i've read this book about three times now (twice as a teen and once as an adult), and as a young teen, it gave me a very different perspective of michael jackson compared to practically everyone else in my life (friends, and especially adults). i had gained so much more respect for michael jackson, i viewed him as human.
in many ways, i even related to him as i read it the first two times. even though this isn't the most detailed "tell-all" autobiography, it gave me just enough to get a general idea of his life, viewing it from the outside. now, as an adult, i find different things about him i relate to; mainly the confusion and disorientation of young adulthood, i'm still figuring myself out.

if anything, reading this book a third time has only increased my compassion for this total stranger. there was a specific moment while reading where i felt so much pride knowing the impact 'thriller' has had 40 years after its release, how much it changed the world...i was crying tears of joy. only for those tears of joy and pride to turn to tears of fear, reading the retelling of the pepsi incident. michael was not much older than i am now when his hair and scalp were burned, he very well could've died and that terrifies me to think about. obviously, he ended up "fine", but it's still such a haunting thing to think about. something a lot of people both my age and older have very little concern for all because he did end up "fine".

learning about michael jackson, especially as a child, made me care so much less about having an opinion of others. i started to make the attempt of being a less judgemental person. as corny as it sounds, i like to believe he helped me become a better person in very small ways. no matter how authentic this book may be, i'll always be grateful for it existing because it made a very positive impact on me.