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mehsi's review against another edition
5.0
I recently finished L.A. Candy and the Fame Game and I was looking for a new book or series about reality shows and people participating in said shows. And I found this book. Let's just start with that this book isn't for everyone. Some might be off-put by the book. There is some bad language, there is drunken teenagers, there is some hooking up/hints of sex. But other than that, it is a great book.
It wasn't always that great though, there were enough parts where I was shaking my head. Where I was wondering things. But in the end I just had to give the book 5 stars, because even with some things wrong, I still enjoyed myself immensely and it was a fun psychological thing to see how our main character went from silent and mousy to cheating and drunk and then back to trying to find normalcy. There was a lot of fun drama and silly romantic stuff. There are even various love triangles. (Normally I don't like those, but they are well done in this book.) Jase has 3 girls pining for him (yes, I would also count her as she still went for him). Drew has 2 girls pining for him. Then we have Melanie and Rick who were pretty much the odd ones out. It was all a bit silly, but it brought lots of comedy.
Our main character was quite boring in the beginning, and I was worried she would stay like this for a long time. Luckily, the reality show brought another side out of her. One that I didn't entirely expect.
I didn't always like our main character. She made bad choices, she went to the wrong people when things went wrong (seriously, having (almost) sex with someone because the boy of your dream doesn't like you/acts like a bad guy is a bad thing). I also didn't think she was that kind of girl. I thought she had pretty big morals, but it seems when everything goes wrong she dives in the arms of a guy.
But I also saw a girl underneath all that. A girl that actually wants to be good, wants to get out of all the reality crap, just wants her life back. A girl who, even when they were on vacation, was studying for her tests. A girl who would do anything to get stuff to be normal again.
We also have various other characters. We got Jase (Stereotypical player who will screw with any girl), Melanie (not sure what to think of her, she was pretty boring and I didn't get why she was added to the show), Nico (Girl that everyone liked, and who had some good moments, but also a lot of bad ones, but she picked herself up at the ending), Drew (Urgh, disliked him soooo much. He was a nice guy at the beginning, but with the reality show I just disliked him. I know he had to do a lot of these things, but couldn't he have thought for himself for a bit too?), Rick (No clue, he wasn't around that much), Trisha (Urgh, stereotypical popular girl who doesn't care about relationships and the word taken and who would do anything to get on the show) and lastly, Caitlyn. And here begins my rant. I disliked Caitlyn. Or let me clarify. I liked her in the beginning, and then she didn't get what she wanted and she went all boohoo and angry on her best friend who really tried her best to get her on the show. And yes, our main character tried. She tried so hard, but all she got was no. And all we got was a sad Caitlyn who couldn't handle it. Like with a few other characters, she redeems herself, but I really disliked her. Instead of being there for her friend and trying to support her, she went full hate mode. :\ Nice friend you are.... No.
I really loved the ending. It was a bit sick (due to what happened there), but I always had my suspicions about that character. I always thought there was something shady about them. And I was right! I loved how the main character and one of the side-characters kicked ass and got what they wanted. Girl power!
The last pages were really sweet and they made me so happy. Though I didn't entirely like one of the characters, I still was happy they got this ending.
What I want now though is a sequel. There is enough material, and with this ending, there is a mountain of possibilities. I know I would buy it if it ever happens. :)
All in all, this book is one I would recommend.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
It wasn't always that great though, there were enough parts where I was shaking my head. Where I was wondering things. But in the end I just had to give the book 5 stars, because even with some things wrong, I still enjoyed myself immensely and it was a fun psychological thing to see how our main character went from silent and mousy to cheating and drunk and then back to trying to find normalcy. There was a lot of fun drama and silly romantic stuff. There are even various love triangles. (Normally I don't like those, but they are well done in this book.) Jase has 3 girls pining for him (yes, I would also count her as she still went for him). Drew has 2 girls pining for him. Then we have Melanie and Rick who were pretty much the odd ones out. It was all a bit silly, but it brought lots of comedy.
Our main character was quite boring in the beginning, and I was worried she would stay like this for a long time. Luckily, the reality show brought another side out of her. One that I didn't entirely expect.
I didn't always like our main character. She made bad choices, she went to the wrong people when things went wrong (seriously, having (almost) sex with someone because the boy of your dream doesn't like you/acts like a bad guy is a bad thing). I also didn't think she was that kind of girl. I thought she had pretty big morals, but it seems when everything goes wrong she dives in the arms of a guy.
But I also saw a girl underneath all that. A girl that actually wants to be good, wants to get out of all the reality crap, just wants her life back. A girl who, even when they were on vacation, was studying for her tests. A girl who would do anything to get stuff to be normal again.
We also have various other characters. We got Jase (Stereotypical player who will screw with any girl), Melanie (not sure what to think of her, she was pretty boring and I didn't get why she was added to the show), Nico (Girl that everyone liked, and who had some good moments, but also a lot of bad ones, but she picked herself up at the ending), Drew (Urgh, disliked him soooo much. He was a nice guy at the beginning, but with the reality show I just disliked him. I know he had to do a lot of these things, but couldn't he have thought for himself for a bit too?), Rick (No clue, he wasn't around that much), Trisha (Urgh, stereotypical popular girl who doesn't care about relationships and the word taken and who would do anything to get on the show) and lastly, Caitlyn. And here begins my rant. I disliked Caitlyn. Or let me clarify. I liked her in the beginning, and then she didn't get what she wanted and she went all boohoo and angry on her best friend who really tried her best to get her on the show. And yes, our main character tried. She tried so hard, but all she got was no. And all we got was a sad Caitlyn who couldn't handle it. Like with a few other characters, she redeems herself, but I really disliked her. Instead of being there for her friend and trying to support her, she went full hate mode. :\ Nice friend you are.... No.
I really loved the ending. It was a bit sick (due to what happened there), but I always had my suspicions about that character. I always thought there was something shady about them. And I was right! I loved how the main character and one of the side-characters kicked ass and got what they wanted. Girl power!
The last pages were really sweet and they made me so happy. Though I didn't entirely like one of the characters, I still was happy they got this ending.
What I want now though is a sequel. There is enough material, and with this ending, there is a mountain of possibilities. I know I would buy it if it ever happens. :)
All in all, this book is one I would recommend.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
stephaniesteen73's review against another edition
3.0
This was in the "young adult" section of the library and I think I may have enjoyed it more if I was a teen....I have never gotten into the reality TV craze of "The Hills" or "The O.C." or any of those teen fads. I do like the other books of this author duo (The Nanny Diaries the most) and the story is definitely readable and enjoyable - just not a "real, real" great one...
saidtheraina's review against another edition
4.0
I can't quite decide if this is guilty pleasure material or just a really good read. Maybe it's both. It's the story of a working class girl growing up in Hampton Beach who gets picked to star in a reality tv show a la "The Hills." Jesse figures the crew will just follow her around in her normal life. Little does she know the extent that being on the show will get in the way of her having a life.
Jesse is supposedly a somewhat nerdy outsider in school and she spouts a line or two about hating corporations. Which of course doesn't get followed up on at all, since if she was balking at every namebrand placement in the show, that would be what the novel would be about. The character doesn't ring completely authentic, but that's kinda ok.
The authors do a nice job of showing (completely hilariously) how truly inauthentic shows like this can be. The producers mess with relationships, clothing, homes, behavior choices, everything in the chase for higher ratings. The behavior is truly horrific. And, like I said, the depiction is totally hilarious too, with a lightness that relieves the horror of the real content of the book. Friendships and relationships are lost and gained and it's all very dramatic in typical YA fashion. Wish the family relationships had been a touch more real, but again, not the focus of the novel. Great read, good booktalk, just wish I could take it to the middle schools.
Jesse is supposedly a somewhat nerdy outsider in school and she spouts a line or two about hating corporations. Which of course doesn't get followed up on at all, since if she was balking at every namebrand placement in the show, that would be what the novel would be about. The character doesn't ring completely authentic, but that's kinda ok.
The authors do a nice job of showing (completely hilariously) how truly inauthentic shows like this can be. The producers mess with relationships, clothing, homes, behavior choices, everything in the chase for higher ratings. The behavior is truly horrific. And, like I said, the depiction is totally hilarious too, with a lightness that relieves the horror of the real content of the book. Friendships and relationships are lost and gained and it's all very dramatic in typical YA fashion. Wish the family relationships had been a touch more real, but again, not the focus of the novel. Great read, good booktalk, just wish I could take it to the middle schools.
firegirl's review against another edition
3.75
A unique look into reality tv from the early 2000’s. Genuinely made me sick to my stomach.
abenajanet's review against another edition
2.0
it was alright but not that good. Ive read better. like the one by LC WHICH IS SOO MUCH BETTER
megs_s's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lovelyjanelle13's review against another edition
3.0
Not horrible, not great, just rather annoying through most of the story especially when everything falls apart from her own actions being revealed, in a twist manipulative way yes, but knowing the circumstances she should’ve thought things through more.
erinlibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
So, taking a break the bleak visions of the future that I've reading lately, I decided to to read something "fun". On the surface, The Real Real is a fun, guilty pleasure book that is very similar to watching a reality tv show. Jesse and her fellow cast members get to wear designer clothes, spend the weekends shopping, take glamorous trips, and become instant celebrities. However, once you can get past the ridiculous amount of product name dropping and overblown, evil adults in this story, there's an interesting little undercurrent about how little "reality" is actually present in reality tv. What starts out as a show about the real lives of ordinary high schoolers soon becomes a soap opera as the show's producers begin manufacturing drama and turn the lives of the cast into nightmares for the sake of ratings. It (almost) makes you feel sorry for the real life stars of such shows.
I really wish that the characters were better developed. Jesse, who is supposedly the "smart and responsible" one (she gets into Georgetown University) makes several bad decisions during the story, which doesn't really make sense in the context she's presented in. Several of the minor characters (the fancy, professional cinematographer, Zachariah, brings a lot of comedy to the otherwise tedious shooting scenes) really shine while those in the core group don't come off as very interesting. And, the romance between Jesse and Drew feels a little shallow- their only similarity is that they've both been cast on the show. Pretty much all of the relationships in this story seem like plot conveniences rather than believable pairings. This really is a plot driven story, which I was okay with, but a little more characterization would have made this a much stronger book.
On the bright side, I found this to be a light, breezy read that kept me entertained from beginning to end. I would recommend it for readers looking for a sneak peek behind the scenes of reality tv. There's actually the potential for some pretty great discussion about this book in regards to entertainment, reality tv, and corporate marketing directed at teens. I could envision this being a fun, summer reading book group selection.
I really wish that the characters were better developed. Jesse, who is supposedly the "smart and responsible" one (she gets into Georgetown University) makes several bad decisions during the story, which doesn't really make sense in the context she's presented in. Several of the minor characters (the fancy, professional cinematographer, Zachariah, brings a lot of comedy to the otherwise tedious shooting scenes) really shine while those in the core group don't come off as very interesting. And, the romance between Jesse and Drew feels a little shallow- their only similarity is that they've both been cast on the show. Pretty much all of the relationships in this story seem like plot conveniences rather than believable pairings. This really is a plot driven story, which I was okay with, but a little more characterization would have made this a much stronger book.
On the bright side, I found this to be a light, breezy read that kept me entertained from beginning to end. I would recommend it for readers looking for a sneak peek behind the scenes of reality tv. There's actually the potential for some pretty great discussion about this book in regards to entertainment, reality tv, and corporate marketing directed at teens. I could envision this being a fun, summer reading book group selection.
tjlcody's review against another edition
2.0
*Rubs eyes*
I love how I literally just read a book where I complained about the whole "The Good Old Best Friend behaves badly but no one calls them out on it because they are the Good Old Best Friend who is not like the Bitchy New Best Friend(s)" trope. Yeah, I'm looking at Caitlyn; much like Unfriended (Rachel Vail), while Jesse did wrong too, it made my blood boil when Caitlyn said she found it satisfying that people were calling Jesse an anorexic whore because Jesse got pulled into the show.
You know, the same show that she was nasty and bitter and took it out on Jesse that she didn't get cast on?
That pissed me off. Jesse wasn't innocent, but Caitlyn was a brat and deserved a bit of a "sit down" as well.
Other than that, the book was so-so. The way the show manipulated the kids was disgusting and infuriating, and I'm reminded of Reality Check (Jen Calonita) which was ultimately pulled off a lot better, especially in the respect that the parents weren't sitting on their butts and watching as these kids got their lives hijacked. But ultimately it was all just meh.
I love how I literally just read a book where I complained about the whole "The Good Old Best Friend behaves badly but no one calls them out on it because they are the Good Old Best Friend who is not like the Bitchy New Best Friend(s)" trope. Yeah, I'm looking at Caitlyn; much like Unfriended (Rachel Vail), while Jesse did wrong too, it made my blood boil when Caitlyn said she found it satisfying that people were calling Jesse an anorexic whore because Jesse got pulled into the show.
You know, the same show that she was nasty and bitter and took it out on Jesse that she didn't get cast on?
That pissed me off. Jesse wasn't innocent, but Caitlyn was a brat and deserved a bit of a "sit down" as well.
Other than that, the book was so-so. The way the show manipulated the kids was disgusting and infuriating, and I'm reminded of Reality Check (Jen Calonita) which was ultimately pulled off a lot better, especially in the respect that the parents weren't sitting on their butts and watching as these kids got their lives hijacked. But ultimately it was all just meh.
stenann7's review against another edition
3.0
This is a rip-off of The Real World. A TV network called XTV comes to a high school in Hampton Beach to film a reality tv show. They even talk about hwo people on their roommate show come back to compete on challenges.
A fun read nonetheless.
A fun read nonetheless.