I'm a Fan

De: Sheena Patel

Narrado por: Sheena Patel

I stalk a woman on the internet who is sleeping with the same man as I am.

Sheena Patel’s incandescent first novel begins with the unnamed narrator describing her involvement in a seemingly unequal romantic relationship. With a clear and unforgiving eye, she dissects the behavior of all involved, herself included, and makes startling connections between the power struggles at the heart of human relationships and those of the wider world. I’m a Fan offers a devastating critique of class, social media, patriarchy’s hold on us, and our cultural obsession with status and how that status is conveyed.

In this unforgettable debut, Patel announces herself as a dynamic, commanding new voice in literature, capable of rendering a rollercoaster of emotions and experiences viscerally. Sex, brutality, politics, work, art, tenderness, humor—Patel tackles them all while making the listener complicit in the inescapable trap of fandom that seems to define the modern condition.

©2023 Sheena Patel (P)2023 Random House Canada

Obsessive obsessive obsessive

Too obsessive and sad and I usually like obsessive and sad but this was just too sad.

Chaotic

“I Am a Fan” by Sheena Patel is a whirlwind of chaos from start to finish. Reading it felt like listening to a friend unload their life’s drama over brunch—raw, unfiltered, and intensely personal. While I appreciated the conversational tone and the emotional honesty, I often found myself wanting to grab the protagonist by the shoulders and yell, “Get it together!” The fragmented storytelling style made it a bit challenging to follow, and I struggled to fully connect with the narrative. That said, it does capture the messy complexity of relationships and self-destruction in a way that’s relatable, even if frustrating. Overall, it was an interesting read, but not one I’d revisit.”

chaotic, cringe inducing

first of all, I'd like to say; the narrator is fantastic she really captures the unhinged nature of the main character

I enjoyed that none of the main characters have names; however that's about all I really liked

I completely understand that this character is unhinged, neurotic and violent, she's abusive and believes herself to be different however it doesn't seem like her obsessions have a purpose, the author gives us all these interesting threads but doesn't follow up on them;

(minor spoiler)
I wanted to see the character become closer and closer to her obsessions sister, I wanted her to become more physically close to the woman she's obsessed with but it never crosses that line truly

I wanted the relationship between her and the man she wants to be with come to come to ahead; see what would happen as a result of all her messages and see if she'd cross the line to tell his wife, but we don't get it.

at times the writing was just intensely vulgar to the point it felt like the author was just trying to shock, which could be intriguing if the book delved deeper into stalking and the obsession but instead it was just very surface level.

overall, I liked the idea of the book but the execution was lacking for me personally; perhaps I would have liked it more if I hadn't just listened to 'None of this is true' by Lisa Jewell; which has a similar plot but in my opinion, a much more interesting and intense execution, however, if you were reading for the affair aspect of the book then you would not get that in Lisa Jewell's book.

Beautifully written had me hooked

Had me relating to things I would not like to admit. Thoughtful, introspective, addictive however not a traditional story plot with ending type of read.

Razor sharp cultural commentary

Great for readers of Tara Isabella Burton, Otessa Moshfegh, Donna Tartt, and Mona Awad. Extremely timely and timeless cultural critique of our ~current neoliberal moment~ within the broader literary and art scenes. Thorough examination of trust fund influencers in the zeitgeist.

Loathed it.

There was, quite literally, nothing about this that I liked. I usually appreciate a dark, complicated book, but this narrator has no redeeming qualities. She projects her awful character flaws on everyone around her, raging about how "whiteness" holds her back and is magically responsible for everything wrong in her life and the world, but she never takes responsibility for a single one of her lousy life choices. She is openly emotionally and physically abusive with the people around her, actually commits what would be considered a sexual assault on a young woman she wants to hook up with while not thinking for a minute she's just committed a crime. But you can bet if a man had done it, she'd add a rant about patriarchy along with all her other rants that come out of nowhere and do nothing but distract from the fact that she's a lousy human being who blames everyone but herself for her lack of accomplishment, focus, honesty, integrity, and plain common sense. She is drawn to her married boyfriend - while chastising him for being married - but she herself cheats and dangles a string of lovers. WTF. She's not complicated, or interesting, or accomplished, or engaging, she's just trash. I could not wait for this book to be over. If I didn't have an OCD impulse to finish every book I start, I'd have tossed this one after the first hour. The narrator/author's voice is as dead and cold as her main character. I would flee from future books by this author like I was fleeing the Mongol Invasion. Two thumbs so far down I can't even.

Disjointed story

It was an extremely difficult story to follow and I didn't understand the purpose. The ending was disappointing and didn't provide any clarity.