Book Review and GIVEAWAY - Nash: The Official Biography, by Nash Grier and Rebecca Paley {ends 11/13}

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

The essence of what Nash came out to L.A. to do can be traced back to when he was seven years old. Once the custody schedule became more flexible, Chad would take his sons to a restaurant called Prime Time every Tuesday – because every Tuesday kids ate for free. The Grier boys would go crazy on the homemade southern buffet of pulled pork, meat loaf, okra, mashed potatoes, and anything else that was delicious and could give you a heart attack. But hands down, the best part of the meal was the ice cream machine, which, like everything else in the buffet, was unlimited.

One part of their Tuesday-night ritual was an ice cream contest. Every time they went, their dad would challenge his sons to see who could finish an ice cream cone, top to bottom, fastest. Even though his dad could eat an ice cream cone in what seemed like one bite, Nash had it in his head that he could beat him. Once, he actually did beat him. He just basically swallowed an entire ice cream cone. It was awful. It hurt. It did not feel good physically. But it felt great to win. Even better, though, was the reaction from the crowd. The entire restaurant was dying laughing, or at least it felt like that.

When I was contacted to read and review this book, I didn’t know who Nash Grier was. Social media changes so fast that I am too old to be part of his audience, and my kids are too young, LOL! Now I’ve learned about Nash’s life, and more importantly, his purpose.

Official synopsis:

When he was still in high school, Nash Grier had no idea his life was about to change—forever. With the launch of the popular Vine app came the beginning of Nash’s career as a viral social media sensation. Now, in his official biography, the twenty-one-year-old digital media phenomenon shares never-before-told stories about life behind the camera. From growing up as a regular kid in North Carolina, to finding his calling as a top social media tastemaker, to landing leading roles in major feature films, to being a millennial ambassador for top brands, to using his platform to promote change, to leaning on the love and support from his fan base when the going gets tough, this is the story of a how Nash found his voice—and how readers can find their own.
Nash Grier’s social media fame started before anyone knew what it meant, or what to do with it. Through trial and error, more life experiences, and connecting with other people, he learned over time what he wanted his life to be, and how to get there.

His book tells of his life growing up in North Carolina, through his move to L.A. to see what social media success could truly mean, and through several experiences that shaped where and who he is now. He wants everyone to be able to follow their passion and purpose, and enjoy the happiness and success he has found. He set out to have his biography written as another way to connect with people and encourage them.

Overall, Nash Grier’s book is his biography, and the only purpose for reading a biography is to learn about the person featured. While his book does show that being a social media star is not all sunshine and roses, I don’t feel that it really gives ‘tips’ to kids who dream of social media success. I like that he is now determined to use the platform he’s built to bring attention to his purpose to improve the world. His book was well-written as a biography, and I liked the personal annotations where Nash commented on the story of his life as written by the author, Rebecca Paley. I’d give the book 3 out of 5 stars.

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Becki Bayley is an old-fashioned reader. While she can’t name many social media stars, she does love reading about how other people live. Find out more about how she lives at SweetlyBSquared.com.

GIVEAWAY:

Two of my lucky readers will win a copy of Nash: The Official Biography!

Enter via the widget below. Giveaway will end on Wednesday, November 13th, at 11:59pm EST, and winners will be notified via email the next day and have 24 hours to respond, or an alternate winner(s) will be chosen.

U.S. residents only, please.

Good luck!

Nash: The Official Biography, by Nash Grier and Rebecca Paley