I love Taylor Swift. And I love reading about her. Clearly, this author is a longtime fan and knows her music. However, the errors in this book are too big to ignore. The author claims that the lines in “State of Grace” about “twin fire signs, four blue eyes” being about Harry Styles. He is neither a fire sign nor is he famous for blue eyes. In fact, Wonderland tells us that his eyes are green. Okay, but maybe his eyes look blue sometimes. That could be it. But then on one page, the author tells us that Kanye didn’t announce his support of Trump until after the election. Two pages later, we are at the VMAs in fall 2016, “a few days after Kanye announced his support of Trump.” Both can’t be true, let alone that the VMAs were in August of 2016, which is not the fall in the northern hemisphere. He even misquotes the new lyric in “Better Than Revenge.” How is that possible when lyric booklets and lyric videos exist?!?! Who edited this book?!?!

Bigger issues were chapters with half-ideas or things that were never explained but a basis for a whole chapter (like the New Romantic movement). 

Other issues: the lack of organization, the lyrics dropped in (which would make no sense to a casual or non-fan and for the rest of us was like being hit over the head because half the time they didn’t make sense), never explaining how Taylor reinvented pop music (who invented it in the first place and how did she reinvent…that would be am interesting book), and the author knowing what audience he wanted to write for. I don’t think this should have been published under this title and it seems clearly rushed. Really embarrassing for a 58-year old professional writer. 

I learned some new facts about Swift, but I don’t know if I should believe them based on the inconsistencies throughout. I finished it, so it’s 2 stars for me, but this is one of the worst books I’ve read.