Avril LaVigne: The Unofficial Book [Hardcover]

Joe Thorley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2003

"I'm gonna dress what's me, I'm gonna act what's me and I'm gonna sing what's me." Still only 18 years old, Avril Lavigne has shot to fame with her own unique blend of teenage attitude and rebellious songwriting. Her debut album, "Let Go", hit the UK number one slot in January 2003, after spawning the massive hits "Complicated", "Sk8er Boi" and "I'm With You". Avril started singing as a child in her church's gospel choir in her small home town of Napanee, Canada. She was plucked from these unlikely surroundings by Arista Records boss L.A. Reid at the age of 16 and moved first to New York, then Los Angeles to work on her music. Her raw energy and songs proved the perfect combination for a generation of kids enthused by nu-rock bands like Blink-182. She has become one of the biggest female rock stars to come out of Canada since Alanis Morrisette. Illustrated with photographs of Avril herself in action, and filled with all the information her fans could want, this book looks at one of the most exciting rock stars on the scene.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 81 pages
• Publisher: Virgin Publishing (October 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1852270497
• ISBN-13: 978-1852270490
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,462,918 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Biography with Pictures, November 15, 2003

By 

Seth Musselman (Indiana, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Avril LaVigne: The Unofficial Book (Hardcover)

This book provides a decent survey of the life and music of Canadian singer Avril Lavigne. The main drawback of the book is that the author apparently never interviewed Avril for it. Also, he apparently never interviewed anyone even connected with Avril. So this book is written from a distance.

Mr. Thorley describes Lavigne's childhood growing up in Napanee, Ontario. She lived with her religious parents and two siblings. Avril was a tomboy from the start, playing sports with the boys. She played the guitar from an early age, practicing on it for hours at a time. She sang in her local church choir and at country fairs. While still in her early teens she got to perform on stage with Shania Twain.

Thorley describes how Avril was discovered and was eventually offered a record deal. After being signed, she moved to an apartment with her brother in Greenwich Village, NYC. Her first attempts at making music with those assigned to her did not work out well. But she eventually met songwriter Clif Magness and they hit it off. Once they paired up, the songs started coming for her debut album "Let Go". According to the author, Avril co-wrote all the songs. And Thorley does a good job of describing the style, lyrics and overall appeal of the various songs off "Let Go". This book also provides some quotes from Avril about what inspired some of her songs.

Throughout the book, Thorley gives Avril credit for being independent and refusing to be molded into someone she was not. Her individuality comes out in her songs as well as her clothing style.

This book also describes the success and chart positions of "Let Go" and some of Avril's singles. And many of the awards are listed which Avril won.

Besides the commentary, this book also provides numerous good, upclose photos of Lavigne.

In summary, this book provides a well-written survey of Avril's personality, her life and her music. Until someone with access to the singer writes a book about her, this volume may be the best one out there.

7 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars good but..., February 2, 2004

By 

Dance Dance Dance - See all my reviews

This review is from: Avril LaVigne: The Unofficial Book (Hardcover)

This book had the style like her offical website but it just wasn't personal enough. It had the information we all already know. Good parts about the books are the pictures.