Neverland: The Pleasures and Perils of Fandom

by Vanessa Kisuule

Why do famous musicians mean so much to us? How does the pop culture industry 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, can be capable of doing terrible things?

As conversations about abuse perpetrated by public figures become louder and from her very personal perspective as a Michael Jackson obsessive, Kisuule examines the nuances of 'fandom': of celebrities as symbols and fantasies, of child stars and power imbalances. Neverland invites us to question the dangers of idolising and villainising individuals and asks us to be unafraid of scrutinising the ugly and contradictory aspects of these issues. It also holds space for the joy we all get from music and explores ways we can preserve this.

With verve and incisiveness, Kisuule explores her own experience of being a mega fan and the evergreen question of whether we can, or should, separate the art from the artist. With references to R Kelly, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears and other famous figures, this is both a love letter to the musicians we adore and an unflinching look at the costs of hero worship.

Genres: Nonfiction, Music, Memoir

263 pages, ebook

First published December 3, 2024

Reviews

[Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neverland is a book about the author, poet Vanessa Kisuule’s, lifelong love for Michael Jackson, and her struggle to reckon with that love in the face of sexual abuse allegations against the artist. How can she measure these revelations against her relationship with the music and performances she has adored since childhood? The tone is meandering, gossipy and intimate; it often feels like Kisuule is working things out as she writes.

If there’s a problem with the book, it’s that the title (well, the subtitle) doesn’t really reflect the contents. If you challenged me to tell you something it has to say about ‘the pleasures and perils of fandom’, I might struggle to give you an answer. In a particularly effective section, the author grapples with the concept of seeing things from a perpetrator’s perspective – how difficult it is to consider ideas around prevention of, or even tolerance for, taboo desires. This is thoughtful and interesting, and it’s relevant to Kisuule’s reckoning with her admiration of Jackson, but it hasn’t, strictly speaking, got anything to do with fandom.

Neverland reminded me a lot of Kaitlyn Tiffany’s Everything I Need I Get from You: How Fangirls Created the Internet as We Know It. Both work well because their authors structure the book around an obsession of their own (in Tiffany’s case it’s a love of One Direction). Simultaneously, in both cases, this means the books veer away from their mission statements somewhat. You could apply some of Kisuule’s thinking to your own adoration of a ‘problematic’ artist, but it isn’t really presented that way within the book: it’s all very specific to Kisuule and Jackson. As such, it’s not a book full of lightning-bolt moments that will stay with me, more a likeable, chatty, open-ended memoir.

[Bob Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just brilliant. Boldly nuanced and thoughtful, and takes some complex topics around problematic figures and our relationships with them, and handles them with care, sensitivity and something utterly fresh.

[Karen Barber · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incisive read, exploring our fascination with music and the people who make it…and how we reconcile our love of these people with acknowledgment - in some cases - of the wrongs they commit.
The author writes from the viewpoint of someone obsessed with Michael Jackson as a child. The confusion she experienced at hearing of the crimes he was accused of was evident. Is it possible to ever separate our love for their music from our judgment of their wrongs? At a time when social media is awash with allegations about all manner of celebrities, this has never felt more timely.

[Jennifer Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

the best book I’ve ever read. finally someone who gets me

[Ariane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nonfiction, nonfiction, nonfiction. what to say about a nonfiction book…. I picked it up because i am fascinated by the subject of fandom and « cancellation » and MJ specifically. I did feel this author got a little off topic when she brought in other figures and wish she had just written the book through the lens of michael.

I also felt the prose was strongest when she was intertwining her story and the michael narrative specifically, but sometimes it felt like she was afraid to get too « personal » lest we stray from the professional nonfiction vibe. but the strongest part of the book was that it was clearly a nonfiction book written by a writer who is not a typical nonfiction writer. So wished she had leaned into that fully.

but the writing was great and it was a quick and interesting read.

[Carmina Masoliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Vanessa Kisuule’s writing and although I could hear her voice from the page, I switched to the audiobook to experience the real thing! It would have been great to be able to make use of the form by adding in music. At times, I lost the thread, but once I got to the end it all made sense to me, and really resonated personally as I am coming to terms with the abuse I’ve suffered at the hands of ones I love and my desire for restorative justice rather than turning to a justice system I do not have any trust or faith in.

[Marit · Rating 3 out of 5]

as someone well versed in fandom space, i was really excited about the premise of this book, but i was left wanting a little bit more. i do see the appeal for readers who might not be into fandom culture like i am, though.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting points, but repetitive and lacking any structure. There's no real coherence, it's a mix of her life story and Michael Jackson with very little analysis of fandom in general.

[Sufiyaan · Rating 5 out of 5]

yessssss — so powerful + so sticky i ate this TF up

[Linsey May · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting look at fame, fandom and specifically the rise (and fall) of Michael Jackson

[IssaHev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastically written. Vanessa talks about much more than I was expecting and puts words to many of my own complicated thoughts.