The Only Pirate at the Party by Lindsey Stirling

If you've been following me for a while, you know that I've tried several memoirs by YouTube celebrities and did not like any of them. If you haven't been following me for a while, you're probably rolling your eyes a little and thinking, "Then why are you reading this, huh? Didn't you learn your lesson the last three times?" In response to this question: 1) No. And 2) What's a lesson?

I've actually been listening to Lindsey's music for only about a year (late in the game, I know). I wish I could say that it was an independent discovery, but I don't even have that claim to fame. Someone I know likes her music a lot, so I got them her two CDs as a gift. Curious, I played a few of her songs on YouTube and was blown away - by the music, the crossing of genres, the talent, the dancing, the energy, the outfits.

My favorite songs by her are probably Senbonzakura, which is a cover of a Vocaloid song; Master of Tides, which is an incredible live performance with a nautical theme; and Minimal Beat, which is pretty much what it sounds like, paired with a montage of Lindsey on tour, greeting her fans in a multitude of countries in a multitude of outfits. If it sounds like I'm hung up on the outfits, that's because I am. Her fashion sense = life goals.

But it sucks learning the dirt on your favorite celebrities because sometimes when you peek into their closets you find not just skeletons but meanness. Nothing is worse than finding out a celebrity you love and adore is actually not a nice person. So that was a definite fear of mine when I was debating on reading THE ONLY PIRATE AT THE PARTY. But then her memoir got nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award, so I bit the bullet and checked it out from the library.

I really shouldn't have doubted.

Not because this memoir sucked, but because it was so awesome. Shame on me for thinking that somebody with so much talent, passion, energy, and intelligence wouldn't be able to string to words together. I finished THE ONLY PIRATE AT THE PARTY in a day, basically. Lindsey talks about her unconventional childhood, her Mormon faith (which actually causes some pretty sticky restraints on her wardrobe - that poor stylist, haha), her road to stardom, and her struggle with anxiety and eating disorders. She was charming and real, and just awkward enough to make you feel like you were actually reading somebody's private journal, and hearing their inner-most thoughts.

It really made me appreciate how difficult it is to achieve fame when you're starting out from nothing. I know most celebrity memoirs make that claim, but Lindsey shared some of her humiliations, like being shunned by a famous singer and his orchestra at a concert they were performing at together, and her rejection from the judges of America's Got Talent. I found it inspiring how she always tried to look for the silver lining in even the worst situations, and kept looking for new opportunities.

Honestly, I haven't been this psyched about a memoir since Mara Wilson's and Felicia Day's.

4.5 out of 5 stars.