You Need to Exist: a book to love and destroy

by Yungblud

YUNGBLUD’s millions of fans know that Dom’s core truths—self-expression and self-love—are part of everything he does. He fosters an environment through his shows and online community where you are allowed to be unapologetically and authentically you. Now, fans can take a little piece of Dom home and, through this journal, have him beside them when they need a safe space to express themselves.

Full of exclusive content created by Dom, YUNGBLUD’s ​You Need to Exist features questions, creative prompts, rebellious actions, and illustrations in his distinctive style. Much more than a standard prompted journal, this is a guide to engagement with your truest self and a call to action to write, draw, burn, rip, and more to fully and joyfully embrace your weirdness and individuality.

SINGER-SONGWRITER AUTHOR: Dom Harrison is a chart-topping, platinum-selling artist known for his solo albums, collaborations with the likes of Halsey, Travis Barker, and Machine Gun Kelly, and sold-out shows packed with devoted followers. He has played in arenas all across the world and has been touted by rock legends Ozzy Osbourne, Brian May, Mick Jagger, and Dave Grohl. You Need to Exist is an engaging new creative project fans will love.

UNIQUE, MEANINGFUL CONTENT: Part diary, part art journal, part mental health support, this interactive book is Dom’s response to the messages he receives constantly from his fans. They tell him—through social post comments, signs held up at his concerts, and homemade t-shirts—that he makes them feel safe and accepted and that he has helped save their lives. In all he does, Dom fosters an environment of radical self-acceptance, and his journal does the same.

YUNGBLUD MERCH: While Dom is UK-born and splits his time between London and Los Angeles, his fans span the globe. Since 2018, he has grown this following by giving voice to the greatest concerns of his generation. Dom's charisma and passion for the misunderstood and underrepresented have resonated with audiences through his music and social media presence. Here is a collectible gift no fan will want to be without.

Genres: Nonfiction, Music, Self Help

160 pages

Published August 13, 2024

Reviews

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Already know i’m going to love this🖤🖤

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic concept but could have been edited better. If I rip, burn, or pierce the page then how can I do the prompt on the back of the page.

[Eliza Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of a tricky one to rate as it's a journal (very similar to wreck this journal) but there are a bunch of supportive messages throughout from Yungblud and while filling out the journal you get an insight into what he would write, and you don't have to feel alone. I love the concept, teenage me would've loved to have something like this. The only downside is the format, most pages do require you to tear them out and do something with them but they're also double-sided with other activities on the back that maybe dont need to be torn up or burnt.. they probably should've thought about that in the printing process. Nevertheless it's a very sweet edition to the book world from someone who is not into books at all

[J.Z. Force · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t done any of the activities in this book yet but I’ve read the whole thing. I love the concept and the personal messages in here.
The only problem is some of the pages are supposed to be ripped out or burned ect but they’re double sided.

[Sophie Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing.
Sad, happy, angry , creative and amazing.
Use this book. Itll change your life

[Emilia Marakovic · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was so cute and creative! a reminder that it’s okay to be yourself and you need to EXIST . I love you yungblud forever!🖤🖤🖤

[rik ✎ᝰ. · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was a sad and angry teenager, there was Wreck This Journal by Keri Smith. Now, there is You Need To Exist.

As someone relatively unfamiliar with Yungblud, I put on a playlist of his while I read through this and I can immediately see it fits. The journal starts with prompts on Identity (including anecdotes of his own life), and ends with the same so you can see how you change. There's messages of hope, freedom, confidence, and love, and even as an adult I feel very seen.

Some prompts are duplicates of Keri Smith's — write your own page numbers, draw around everything in your pockets — but most are new, bold, and inspirational, like sewing up a page of lips and cutting them free when you find the courage to speak up. Or filling a coffin-shaped page with regrets and glueing a lid on it ("you're not defined by your mistakes"). Or creating a mini-screenplay of a meeting between you and your fear personified.

As others have said, the layout of prompts feels erratic and suggests you destroy pages with no concern for the prompt on the back, but I guess there's something in not being a perfectionist and not following all the 'rules' to be learnt from it.

For the shy, creative, stifled, energetic, sorrowful, lonely, loving, loved, joyful, angry, beautiful people out there who need reminding that it's okay to be yourself, You Need To Exist is one for you.


Many thanks to Penguin Random House for providing me with a reading copy.

[Lucija · Rating 5 out of 5]

▪️I really liked the concept — it was a very fun experience, similar to 'Wreck This Journal' but filled with Dom’s motivational and supportive quotes.
▪️I bought a signed copy and at first I really didn’t want to ruin it — I was planning to keep it in pristine condition and order another regular copy. But then f*ck it, I did it anyway and don't regret it at all.
▪️I only think it could’ve been edited better, since it makes no sense to have a "cut/burn/destroy this page" task on one side while the other side has another task you obviously can’t do if you ruin the page. I still did my best to figure out how to somehow do both sides, though.

[Destiny Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing made me cry and he opened up abt his childhood

[Helena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book (not as much as the writer tho) and it's great for all of his fans

[Ashley Hornibrook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love YungBuld he is awesome I want to read the book