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Book Review: Neverland

Title: Neverland

Series: -

Author: Vanessa Kisuule

Publisher: Canongate

Release Date: 12th September 2024

Pages: 272

Source: Finished copy sent by publisher for review

Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰

CAWPILE: 10/10



Synopsis


Vanessa Kisuule is a big Michael Jackson fan. This fixation once gave her great joy, but now it keeps her up at night. In her bracingly honest, energetic and lively book she explores the fall-out from that fandom and how, or if, we can hold people to account whilst loving them at the same time.


Why do famous musicians mean so much to us? How does the pop culture machine both mirror and magnify the worst aspects of human nature? Why is it so hard to accept that the people we love, famous or not, are capable of doing terrible things?


As debates rage on about abusive public figures, Kisuule asks not just if we should separate the art from the artist, but how this moral conundrum informs the way we shape our relationships, families and notions of social justice. Witty, poetic and with references to R. Kelly, Britney Spears and a host of other famous faces, Neverland is both an ardent love letter to the music we love and an unflinching look at the costs of hero worship.


Review


First of all let me say wow, Kisuule is a fabulous writer, there is something so deeply personal and reflective about her writing yet it is never too much - it invites you in and the conversational tone makes it easy to read, to laugh at yourself alongside her. The book is incredibly interesting, dealing with such new topics of fandom and hero worship and cancel culture in a way that feels fresh and means that Kisuule is at the forefront of this conversation. I'm very intrigued to see if there is going to be a shift in how we idolise people, especially with the rise of cancel culture.


My only gripe with the book was the shifts in paragraphs, at times we would have a detailed exploration into a particular topic and then shift to a personal anecdote (which was related but sometimes not the most clear on the link) and i found that jarring at first, though by the time i finished the book i had become used to it. It didn't detract from Kisuule's brilliance in handling such difficult topics though.


I agree with so much of what Kisuule laid out in her book, about the flawed and imperfect nature of humanity and the dangers of lauding celebrities as other than human - we will always be let down. Yet we can never fully let go of the image we have prescribed- Kisuule describes it much better than me but i adored it.


I have highlighted so many passages in this book, some that truly hit child me hard - much harder than i was expecting going into a book about fandom and MJ, but there were some real moments of relatability in Kisuule’s childhood and her reflections on that that are unfortunately applicable to my own life, and she frames those moments in a way i had never considered, or that i had but never had the capacity to put words to, and i truly thank her for that.


Overall, it was a phenomenal read, i highly recommend it- especially as we are witnessing the growth of fandom and the vitriol that can come with it. Kisuule’s writing is masterful and i cannot wait to see what she does next! I would highly encourage you to pick it up, as I truly cannot do it justice in a review!

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