-
Over the Top
- Narrated by: Jonathan Van Ness
- Length: 5 hrs and 50 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $18.14
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's summary
Who gave Jonathan Van Ness permission to be the radiant human he is today? No one, honey.
The truth is, it hasn’t always been gorgeous for this beacon of positivity and joy.
Before he stole our hearts as the grooming and self-care expert on Netflix’s hit show Queer Eye, Jonathan was growing up in a small Midwestern town that didn’t understand why he was so...over the top. From choreographed carpet figure skating routines to the unavoidable fact that he was Just. So. Gay., Jonathan was an easy target and endured years of judgment, ridicule and trauma - yet none of it crushed his uniquely effervescent spirit.
Over the Top uncovers the pain and passion it took to end up becoming the model of self-love and acceptance that Jonathan is today. In this revelatory, raw and rambunctious memoir, Jonathan shares never-before-told secrets and reveals sides of himself that the public has never seen. JVN fans may think they know the man behind the stiletto heels, the crop tops, and the iconic sayings, but there’s much more to him than meets the Queer Eye.
You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll come away knowing that no matter how broken or lost you may be, you’re a Kelly Clarkson song, you’re strong, and you’ve got this.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
Related to this topic
-
The Wonder of Stevie
- By: Wesley Morris
- Narrated by: Wesley Morris, Michelle Obama, Barack Obama, and others
- Length: 6 hrs and 10 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The year 1972 saw the beginning of a five-year span in which Stevie Wonder released five groundbreaking, critically acclaimed albums, garnering him more than half a dozen Grammys and more than 10 million albums sold, securing his place as one of the most important American musicians and songwriters in history. For the first time, uncover the untold story of an extraordinary artistic journey that shaped the greatest creative era in popular music history.
-
-
Good but not great
- By Anonymous User on 09-14-24
By: Wesley Morris
-
Dear Cousin: The Stalking of Susan Fensten
- By: Ventureland
- Narrated by: Susan Fensten
- Length: 4 hrs and 24 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dear Cousin: The Stalking of Susan Fensten is the gripping true story of one woman's quest for long lost family. After the deaths of her sister and estranged father, Susan searches for relatives on an early online genealogy forum. When she meets cousins from her grandfather's other family, they're everything she'd hoped for—until it all goes to hell.
-
-
Harrowing Case, Excellent Production
- By C Lopez on 07-12-24
By: Ventureland
-
Born a Crime
- Stories from a South African Childhood
- By: Trevor Noah
- Narrated by: Trevor Noah
- Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this award-winning Audible Studios production, Trevor Noah tells his wild coming-of-age tale during the twilight of apartheid in South Africa. It’s a story that begins with his mother throwing him from a moving van to save him from a potentially fatal dispute with gangsters, then follows the budding comedian’s path to self-discovery through episodes both poignant and comical.
-
-
Great book and perfect narration
- By MarilynArms on 12-15-16
By: Trevor Noah
-
Blues Brothers: The Arc of Gratitude
- By: Dan Aykroyd
- Narrated by: Dan Aykroyd
- Length: 1 hr and 56 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Elwood Blues (aka Dan Aykroyd) is on another mission—to tell the full story of how two young actors went from blues lovers to Blues Brothers. In this fascinating audio documentary Aykroyd “gets the band back together”, taking listeners on a road trip through time—from late nights in the early days with John Belushi at Dan’s speakeasy in Toronto, to working with blues legends Aretha Franklin, James Brown, and Ray Charles on The Blues Brothers movie, through the founding of House of Blues, the Blues Brothers 2000 sequel, and beyond.
-
-
You had to be there
- By 🔥 Phx17 🔥 on 07-26-24
By: Dan Aykroyd
-
Pulse
- The Untold Story
- By: Trevor Aaronson
- Narrated by: Trevor Aaronson
- Length: 4 hrs and 55 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a gay nightclub in Orlando on June 12, 2016, the shooter, Omar Mateen, murdered 49 people and wounded 53 others. The attack was the deadliest act of violence against the LGBTQ+ community in US history and the deadliest terrorist attack in the United States since 9/11. But there’s a story you haven’t heard. The FBI had a secret history with the shooter and his father. To obscure that history, the FBI pushed a false story that the media dutifully carried—that the attacker was a secretly gay Islamist extremist who had chosen to target Pulse and planned the attack for weeks.
-
-
Heart wrenching
- By Kaylee Charles on 07-21-24
By: Trevor Aaronson
-
Cursed
- By: RAW
- Narrated by: Femi Oke
- Length: 5 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On a cold December evening in 2016 a terrified young woman turns up at a brothel in Germany with a French passport but doesn’t speak a word of French. The owner is suspicious and alerts the German authorities, igniting a groundbreaking and history-making global investigation where ancient rituals collide with the modern world of crime fighting.
-
-
A must listen
- By Lenandi on 09-20-24
By: RAW
-
The Wonder of Stevie
- By: Wesley Morris
- Narrated by: Wesley Morris, Michelle Obama, Barack Obama, and others
- Length: 6 hrs and 10 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The year 1972 saw the beginning of a five-year span in which Stevie Wonder released five groundbreaking, critically acclaimed albums, garnering him more than half a dozen Grammys and more than 10 million albums sold, securing his place as one of the most important American musicians and songwriters in history. For the first time, uncover the untold story of an extraordinary artistic journey that shaped the greatest creative era in popular music history.
-
-
Good but not great
- By Anonymous User on 09-14-24
By: Wesley Morris
-
Dear Cousin: The Stalking of Susan Fensten
- By: Ventureland
- Narrated by: Susan Fensten
- Length: 4 hrs and 24 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dear Cousin: The Stalking of Susan Fensten is the gripping true story of one woman's quest for long lost family. After the deaths of her sister and estranged father, Susan searches for relatives on an early online genealogy forum. When she meets cousins from her grandfather's other family, they're everything she'd hoped for—until it all goes to hell.
-
-
Harrowing Case, Excellent Production
- By C Lopez on 07-12-24
By: Ventureland
-
Born a Crime
- Stories from a South African Childhood
- By: Trevor Noah
- Narrated by: Trevor Noah
- Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this award-winning Audible Studios production, Trevor Noah tells his wild coming-of-age tale during the twilight of apartheid in South Africa. It’s a story that begins with his mother throwing him from a moving van to save him from a potentially fatal dispute with gangsters, then follows the budding comedian’s path to self-discovery through episodes both poignant and comical.
-
-
Great book and perfect narration
- By MarilynArms on 12-15-16
By: Trevor Noah
-
Blues Brothers: The Arc of Gratitude
- By: Dan Aykroyd
- Narrated by: Dan Aykroyd
- Length: 1 hr and 56 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Elwood Blues (aka Dan Aykroyd) is on another mission—to tell the full story of how two young actors went from blues lovers to Blues Brothers. In this fascinating audio documentary Aykroyd “gets the band back together”, taking listeners on a road trip through time—from late nights in the early days with John Belushi at Dan’s speakeasy in Toronto, to working with blues legends Aretha Franklin, James Brown, and Ray Charles on The Blues Brothers movie, through the founding of House of Blues, the Blues Brothers 2000 sequel, and beyond.
-
-
You had to be there
- By 🔥 Phx17 🔥 on 07-26-24
By: Dan Aykroyd
-
Pulse
- The Untold Story
- By: Trevor Aaronson
- Narrated by: Trevor Aaronson
- Length: 4 hrs and 55 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a gay nightclub in Orlando on June 12, 2016, the shooter, Omar Mateen, murdered 49 people and wounded 53 others. The attack was the deadliest act of violence against the LGBTQ+ community in US history and the deadliest terrorist attack in the United States since 9/11. But there’s a story you haven’t heard. The FBI had a secret history with the shooter and his father. To obscure that history, the FBI pushed a false story that the media dutifully carried—that the attacker was a secretly gay Islamist extremist who had chosen to target Pulse and planned the attack for weeks.
-
-
Heart wrenching
- By Kaylee Charles on 07-21-24
By: Trevor Aaronson
-
Cursed
- By: RAW
- Narrated by: Femi Oke
- Length: 5 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On a cold December evening in 2016 a terrified young woman turns up at a brothel in Germany with a French passport but doesn’t speak a word of French. The owner is suspicious and alerts the German authorities, igniting a groundbreaking and history-making global investigation where ancient rituals collide with the modern world of crime fighting.
-
-
A must listen
- By Lenandi on 09-20-24
By: RAW
-
Going Infinite
- The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon
- By: Michael Lewis
- Narrated by: Michael Lewis
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Michael Lewis first met him, Sam Bankman-Fried was the world’s youngest billionaire and crypto’s Gatsby. CEOs, celebrities, and leaders of small countries all vied for his time and cash after he catapulted, practically overnight, onto the Forbes billionaire list. Who was this rumpled guy in cargo shorts and limp white socks, whose eyes twitched across Zoom meetings as he played video games on the side?
-
-
really expected more rigor from Michael Lewis
- By Wowhello on 10-04-23
By: Michael Lewis
-
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
- A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed
- By: Lori Gottlieb
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 14 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One day, Lori Gottlieb is a therapist who helps patients in her Los Angeles practice. The next, a crisis causes her world to come crashing down. Enter Wendell, the quirky but seasoned therapist in whose office she suddenly lands. With his balding head, cardigan, and khakis, he seems to have come straight from Therapist Central Casting. Yet he will turn out to be anything but.
-
-
It was like a hallmark movie being waterboarded into my ears for 15 hours
- By Amazon Customer on 10-01-19
By: Lori Gottlieb
-
The Parole Room
- By: Ben Austen
- Narrated by: Ben Austen
- Length: 4 hrs and 25 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Will Johnnie Veal—convicted of the murder of two police officers in 1970—be granted parole after 50 years in prison? How can he convince the parole board he’s reformed when he insists he’s innocent? What is prison time even supposed to accomplish? These are the questions that propel The Parole Room forward as it builds toward Johnnie’s 20th parole hearing—after 19 rejections.
-
-
Excellent
- By kimja on 09-30-24
By: Ben Austen
-
Reentry
- SpaceX, Elon Musk, and the Reusable Rockets That Launched a Second Space Age
- By: Eric Berger
- Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
- Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From launchpad explosions to a pernicious cricket infestation to the demanding management style of Musk himself, the rise of SpaceX was beset with challenges and far from inevitable. Find out how the startup beat the odds and flew high enough to outpace their rivals... and where they're going next.
-
-
Great book. Just as good as the first.
- By Tyler W. on 09-30-24
By: Eric Berger
-
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
- By: Jack Weatherford
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis, Jack Weatherford
- Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Mongol army led by Genghis Khan subjugated more lands and people in 25 years than the Romans did in 400. In nearly every country the Mongols conquered, they brought an unprecedented rise in cultural communication, expanded trade, and a blossoming of civilization.
-
-
Golden Horde/Platinum Listen
- By Cynthia on 12-11-13
By: Jack Weatherford
-
The Book of Murder
- A Prosecutor's Journey Through Love and Death
- By: Matt Murphy
- Narrated by: Matt Murphy
- Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Examining murder from an insider’s perspective, Matt Murphy—a former senior deputy district attorney and current ABC News legal analyst—discusses cases from his career, how they strained his personal life, and how he found peace seeking justice for victims and their families. Part taxonomy of murder, part prosecutor’s handbook, and part personal memoir, The Book of Murder goes through a dozen cases and his recollections of his 26 years in the Orange County DA’s office (17 in the Homicide Unit).
-
-
Amazing!
- By Beth on 10-01-24
By: Matt Murphy
-
Finding Tamika
- By: Erika Alexander, Kevin Hart, Charlamagne Tha God, and others
- Narrated by: Erika Alexander
- Length: 5 hrs and 42 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Black girls and women disappear every day, but not without a trace. Join actress and activist Erika Alexander in a neo-noir, true crime drama as she searches for Tamika Huston, a 24-year-old Black woman from Spartanburg, SC who went missing in 2004. Her case became a rallying cry for other missing Black women in America and led to a growing demand to expose a system that ignores missing girls and women of color.
-
-
Cynical conflation of two tragedies
- By Buretto on 03-26-22
By: Erika Alexander, and others
-
How I Get It Done
- By: Shereen Marisol Meraji
- Narrated by: Shereen Marisol Meraji
- Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a series of deeply moving and inspiring conversations, host Shereen Marisol Meraji connects with successful women from all walks of life to reveal how they manage their careers and every aspect of their lives. Based on the long-running column from The Cut and New York Magazine.
-
-
Relatable, helpful, and beautifully produced.
- By Anonymous User on 09-07-24
-
The Demon Next Door
- By: Bryan Burrough
- Narrated by: Steve White
- Length: 2 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Best-selling author Bryan Burrough recently made a shocking discovery: The small town of Temple, Texas, where he had grown up, had harbored a dark secret. One of his high school classmates, Danny Corwin, was a vicious serial killer. In this chilling tale, Burrough raises important questions of whether serial killers can be recognized before they kill or rehabilitated after they do. It is also a story of Texas politics and power that led the good citizens of the town of Temple to enable a demon who was their worst nightmare.
-
-
Odd narration choice
- By Amanda Fredericks on 03-08-19
By: Bryan Burrough
-
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
- As Told to Alex Haley
- By: Malcolm X, Alex Haley
- Narrated by: Laurence Fishburne
- Length: 16 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Experience a bold take on this classic autobiography as it’s performed by Oscar-nominated Laurence Fishburne. In this searing classic autobiography, originally published in 1965, Malcolm X, the Muslim leader, firebrand, and Black empowerment activist, tells the extraordinary story of his life and the growth of the Human Rights movement. His fascinating perspective on the lies and limitations of the American dream and the inherent racism in a society that denies its non-White citizens the opportunity to dream, gives extraordinary insight into the most urgent issues of our own time.
-
-
it's Nearly perfect
- By Kerry on 09-16-20
By: Malcolm X, and others
-
Evil Has a Name
- The Untold Story of the Golden State Killer Investigation
- By: Paul Holes, Jim Clemente, Peter McDonnell
- Narrated by: Paul Holes, Jim Clemente
- Length: 6 hrs and 13 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For his victims, for their families and for the investigators tasked with finding him, the senselessness and brutality of the Golden State Killer's acts were matched only by the powerlessness they felt at failing to uncover his identity. Then, on April 24, 2018, authorities arrested 72-year-old Joseph James DeAngelo at his home in Citrus Heights, Calif., based on DNA evidence linked to the crimes. Amazingly, it seemed, evil finally had a name. Please note: This work contains descriptions of violent crime and sexual assault and may not be suitable for all listeners.
-
-
Audible Raises The Bar On True Crime Genre
- By R. Squyres on 11-16-18
By: Paul Holes, and others
-
Serial Killers: Real and Imagined
- By: Emily Zarka, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Emily Zarka
- Length: 2 hrs and 56 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Monster stories aren’t just meant to entertain. They’re meant to inform, even educate. Above all, they ask us to question our own humanity. Nowhere is this truer than in stories of serial killers. What are the origins of this monstrous archetype? Why are we so fascinated with such gruesome terror? What do they reveal about our fears and anxieties? Explore these and other questions in Serial Killers: Real and Imagined, where public scholar Emily Zarka looks at the serial-killer trope across history, from murky 17th-century legends to 21st-century true-crime obsessions.
-
-
Good comparison
- By Jill H. Shelley on 09-02-24
By: Emily Zarka, and others
What listeners say about Over the Top
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 09-26-19
This will be something I listen to over and over
Would I still love JVN if I knew all the parts? I don’t think 5 hours of listening to 32 years worth of story is knowing all the parts, but knowing 5 hours more now than I did a few days ago, I love her so much more!!
If you’ve bought this book you’re already a fan and you will not regret this purchase. She’s spilling the T and will tell you some real shit that you’ll want to remember to help you grow too. So much love!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kavya
- 11-05-19
Amazing,
Honestly I didn’t know what to expect 🤷🏾♀️😂 but I am so glad I decided to pick this up. Such a beautiful and uplifting story. I cried, I laughed, I screamed but most importantly I was deeply loved and touched by this story :) lived and told by a truly beautiful and gorgeous soul 🥰
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 10-19-19
Loved it!!!
A fabulous treat to hear Jonathan tell his story in his gorgeous voice. Superbly entertains and raw authenticity.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Keo
- 10-11-19
wow
loved every second! didn't even feel the pass! love that is was you narrating! love you
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 10-22-19
Very good
Inspiring book by an inspiring queen.
Some of the anecdotes feel like they are missing vital details.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Laura Dunn
- 02-08-20
Perfect, funny, heart warming, devastating - a real rollercoaster
Hearing Jonathan’s voice read his words made this book. I would have loved it just reading it but this was the PERFECT audio book and perfect narrator! It’s an emotional story from start to finish. I cried, from laughing so hard i nearly peed, from gut wrenching sobbing where I thought I would never stop crying, to warm fuzzy feeling tears of pride. If you want to find out so much more about your favourite queen and queer eye character, you HAVE to listen to this. I feel like me and JVN are BFF’s now I know so much! Haha! I can’t see how anyone would not enjoy this!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- 1drwoman
- 07-14-20
Moved and Love JVN even more now!
I have been a fan since I first laid ears and eyes on this magical unicorn of a man. I knew he must’ve gone through some tough times! Jonathan has such a sweet soul and keeps it real. I didn’t know how deep he would take us into his darkness and then back into the light! This book is the Gay Rocky in my opinion! Such a great listen! And so glad Jonathan reads it and not some poser who couldn’t pull it off!
Thank you for sharing your life lessons, your fears, your humour, your success, and your breakthroughs. Highly recommend. Yass Queen!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 09-14-20
Uplifting and funny
I truly liked the book - audio format was the best choice for me as it felt like JvN was literally telling his story to me on my couch! Thank you for sharing your inspiring story.. and reminding that there is always place for self love.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Norma Miles
- 01-03-22
"We are never too broken to heal.."
Perhaps if I had seen the Queer Eye programme for which he is, obviously, famous and so was familiar with the author prior to this book, had a visual image of him in my memory, or had even a passing interest in Olympic figure skaters, my enjoyment of Over the Top might have been greater. It is certainly a book of courage, with honest self revelation and need - his mother should be given a medal and, to his credit, Van Ness apparently appreciates this - mixed in with his own self help advice. However, I had first to contend with the narration, that of the author himself, a very distinctive nasal twang, words quickly punched out and swinging up and down, slightly distorted at times and too fast to comfortably follow: I lowered the playback speed slightly, which helped. Only to listen to the first of his eulogies about ice skating and skaters, and Olympics gymnastics on the T.V., a recurring topic.
From what I can gather, although coming from a media background, Jonathan's forte is not the written but the spoken word, the non stop spoken word of anecdotes and story telling, leaping between topics from opinions and gossip to politics and family memories. and this is much how the book is presented: with little structure other than a very vague time line of his depression, illness and final redemption through hairdressing, filming and the ongoing support of others. Oh, and figure skating!
Yes, I think I should definitely have waited until seeing a programme with Van News appearing. He is obviously a very charismatic figure and, given the suggestion that he become a stand up comedian, is obviously thought very funny. But what I received was the picture of a man, lonely and sad, still trying hard to love who he is even if his life now is the one he always dreamed of having as a child.
I.am glad I read it and will probably revisit some time in the future. A must, I am sure, for any Queer Eye fan, for others it is the tale of how we can all hurt ourselves, or perhaps save ourselves, whatever our situation in life..
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!