A WORK IN PROGRESS | Book Review

from my instagram: roberrrrto

Title: A Work in Progress
Author: Connor Franta
Originally Published: 2015
Page Count: 212 pages
Genre: Non-fiction / Autobiographical
Published by: Keyword Press

Date Read: May 26th - 28th 2015

This is my first dive into the whole 'YouTuber' books phenomenon, and whilst Franta seemingly tries to distance himself from this and all labels, when it comes to his book, it's forever going to exist within the category of 'Girl Online', 'The Pointless Book', 'Love, Tanya' and the like.

I know people believe you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but the cover was one of the reasons I decided to buy A Work in Progress. Other reasons include, Franta comes across quite genuine and charming on his channel, and I've been meaning to read a 'YouTuber book' for a while now.

The book labels itself as a 'memoir', but it reads very much like a self-help book. I initially enjoyed what Franta was offering the reader; a snapshot at small-town American life and upbringing. There are chapters on his education, first kiss, family, and his parent's perception of him. These, whilst tired tropes, I'm sure, of any memoir, were actually refreshing and fascinating. I love reading about people's history and upbringing.

The book took quite a jolting turn for me, as each chapter seemed to embody some form of life lesson. And I was not here for a lecture or to be preached to. I read the book to see a dissection of small-town American family life and values, a breakdown of his YouTube journey, and maybe the troubles one goes through in figuring out their own mind. A collection of anecdotes, maybe? Don't get me wrong, the book touches on these subjects, but each chapter seemingly has a lesson we must learn. I don't even know the age of readership he's aiming for, but his jargon and language is definitely not for younger audiences, and his help is definitely lost on me, a 21-year-old. Maybe it's for high school kids and I'm just not the target audience. His demographic is probably 14-17 year-old girls and he's just written it for them, and maybe that's a very good idea.

Regardless, there are times when the book was touching and relatable. However, chapters are short and when you're warming into a topic, you're snapped right back out with another piece of Franta's wisdom. He even seemingly contradicts himself, stating his stubborn nature but then later saying how he finds it difficult to say no to people. I kind of get the impression that Franta is still working out who he is, and this book is in some way a form of therapy for him.

I hope my review has not come across as overly critical, because on the whole I did enjoy the read. It was quick, intelligently written, and is decorated with stunning pictures I assume Franta has taken himself. I think the reason I have my issues with this is simply because I am not his target audience, and I am not generally a fan of 'self-help' kind of books. That's fine, if you are then I am sure reading this would be a great experience. ★★★☆☆