Rated R for Strong Language

Cash Carter is the young, world famous lead actor of the hit television Wiz Kids. When four fans jokingly invite him on a cross-country road trip, they are shocked that he actually takes them up on it.

Chased by paparazzi and hounded by reporters, this unlikely crew takes off on a journey of a lifetime–but along the way they discover that the star they love has deep secrets he’s been keeping. What they come to learn about the life of the mysterious person they thought they knew will teach them about the power of empathy and the unbreakable bond of true friendship.

I sure have reviewed a lot of road trip books this year. First Someday Birds, then The Adventures of a Girl called Bicycle, now this.

I was hesitant to read this book because the idea of an actor tagging along on a road trip with four of his fans seemed weird and unrealistic. Then I started reading all of Chris Colfer’s books and decided to give it a shot. I’m glad I did. I should have known that Chris Colfer wouldn’t disappoint.

You’re probably wondering why this book is titled Stranger Than Fanfiction. The reason for this is, according to the Acknowledgments in the back of the book, Chris Colfer was inspired by the many fanfictions written about himself over the years. I love fanfiction and my go to place for great stories is www.fanfiction.net: Unleash Your Imagination! But when it comes to fanfiction, it’s a hit or a miss. Sometimes you find a great story with decent writing, and then the author either disappears or says they won’t be continuing the story and you’re left hanging.

The biggest point made by Cash Carter is that being famous isn’t easy. He constantly has to pretend to be something he’s not just to please the people around him and the fans that only see him as the main character on Wiz Kids. Chris Colfer has real life experience on this subject from starring on Glee.

The main lesson to take away from this book can be summarized in this quote from Cash Carter:

“Promise me you won’t waste the rest of your lives pleasing other people, because if you do, you’ll wake up one day and realize you’ve never really lived.”

And when you read this book, be on the lookout for the Indiana Jones reference.

This weeks’ Weird but True Fact about the TV show ‘Glee’

More than 63 million music tracks from the TV show Glee were sold during its first 100 episodes.