This was a super fun read/listen while still touching on tons of meaningful topics! (I also think I enjoyed the audiobook a lot because of the accents, as it was easier to remember that the location was London/the UK, and it made the slang less jarring).

I wasn't sure if this would be my book because while I've been in some fandoms over the years, it was all book-based ones, not ones where you obsessed over real people (whether actors or musicians), and even then, never so obsessively. However, this book does a really good job of showing the extremes of fandom without making it overwhelming/offputting (except of course when it's meant to be, such as

Spoiler

the mobs and attacks/assault

). I feel like the book was thus able to explore the relationship between both fan and fandom (in Angel's story) and fan and idol quite well, and it avoided making any overarching general statements about fans/fandoms/celebrities. It also helped that the two perspectives varied so much, and remained quite separate for most of the story. We get to see how Angel views both herself and other fans as well as 'her boys,' and we synchronously see how Jimmy sees himself/the band and their fans (as well as how the other members feel about the fans). I also loved that the story allows us to see what happens when those expectations aren't met (Angel not being a rabid fan, Jimmy not being a perfect, charismatic superstar).

I also really loved the wide range of diversity this story had, without necessarily forcing labels onto everyone. Angel obviously doesn't have herself figured out because she hates thinking about herself/her life, but seeing her opinions on love and how she views the people around her (in terms of attraction) was refreshing, especially the fact that she doesn't end up magically dating one of the members of the band. Jimmy's identity was much more explicit but it's also mentioned that's because he was forced to come out as trans, and he more obviously feels attraction (or not) for men around him. There was also a large diversity in terms of race and cultural background, though the latter is more important to the story. This book is honestly a shining example of the fact that diversity does not have to be forced, and that these aspects of people's identities are far from the entirety of their identities.

Religion was also worked into this story really well. I generally strongly dislike religion, whether explicit or implicit, in the books I read because I'm far from a religious person myself. This book was frank about the character's beliefs in God with frequent mentions of God, praying, etc., but it did so in a way that wasn't preachy or overbearing. It was just another aspect of these characters identities and set of beliefs, and in the end it did make it easier to understand them and served to make them more fleshed out.

All in all, I really enjoyed this even though this was the Oseman book I thought might be least 'for me,' and I'm really excited to read the others!