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abidavisf's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Witnessing Belle process her trauma through her younger sister is both heartwarming and heartbreaking. She experienced an awful lot at such a young age, an immense pressure and expectation and otherworldliness that so few people could ever understand, so for her to have a younger sister so similar and yet so different to her was a beautiful reflection of what her childhood could have been and how the future can and will be better for the next generation.
I listened to The Real Deal on audiobook and I will say that I found the pacing very slow. I think I would have become more engaged with the story more quickly had I read it physically. Speeding it up to 1.5x speed helped with this. For me, 1.5x speed sounded like 1x does for most audiobooks. I’m not sure why it was so slow, but I would definitely recommend adjusting the speed if listening to it.
There are elements of the story I wish we had seen more of, in particular Belle and Faye’s connection as teenagers. I feel like there was plenty eluded to in relation to the ins and outs of their relationship together, but not enough depth. This meant that I found
Parts of the story I think that could have been spared to adjust pacing or enable more time to focus on your characters would be the inclusion of Fred. I feel like he and Rupert could easily have been one character. They are interchangeable, to me, and I feel like he didn’t add much to the story. I feel similarly towards Howie. Though I understand his importance in Season One, I do feel that his character didn’t live up to his potential throughout the rest of the story. He could have been explored further or removed from the latter part of the tale as his participation felt more like he was providing ‘filler’ and ‘exposition’ rather than moving the story along.
Also question: in the last chapter, we’re shown the Season One photo on Hannah’s mantel but then Kendra puts her feet up on Roni’s footstool. Continuity error or am I missing something and they’ve moved locations?
Minor: Body shaming, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Bullying, Fatphobia, Terminal illness, Cancer, Grief, Death of parent, Drug use, Eating disorder, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
sstewart89's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Gaslighting, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Eating disorder, Drug use, Bullying, Outing, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic friendship, Body shaming, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, and Cursing
Moderate: Death of parent
gretchenplz's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I was hooked on this book from just looking at the cover, and was not disappointed by the narrative itself.
This book scratched that itch that Daisy Jones & the Six did, with the right amount of drama mixed with reflection. I think (Dance Mom's-inspired or not) this book brings up a lot of important topics about child labor in the entertainment industry, the ethics of realty television, and the responsibilities that adults have to care for children.
My one real criticism is that the format (while I understand why the author decided to write it this way) detracted from the resolution and the overall point the ending made. I could have used one more chapter about the reaction to the reunion special and Belle's healing journey after. But maybe that's a story for another time.
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Alcohol, Drug use, and Outing
Minor: Pedophilia
millerralice's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Toxic friendship
Minor: Child abuse, Vomit, Alcohol, and Drug use