Book Review: Party of One

When I saw Party of One on the Blogging for Books “available for request” page, I became intrigued. Like most people who were teenagers in the early 00’s, I spent my after school hours glued to MTV and Total Request Live. Most of the time, Carson Daly hosted the show. But every once in a while, Dave Holmes would host the show. He was a guy who looked like “us.” “Us” being a bit overweight, kinda awkward, a little nerdy, and somewhat starstruck around all these pop megastars. I clicked “request” unsure of what to expect.

What I ended up with is one of the best memoirs I’ve read in awhile.Using a healthy dose of self-deprecating humor, Holmes chronicles his childhood through his MTV career, and touches on what he’s been up to sense. He frames his story using a playlist. Each chapter in Party of One has a song as its title. But instead of going into the details of why this song is important to him, each song gives a feel to the chapter. It does what music does best. It allows us to relate to each other.

Throughout Party of One, Holmes tells his story with a healthy dose of self-deprecating humor. He avoids gossip and behind the scenes stories (except for one part that was the most disturbing and hilarious thing I’ve ever read). Instead, he focuses on the way he felt and how what he experienced changed him. This approach makes Party of One engaging, hilarious, and relatable.

Party of One is now one of my favorite books, and one I foresee myself re-reading. I recommend it to fans of memoir, music, and pop culture.

Disclaimer: I received a free review copy of Party of One from Blogging for Books. Amazon links are affiliate links.