Saturday 26 June 2021

Trailblazers; Lin-Manuel Miranda by Kurtis Scaletta


Be inspired by the lives of trailblazers past and present in this fun and factual biography series!


How did Lin-Manuel Miranda become the multi-award-winning creator behind a hit Broadway show? As a child, Lin-Manuel spent his time listening to the sounds and rhythms of New York. Taking part in school productions and writing his own plays, he knew early on he was destined for the stage. While on holiday years later, he read a biography of Alexander Hamilton and came up with an idea for an original musical take on American history. Discover how this aspiring actor went on to create the most talked about show in decades and take the world by storm with his creativity!

TRAILBLAZERS biographies are packed with little-known trivia, fascinating facts and lively illustrations.

Ok, confession time; hip hop isn't really my genre. But, like most people in the world, I've seen Hamilton (on disney, not live, sadly) and I enjoyed it. I've seen Lin-Manuel in a couple of places (my favourite so far is Brooklyn 99) and been intrigued. So I was interested to read this bio.

I really enjoyed it. It does jump around in time a bit - like most bios, it starts with a triumphant moment before going back to childhood, but it also runs up to 2010 before bouncing back to 2008, which threw me for a minute. The book is full of little inserts and tables about important people and shows in Lin-Manuel's life, which was great; it's lovely to get a flavour of the things that matter to him.

Quick note on the illustration; I'm mildly face blind and often have trouble with illustrations, as they're usually less accurate than photos. However, I was able to recognize Lin-Manuel in each illustration; they're very clear. His supporting cast was harder for me, but I'm ok with that. 

Overall I found this a fascinating read, I can now say with confidence that I know the difference between Broadway, Off Broadway and Off Off Broadway, and I look forward to an updated version in a few years with his new accomplishments in it!


Lin-Manuel Miranda publishes on the 8th of July, 2021. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review. 

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