They Don't Need To Understand

This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: They Don't Need to Understand

I have been a fan of Black Veil Brides since they dropped their first album We Stitch These Wounds in 2010. It wasn't just the music I connected to, but the message they sent that it's ok to be on the outside. And in 2018, their song When They Call My Name carried me through one of the lowest moments in my life. When I saw that Andy was going to published They Don't Need to Understand, I knew I had to read it.

Readers will start at the beginning, following Andy as he was bullied at school for the way he dressed and for the music he listened to. This hit a chord with me, being one of those different kids who struck out at the naysayers by dying her hair funky colors and dressing punk in high school. I understood what he was going through and I admired his refusal to change who he was for the sake of those bullies. Throughout every aspect of this book, readers will be reminded that it's ok to not fit in with the popular crowd. It's ok to be your own person and have interests in things outside pop culture.

They Don't Need to Understand will also open your eyes to the amount of hard work that goes into chasing your dreams. Andy fought tooth and nail for everything he has been able to accomplish. There was no shortcut or easy path to achieving his dreams. And each time he was knocked down, he came back ready to fight even harder for what he believed in. There are always going to be people who tell you, you can't do something. Don't give in to the doubts they try to foster in your mind. Never give up.

Andy also highlights certain songs from Black Veil Brides as he talks about the albums. I found myself listening to the tracks he mentioned, and feeling the intent behind the music that he described on the page. It made some of my favorite songs all the more important to me. But don't mistake this book for being all about the band and how it formed. This is a book that encompasses all the thoughts and dreams Andy had, and what he struggled with and experienced throughout his life to make his dreams possible.

Of course, I'm going to recommend this to fans of Black Veil Brides and Andy Black. But I'm also going to recommend it to those who feel like they don't quite fit in and to those who have struggled with their doubts and fears. This is truly an inspirational book and will show you that you are enough and you can accomplish what you put your mind to. It might not always be easy, but it will be worth it in the end