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The Intern. Dillon Khan

by Dillon Khan (Goodreads Author)

3.4 of 5 stars 3.40 · rating details · 35 ratings · 15 reviews

When Jay Merchant lands an internship for the best job in music television, he is given a backstage pass to the biggest gig of his life. The velvet rope to the biggest VIP parties and hottest celebrities has been lifted and now he's got to capture it on camera. But with only six months to turn his intern dream into a real job, does he have what it takes? It's time to face...more

Paperback, 388 pages

Published April 5th 2012 by Puffin Books

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Apr 12, 2012 Jonny England rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is a really good read. Having worked my arse off as an intern back in the day for free for over 6 months (i'm not bitter, honest!!), i can really relate to the experiences that Jay has throughout the book. Working as an intern taught me all the skills i rely on at work to this today, and it's those values have definitely kept me grounded and helped me appreciate all the work runners and interns do for a company. Being an intern is tough, but its the best way to get into an industry and...more

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Mar 15, 2012 Annmarie Ager rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-reviewed

Jay Merchant is struggling he can’t pay his full rent and his current job at the foot locker is not his dream job and does not pay enough. Then he lands on his feet when he gets accepted as an intern at the Beats.

The Beat’s is known world wide and jay soon learns how lucky he is to get a chance to intern there when so many people are dying for the chance to be a part of this music phenomenon but like most things working at the Beat’s comes with a price.
This book was really easy to get into tha...more

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Apr 12, 2012 Iffath rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, uk-ya

I looooove music, and I've always been a little bit curious about jobs in the music industry so when I was emailed about The Intern, I *had* to request a copy for review!

The novel is set in 2000, and Jay is interning at the London offices of The Beat, one of the coolest music channels around, for six months. Jay's hoping that by the end of those six months, they'll love him enough to give him a full time position at The Beat. His time spent there is a hurricane of exclusive music videos, parties...more

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Apr 18, 2012 Jade Walker rated it 2 of 5 stars

I don’t think that I really have too much to say about The Intern, it was one of those reads that was entertaining if not exciting and totally realistic to read. I think that Khan did a great job in writing an entertaining story about a young man going into a job in the media and the highs and lows of the lifestyle. I can’t say I was gripped, I read this book over about a week and was reading other books in between, but I never wanted to put it off, I was reading it when I wanted a little realit...more I don’t think that I really have too much to say about The Intern, it was one of those reads that was entertaining if not exciting and totally realistic to read. I think that Khan did a great job in writing an entertaining story about a young man going into a job in the media and the highs and lows of the lifestyle. I can’t say I was gripped, I read this book over about a week and was reading other books in between, but I never wanted to put it off, I was reading it when I wanted a little reality in between the paranormal and science fiction books that I have been reading, or a little maturity between romantic teeny books. I think that maybe it was a bit mature for me (not mature in dirty, mature in grown up terms) because Jay was a few years older than myself (22 or 23?) and I think that I just couldn't relate to him as a character which is something that i look for in realistic fiction.

I did love how well Khan wrote the ups and downs of a life in media, how 'miserable' Jay was when he started and how he gained and lost things. It was written so realistically and I believed every single though in Jay's head. I also liked how Jay was a completely honest character, just like any guy I might meet on the street I felt as though everything he did was something that I could see somebody in his position doing in real life. I didn't like a lot of his decisions but I believed them and I think that the reason I didn't really love Jay as a character just because he was such a real boy!

The place that this book went wrong is that it's being promoted as young adult fiction which was just not what I found when I read it and to be honest if had been pitched to me as what it actually is I just wouldn't have accepted it for review. I would recommend it to people maybe aged 20 to 30, or young adult readers that like more mature books, I don't really think it was my thing.

If you guys aren't sure about reading it I would recommend that you check out Raimy's review over at Readaraptor, since she had different thoughts on the book: Check it out here

Overall Rating: D+/C-(less)

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May 22, 2012 Mari - loves to read rated it 5 of 5 stars

Do you love music as well as books? Are you curious about what's happening on the inside of the music industry or about being an intern? I the answer to those questions are yes then The Intern by Dillon Khan is a must read!

Jay Merchant has always been passionate about music and now he is offered the opportunity of a lifetime; to work as an intern in music television. In total there are six interns at The Beat, they will all have to show what they're made. After a six months internship(= working...more Do you love music as well as books? Are you curious about what's happening on the inside of the music industry or about being an intern? I the answer to those questions are yes then The Intern by Dillon Khan is a must read!

Jay Merchant has always been passionate about music and now he is offered the opportunity of a lifetime; to work as an intern in music television. In total there are six interns at The Beat, they will all have to show what they're made. After a six months internship(= working for free!) one of the interns will get a long term position at The Beat. Jay struggles to balance a job in the fast lane with a personal life(a microscopical time-slot available for his girlfriend Sophie and his friends).

My thoughts:
Where to start? Well I don't need more than a couple of seconds to think about that one. The answer is with the music of course and second what a great debut novel Khan has dished up for us. Dillon Khan's many pop cultural references took me right back to a wonderful time of my life. I have a great life now, don't get me wrong, but a time where I was carefree with no big responsibilities. It was like walking down the memory lane, lots of musical references and each chapter was named after a song title. The last chapter was titled Bitter Sweet Symphony and for me that was just the perfect ending of a great story! I love that song.

So being an intern is no joke, not even when you're working in an industry that from the outside seems all glam and fun(it might be fun but also HARD work into the wee hours of the night). Author Dillon Khan uses of his own personal experiences to tell the story about the darker sides of internship, it can great fun but is also quite draining and demanding. Khan himself has worked for MTV so he knows the industry he's writing about inside out. It was enlightening and a bit weird reading about being an intern in the UK, it offered a big contrast to the interns here in Norway where the interns get paid from day one and only work 37,5 hours pr. week.

The Intern was a book with wonderful humor, great characters, a story of what working as an intern might be and last but not least a lot of great and diverse music! I was so sad to let Jay and the others go, might we have some more? Pretty please! Jay might just have been the most normal, realistic character I have come across in a long time, kudos to Khan for writing with such an authentic voice. Also it was very refreshing to read a young adult(not suitable for the youngest YA reader) novel from a male point of view.

I would like to end start this review of The Intern by giving a huge thanks to Hannah from Puffin for getting me out of my comfort-zone. I have absolutely no regrets for dipping my toe into the water, none what so ever. Why not? Because I LOVED every minute I spent with The Intern in my hands and alongside Jay behind the scenes of the music media industry.

Lastly I want to point you all in the direction of The Intern homepage(http://theintern.co.uk/home/), it is awesome. I can honestly say that I haven't seen a book/author that has this kind of resourceful homepage before so check it out!

This review was originally published on my book blog Escape In A Book.(less)

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Apr 05, 2012 Sahina Bibi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Thanks to Puffin firstly for this book, and I was excited after reading the promotion material. Taking a break from the usual contemporary paranormal young adult books, this work of fiction was welcome and refreshing in more ways than one.

Jay Merchant has a chance to make his dream come true, and he grabs an internship with both hands that propels him into the world of Beats. Landing himself on his feet after an unsuccessful job at Foot Locker where his dreams were going nowhere, we see the auth...more

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Apr 04, 2012 Mel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, music

If I had to sum up The Intern in three words – fast, fun and frantic! Set in 2000, Jay joins the London office of The Beat – the hippest music channel (think MTV) as an intern for six months, hoping desperate that he will be given the elusive full time position at the end. And so he gets swept up in a whirlwind lifestyle of music videos, celebrity parties and late nights, while the rest of his life starts to fall apart.

I have to admit I loved the peak into the behind the scenes life of music cel...more

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Apr 07, 2012 Louis rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read this book with trepidation. Having started my TV career as an intern at MTV back in the day, reading this book catapulted me back 16 years to where it all began.

Every single character Jay Merchant came across was believable, every situation reminiscent of those I had experienced. The extreme highs, the lows, the politics, the emotions, the friendships, the endless toil, the parties, adrenaline-fuelled experiences and the general surreal nature of everything associated with being an inter...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Ronke rated it 4 of 5 stars

I treated myself to the DVD box set of The Hills and The City and watching Whitney, Lauren and Audrina work their way up the ladder at Teen Vogue, People’s Revolution and Epic Records is really reminiscent of a lot of aspiring creatives who are trying to get their foot on the ladder. The term intern stands for a form of on the job training that is taken up by undergraduates or graduates looking to gain entrance into a career. Mostly an American concept the internship has become more common in th...more I treated myself to the DVD box set of The Hills and The City and watching Whitney, Lauren and Audrina work their way up the ladder at Teen Vogue, People’s Revolution and Epic Records is really reminiscent of a lot of aspiring creatives who are trying to get their foot on the ladder. The term intern stands for a form of on the job training that is taken up by undergraduates or graduates looking to gain entrance into a career. Mostly an American concept the internship has become more common in the UK over the last few years especially in coveted careers such as music, fashion, journalism, PR, marketing and beauty. The Intern has become quite an iconic figure in pop culture with lots of reality shows based around them and there is even a film made about it which I reviewed a few years ago. So I was really fascinated when I came across this book on Facebook but I got really excited by the digital marketing campaign (once a marketeer always a marketeer) which consists of some rather cutting edge videos about working in the creative industries and a rather swish website. The website also contains lots of advice on how to get into industries such as journalism, PR, publishing, TV and radio. There are also several Talking Heads videos with big players in those industries who discuss what they look for when hiring talent and how to get yourself noticed.

Now onto the book which is a roman a la clef about Jay Merchant, an aspiring TV exec who lands an internship in music television. His career launches at an exciting time for music where different genres are being embraced and he gets to see the glamorous life of the music biz. Of course comparisons with The Devil Wears Prada have been made but that is not surprise as it is an insight into what it is like to have a career in a sexy industry. Who wouldn’t want to read about that? The Intern is written by Dillon Khan, a music journalist who works for MTV. Dillon quite clearly has friends in cool places judging by the celebrity clad testimonials left by the likes of Trevor Nelson, June Sarpong and Lisa I’Anson. The Intern looks like a delicious read.
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Mar 26, 2012 SJH (A Dream of Books) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, contemporary-ya, young-adult

Jay has landed an internship at Total BEATS and gets to live and breathe music all day long. Although he's thrown in at the deep end and basically starts off not having a clue what he's doing, he eventually finds his feet and is soon immersed in his new job to the exclusion of all else including his long-suffering girlfriend Sophia and his mother. He loves music and has the opportunity to turn his passion into a paying occupation but finds that his dream job may not be such a dream after all.

'T...more Jay has landed an internship at Total BEATS and gets to live and breathe music all day long. Although he's thrown in at the deep end and basically starts off not having a clue what he's doing, he eventually finds his feet and is soon immersed in his new job to the exclusion of all else including his long-suffering girlfriend Sophia and his mother. He loves music and has the opportunity to turn his passion into a paying occupation but finds that his dream job may not be such a dream after all.

'The Intern' is Dillon Khan's first novel and offers a behind the scenes insight into the world of music. Khan himself worked at MTV for eight years so knows all the ins and outs of the industry and provides a realistic and honest portrayal of the highs and lows of working in such an environment. Jay faces long hours, little praise for his work and is surrounded by people who always put themselves first. On the plus side, he gets to meet musicians who he admires, is showered with freebies and never knows quite what he's going to be doing from one day to the next. Although he's living his passion, I like the way there's always a fine line drawn between enjoying his job and hating it.

I think Jay came across as very reminiscent of many young adults who leave university after finishing their degree and then either don't have a clue what they want to do or have the relevant qualifications but are unable to get a job in their chosen field. Although I found Jay's struggle to make a mark for himself in the music world interesting, I didn't one hundred percent connect with him as a character. Admittedly he had grown on me by the end of the book and I'm glad his story ended on a high note but I have to say that he wasn't always that likable and I didn't like the way he sometimes treated the other people in his life. I also found some of the parts in the narrative where he has repeated imaginary conversations in his head with music stars such as Eminem, Whitney Houston and Dido amusing but a bit distracting at times.

Set in the year 2000, my favourite thing about this book was reminiscing over some of the music that was around at the time. Like Jay, I can remember taping songs off the radio onto cassette tapes so that I could listen to that week's big hits over and over again. It's hard to believe now in such a digital age but back then that was the best way (even though it may have been illegal!) to get your hands on all the current songs.

'The Intern' is an enjoyable and fascinating account of what it's actually like to work in the industry. Music lovers in particular will find this an interesting read. However, although I found it a refreshing change of pace from a lot of the paranormal books which are on the shelves at the moment, I just found that all important spark with the main character missing and I do so like a character who I can really root for. This was still an accomplished and impressive debut which I think will appeal especially to the older teen audience.
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Apr 24, 2012 Shri rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was everything I expected it to be, fun, fast, very tiring but very true to the world of an intern.

Dillon has managed to capture all his experiences and bring them to us. I didn't want to put the book down and found myself inside each 'Beats' party and 'China White' night out.

I would definitley recommend this to anyone that wants to get into this industry, I wish I had a ticket for this ride, maybe in my next life!!!!

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Apr 08, 2012 Siobhan (Totally Bookalicious) marked it as dnf

sadly, I just couldn't get into this at all. Did not finish. no review. :(

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Mar 28, 2012 Jess Bierschied rated it 3 of 5 stars

Review to come...

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Mar 28, 2012 Raimy rated it 4 of 5 stars

3.5

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Apr 25, 2012 Emma rated it 3 of 5 stars

Review coming soon.

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May 16, 2013 Amanda Hunt marked it as to-read

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Shelves: owned-books-to-read

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Apr 03, 2013 Bibliophile rated it 1 of 5 stars

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Mar 24, 2013 Vanessa rated it 3 of 5 stars

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Feb 22, 2013 Mai Buddée rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013

Feb 07, 2013 Christopher Winterburn marked it as to-read

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Jan 08, 2013 Cecilia B rated it 2 of 5 stars

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