The Amazing Book Is Not On Fire

Author: Dan Howell & Phil Lester

Publisher: Random House Books For Young Readers

Genre: Autobiography, Non-Fiction

Release Date: October 13th 2105

Format: Hardcover

Page Count: 224

ISBN: 9781101939840

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Book Depository | Chapters/Indigo | Amazon | Goodreads

Danisnotonfire | AmazingPhil

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If you came here looking for an in depth review, you came to the wrong place. The Amazing Book Is Not On Fire is completely random and fun and crazy and so I figured this review should be the same.

For those of you are are unfamiliar with Dan Howell (Danisnotonfire) and Phil Lester (AmazingPhil) you probably don’t spend a lot of time watching vloggers in the wonderful world of YouTube. I remember way back when I had first heard of Youtube, I was in Grade 9, which was 10 years ago (I know, I’m old as hell), and one of my friends had shown me a video on this weird website called YouTube. It wouldn’t be until a few years later when I really started to follow different Youtubers such as Shane Dawson, Smosh and the Shaytards. Fast forward a few more years and it seemed as though the equivalent of the British Invasion in the 1960’s was now taking place on YouTube. The Brits started popping up everywhere with YouTubers such as Zoella and JacksGap. A popular thing for Youtubers to do is to work together on collaboration videos, or “collabs”…one thing led to another, and I discovered Dan and Phil! Before I discovered their individual channels, I came across videos they made together in a series called “Phil is Not on Fire”. As I would later learn by reading The Amazing Book Is Not On Fire, Dan and Phil’s personal channels (Danisnotonfire and AmazingPhil) had been a part of the YouTube community for almost its entire existence and unfortunately I discovered them pretty late in the game. Better late than never though, am I right?

Although I am subscribed to quite a few YouTubers, there are only a few that I watch on a regular basis. Considering the crazy amount of books by YouTubers that have been released recently, there are only a few that I would really care to read. Dan and Phil had quickly become two of my favourite YouTubers and when they announced they would be releasing a book together, I knew that it was one that I needed to read.

I think part of what makes Dan and Phil so great is the fact that they’re relatable. They are huge nerds and they aren’t afraid to hide that about themselves. They’re quirky and hilarious to watch on screen and their book was no different. The Amazing Book Is Not On Fire feels like one of Dan and Phil’s videos, but in book form. That’s the only way I can describe it. It’s random and cute and hilarious, which is exactly how I feel about the content they upload to YouTube. There were quite a few personal stories which gave us some insight into their early lives and how they got started in the YouTube community. I loved getting to know them through this book.

The book itself is physically very appealing. Like I stated earlier, there have been an endless amount of books released by YouTubers recently and I hate to say it, but they all look like the same old autobiography with a few coloured photograph pages in the middle. Although I’m sure their personal stories would be great to hear, the books themselves aren’t very unique in appearance. The Amazing Book Is Not On Fire completely defied the stereotype that is an autobiography. The entire book is fully coloured and filled with endless amounts of photographs, doodles and other fancy little tidbits. We get actual scanned images from both Dan and Phil’s old diaries as well as fun little quizzes and micro stories mixed in with personal experiences. It’s a pretty refreshing format compared to just having a bunch of words on a page and that definitely helps make it stand out.

Dan and Phil have done an amazing job in creating this book. They even thought of their viewers while creating the book and made a fantastic little video on their YouTube channel showing the entire process. Even if you don’t enjoy the idea of reading a book created by a YouTuber, I suggest diving in to the world of YouTube itself! I know that YouTube, and subscribing to certain YouTubers, is an acquired taste that isn’t meant for everyone, but I guarantee if you look hard enough, there is bound to be at least one YouTuber that you find relatable and entertaining.