A Work In Progress is a 2015 collection of life stories by YouTuber Connor Franta, but I don’t feel comfortable calling memoirs simply because writing a memoir at the age of 22 doesn’t seem like a thing.
This novel tells the story of Connor Franta, a small town Mid-western guy who grew through his insecurities and troubles into one of the best-known vloggers out there. On 240 pages, we readers witness him being crowned the king of high school and blushing spectacularly while doing so among other others. He tells of a life-changing trip to California that took him out of his slightly miserable life, the process of accepting himself, and later coming out as gay.
Connor has a talent for drawing the reader into the pages which, when combined with the occasional sarcastic remarks, self-deprecating sidenotes, and overdramatic exclamations, makes for a fluent, undisturbed reading experience. The words accompanied by numerous photographs picked and arranged with Connor’s trademark attention to detail takes the novel to a whole new level.
I need to mention that this isn’t a self-help book in any sense, but is meant for those who are struggling through a sexuality crisis or are feeling down about their academic decisions. It tells them that they aren’t alone and aren’t the first to experience these kinds of things. This is a piece for anyone and everyone who aspires to create something new and fun and isn’t afraid to stand out of the crowd in order to do so. It’s a way for anyone who wants to explore the world through a different pair of lenses each day and find something curious about the most usual things.
Ultimately, A Work In Progress is for all those who want to take the first step in accepting themselves for who they are and who are willing to try new things and push the limits, to be a work in progress.
Connor Franta (born 12 September 1992, Wisconsin, USA) is a great many things, but most people know him as Connor the vlogger, Connor the photographer, Connor the gay, or more recently Connor the designer and coffee seller. A Work In Progress is his first book, but the second one, Note To Self, is scheduled for release this April. And if A Work In Progress is anything to go by—and I think it is— we can expect great things.