“Justin Bieber First Step 2 Forever: My Story” Review
By Alexandra Heilbron on November 15, 2010 | 15 Comments
It may seem odd that at just 16 years of age, Justin Bieber has written his autobiography. However, his rise to fame is nothing short of incredible and how he got there is actually an interesting read (though a quick one at 240 pages — many of them full page color layouts). It’s amazing that just over two years ago, he was busking in front of the Avon Theatre in Stratford (his hometown). Not only that, the kid was making $200 a day doing it. He’d started earning money that way when he was 12 and there couldn’t be a better place for a cute kid to play guitar and sing than in Stratford, where thousands of tourists flock every year for The Stratford Festival. You can check YouTube to see him busking — tourists videotaped him and put the videos online. Considering that these are videos made by nonprofessionals, his voice comes through clear and strong, and his guitar playing’s not bad, either. Plus, the kid can actually sing.
He also entered a local talent competition at around that time and was the youngest competitor in the top three. Amazingly, he didn’t win, but it will undoubtedly be inspirational to aspiring performers to find everything didn’t always go perfectly on his rise to fame (although pretty much everything else fell into place, aside from a failed written driver’s test that he didn’t study for). His single mom, Pattie, put a video on YouTube so the members of his extended family who hadn’t been able to attend in person could see him compete. Then they put up more videos of him singing at home. The videos went viral — people began to hear about this cute little kid with the amazing voice. His videos got thousands of hits. Managers started calling. Pattie was skeptical and turned them down. However, one of them — Scooter Braun — was persistant. He convinced Pattie to bring Justin to Atlanta to meet recording executives and the rest is history.
Now the biggest pop star in the world, Justin made it without being the star of a Disney show first. And although it seems like he’s been around for years, his first album was released only last year and he won his first two awards in Toronto at the MuchMusic Awards earlier this year. Last year, he was performing in malls and this year, he’s doing a world tour to packed stadiums. Next year, his biographical movie, Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, will be released.
The book is chock full of photos, though strangely, they’re all current. There are no photos of him as a child or pictures of the family members he mentions in the book. I think there are photos of his mom, his manager and several other people he mentions, but they’re not identified. Maybe the publishers assumed everyone who reads the book already knows the faces of his entourage. Probably his fans will, and the book is really for them. The first page with writing on it is dubbed: “A Special DM to the Greatest Fans in the World,” and they’re the ones who will buy this book, pore over it a million times, carry it around with them and study each photograph in detail. The suggested retail price is $24.99, and it’s worth it if you’re a Justin Bieber fan, or have one in your family. ~Alexandra Heilbron
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Sounds more like paid advertising copy from Alexandra Heilbron than a real critique of the book. It doesn’t point out what’s good or lacking in the writing and if fans who are shelling out for it will get anything of substance or new beyond glossy photos. I mean C’mon we already know his story what more is revealed in the book? That’s what she didn’t explore in the “review.”
What a little pampered puke.
So G.D., you knew he busked at 12? Failed his driving test? Knew he lost a talent competition? I didn’t know any of that, but you must be a really big fan if you already know everything about Bieber. I thought the review was fair, it doesn’t sound like advertising to me and maybe she didn’t say what was lacking in the writing because there was nothing wrong with it. It’s an autobiography by a teenager, not a novel, no one expects it to win a writing award. She pointed out some faults with the book but says the story was interesting. So what’s your problem, do you just like to vomit on other people’s efforts?
This book is really good. I got it already. The writing is good, it’s like he’s talking right to you and I like the way he doesn’t try to make himself look good, he tells stuff the way it actually happened. And to the guy above, the review actually tells a lot about what Justin talks about in the book, I mean, he’s 16, what more did you think would be revealed?
duuuuuuudeeeeee who in the right mind would actually ever this book good……
Loved the book. Very well written.
A must-buy for everyone for the universal message that we can do anything if we put our mind to it.
What’s surprising is the humour in it! Lots of laughter!
So worth it for anyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i love justin bieber
he is so sexy
i love him iam his biggest fann
i hope i get to meet him ill do everything to
get to meet him i love you jb:)
ok justin bieber iam a huge fan ur the best one out there i love you ur the best i think iam maried to you but still think about me + you imma tell you one time one time
<3
hey guys get really you really think you have i chance with justin bieber he has a girlfriend stupids yeah i like him to but some of the stuff your saying is dump he just a normal kid he was just like us once to you know. so you guys can stop saying i was to marry you and all that crap grow up snap put of it he has a girlfriend and its not you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
justin bieber im happy for you good job you showed use dreams do come true.
OMG, I have read the book. IT’S THE BEST BOOK IN THE WORLD <3
You know want Muna, just let people have dream! Me I don’t think I’m gonna just be friend with him one day, but Never Say Never. If they think they will marry Justin, it’s good for her and I wish her lot of chance, and you let they dreams. And I don’t think Justin will be with Selena all is life so just don’t care if he’s with her…..
omg this guy is like da best of da BEST~ he knows whats he doing