The Love Song of Jonny Valentine by Teddy Wayne is a fictional account of an 11 year old pop superstar in the very mist of his exploding career. Just picture and relate the entire story back to Justin Bieber and you've got the idea. The young kid from a small town with a single mom who struggles to make ends meet has this power house voice, uploads videos on YouTube, gets discovered and becomes the hottest tween heart throb since Donny Osmond.
The story almost directly reflects the rise of Bieber but it takes it to a personal level. It is hard for me to remember clearly what I was like as an 11 year old but I can tell you I thank the universe that there are minimal pictures, recordings or any other evidence left that I even was a 'tween'. That is a very hard confusing time for all people but I cannot imagine doing that whole process in front of billions of people and having your face stare back at your from lunch boxes, pencil cases, bed sheets, and toothbrushes.
The book is narrated by the adorable superstar himself Jonny Valentine. His hits include such lyrical mastery as 'U R Kewt' 'Summa Fling' and 'RSVP to my heart'. For as seemingly inane as the topic of this story is, there is a more serious undertone involving the pressure and downsides of fame. There are points in the story that are sad; Jonny's mother/manager starts to make decisions for him in a cold hearted business manner and becomes hospitalized for "exhaustion", where she makes him do extra cardio workouts because he ate carbs and is starting to get 'stomach chub' and his struggle on deciding whether or not to got to school like a more normal 11 year old. He's allowed no where without his bodyguard, he cannot have the Internet or access to a telephone and has no real friends. There is so little of his life pre fame that it is hard for him to socialize and know what a 'normal' 11 year old life should feel like.
This story is just an interesting take on the life of young celebrity. I know in my pre teen years I was obsessed with Nsync and Backstreet Boys but at the time they were older, not that I think age can make you prepared for super stardom but the likes of Justin Bieber, the Jonas Brothers, Mylie Cyrus and others is a lifestyle that few understand and we only watch from the TV screen waiting for them to screw up. It provides some sympathy and insight for what they may be going through and above all it reminds us that they are people just like us who have all the normal hang ups in life following them around. The 'us and them' aspect of celebrity gets blurred by this narrative and I think it is a good reminder for the next time you flip through that People Magazine at the grocery store check out.
If your looking for an easy read about something culturally relevant than pick this one up.
3 out of 5
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