel came out I thought it was time I gave her books in other formats a try. I tend to love books that deal with famous people -it’s just one of those tropes I just enjoy. So, this one spoke to me. However, it’s not at all what I was expecting. I guess I was hoping and expecting something a little lighter and more romantic, and what I got was something a little deeper that dealt a lot more with mental illness and friendship than any kind of romantic love.

There’s nothing wrong with a book that handles mental illness and friendship. It’ just not what I thought I was signing up for, and because of that, it took me a bit longer to read. One of the main characters suffers anxiety and panic attacks, and that’s something my husband suffers too, so I guess it was also very close to home for me. I related it to it a lot. And I’m glad there’s a book that talks about the topic.

This book talks about a lot of topics. For starters, it’s one of the most diverse books I’ve read in a long time. One main character is trans and the other is Muslim (possibly asexual). There’s bisexual characters, characters of different races, different religions, different backgrounds, and ages, etc. Also covered are characters in fandoms and real life friends vs internet friends. But, the best thing is that none of this defines the book. It just helps to make it. The books is mostly about friendships, mental illness, family (both the ones your born into and the ones you chose) and fame. Oseman has a way of writing young people in such a fresh, truthful way. The characters all feel authentic. And I feel like I really know them. Something only the best YA writers are skilled at doing.

It’s not the book’s fault that I was hoping for more of a love story, and got something more serious. But, I do kind of wish there were a few more hopeful/happy moments. So much of this book seems to be about disappointment. It felt like something was missing to me. But, I’m glad it seemed like a good friendship was formed at the end. All in all I give this an 8/10. And I’ll definitely be reading more by Oseman.