Fifty Shades of Lame: Gray by Pete Wentz

     I have a confession to make: I am, and probably always will be, a Fall Out Boy fan. So when I heard that their bassist, Pete Wentz, wrote a book, I was most definitely curious. Unfortunately, in the words of one of FOB’s songs, “I don’t blame you for being you, but you can’t blame me for hating it…”

     Gray is Pete Wentz’s attempt at a semi-fantasy semi-biographical novel. Gray tells the story of a rock band climbing its way to the top of international music charts and the platforms and pitfalls they encounter along the way. It’s obviously (well, obvious to Fall Out Boy fans) that the fictional band’s story is parallel to the real Fall Out Boy’s history. The main character (surprise, surprise) is named Pete, who struggles with anxiety issues, depression, and relationship troubles, much like the real-life Pete Wentz. The first-person narrative attempts to get the reader into the head of the rock star, trying to explain the trials and tribulations that music stardom can bring. Pete struggles with his feelings about love, dedication, and isolation as he juggles a troubled relationship, effects of dropping out of school, substance abuse problems, and increasing fame.

     The novel is riddled with references to Fall Out Boy song lyrics. At first, it was entertaining to make those connections, but eventually it became tiresome, predictable, and annoying. Seriously, if this book were a drinking game in which the player had to drink at each song reference, both obscure and apparent, the player would be intoxicated and dumbfounded before the first 50 pages were read. Perhaps being intoxicated would make this book easier (or more enjoyable) to read. I wouldn't know if that works though, because I don’t feel the need to deliver such cruel punishment to my liver. Also, the writing style changed from being whimsy to being dark, from organized thought to chaos. It was as if Wentz took numerous breaks while writing his book, and forgot his train of thought each time he returned to writing it.

     In real life, Pete Wentz has dealt with many of the issues described in this book. Wentz does suffer from depression and anxiety disorders that have lead to a couple of suicide attempts. The fictional relationship with Pete and his girlfriend directly mirrors Wentz’s real relationship and marriage to Ashlee Simpson, which ended in divorce. The thoughts of the fictional Pete could very well be the actual thoughts of the real Pete, which at times was interesting to read, but other times was tiresome. The story was simple, which is not a bad thing. However, it became very repetitive because it was so simple. It lacked any real direction and went nowhere. The girlfriend character, simply known as “Her”, was under-developed and one-dimensional. She was boring and easy to not care about, even though she was supposed to be the center of Pete's obsession. The reader has to wonder just why Pete finds himself so addicted to her, when she is an unremarkable, unstable, and (at times) undesirable woman.  

     I can’t say much else about this book other than it was a poor attempt at being artsy and clever. I still love Fall Out Boy, which means that to an extent, I still enjoy Pete Wentz’s work. Unfortunately, I just couldn't enjoy this book, as much as I wanted to and as much as I tried to.  I’m sure there are some readers out there who would like the eccentric and eclectic style that Wentz used, but it wasn't my preference. If you are a person who is driven to read for strong plots, this is not the book for you.  If you are a person who is driven to read for strong characters, this is not the book for you. Pete is whiny, selfish, pretentious, and immature. Gray is a cynical book with no real ending and leaves the reader with much to be desired.

Gray by Pete Wentz is available on Amazon.com, BarnesAndNoble.com, and selected retail booksellers. It is also available on Nook and Kindle e-readers. But really, you could just Google “Fall Out Boy” and read about the band’s early history while listening to some of their albums (also available on Amazon.com , BarnesAndNoble.com and retail music sellers… I personally recommend the album “Folie a Deux”).