You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
I loved this book so much! It was the perfect combination of cute moments and serious topics. I flew through it. I really enjoyed it!
Review to come.
I loved this book so much! It was the perfect combination of cute moments and serious topics. I flew through it. I really enjoyed it!
Review to come.
This is one of those books that leaves you with a huge smile on your face as it ends. Those are the best kinds of books too.
Bonnie Baker grew up on television as one of the stars of Baker's Dozen, a reality show about her parents' dream to have a large family and their lives afterward. The show's been off the air for four years and Bonnie, now Chloe, has managed to keep out of the spotlight and has had a normal life. She's happy. Then comes the news that Baker's Dozen is going back on the air, and Bonnie's mom and the show's producer don't care that Bonnie wants nothing to do with it. She'll either have to cope with her new life being exposed or find a way to get off the show.
I was honestly not expecting to be so blown away by this book from the description. It seemed like it would be a nice, fluffy type read. What I got instead was something that became my favorite book so far this year. It was funny and had depth with great characters. I put it down for work then dove straight back into it when I got home and kept reading until 2am when I finished it.
The characters in this book were all amazing in their own way. Chloe, who worked so hard to be under the radar at her school so no one will make the connection between Chloe and Bonnie. She was so easy to empathize with and I really just wanted to see her get everything she wanted because it was so simple. She just wanted a normal life. The show left her with major anxiety and we got to see her struggle to overcome it and discover who she is. Benton, Chloe's brother and fellow Baker's Dozen hater, had such a great relationship with her. These were the two who got the most focus and the bond between them was something special. Lexie, sister, appeared a little less since she attended a different school, and at times it was easy to dislike her but she definitely grew on me throughout the book. The other kids didn't appear as much as they were all younger and didn't play a huge role but the sibling bond was still there. Chloe's friends Tessa and Meredith were absolutely awesome and I loved seeing such strong female friendships so present. And then there was Patrick. Every girl needs a Patrick in her life. He was so sweet and understanding and encouraging and so perfect for Chloe.
There were definitely characters to direct hate at as well. Chuck, the producer of the show, was so slimy and fake and a bully. I really wanted to see him fail. Chloe's parents were a little harder to outright dislike since it did seem like they, in their minds, thought they were doing the right thing but so many of the children had some kind of issue that I couldn't be on their side. They seemed blind to the real problems in their kids' lives and the way they allowed the show to portray certain events was despicable.
The book was mainly set in the present but every once and again there were flashbacks, in the form of a past interview or a scene from the TV show. I loved how we saw that reality TV is still not completely reality, things get twisted and cut and edited to make it look however the producer wants all for ratings, the kids get labels put on them like bookworm, jock, sexy. There's tabloids to deal with and with twitter/facebook/instagram/etc, anyone at anytime could leak details of their day very easily. The book also brings up some really good points about the children and who's looking out for them when they're staring in shows like this without fully understanding what it means.
From the beginning to the end, I was on Chloe's side. The more she became aware of how she was treated and manipulated the first time the show was on, the more I wanted to see her take the whole MetaReel company down. The lighter moments, Chloe and Benny interactions, Chloe and Patrick, were a nice contrast to the darker ones, Chloe and her mother, Chloe and Chuck. The slow romance between Chloe and Patrick was especially nice, no insta-love, we got to see them work through issues.
I also love all the quotable moments in this book. It was full of them.
This is definitely a book I will be re-reading.
I was honestly not expecting to be so blown away by this book from the description. It seemed like it would be a nice, fluffy type read. What I got instead was something that became my favorite book so far this year. It was funny and had depth with great characters. I put it down for work then dove straight back into it when I got home and kept reading until 2am when I finished it.
The characters in this book were all amazing in their own way. Chloe, who worked so hard to be under the radar at her school so no one will make the connection between Chloe and Bonnie. She was so easy to empathize with and I really just wanted to see her get everything she wanted because it was so simple. She just wanted a normal life. The show left her with major anxiety and we got to see her struggle to overcome it and discover who she is. Benton, Chloe's brother and fellow Baker's Dozen hater, had such a great relationship with her. These were the two who got the most focus and the bond between them was something special. Lexie, sister, appeared a little less since she attended a different school, and at times it was easy to dislike her but she definitely grew on me throughout the book. The other kids didn't appear as much as they were all younger and didn't play a huge role but the sibling bond was still there. Chloe's friends Tessa and Meredith were absolutely awesome and I loved seeing such strong female friendships so present. And then there was Patrick. Every girl needs a Patrick in her life. He was so sweet and understanding and encouraging and so perfect for Chloe.
There were definitely characters to direct hate at as well. Chuck, the producer of the show, was so slimy and fake and a bully. I really wanted to see him fail. Chloe's parents were a little harder to outright dislike since it did seem like they, in their minds, thought they were doing the right thing but so many of the children had some kind of issue that I couldn't be on their side. They seemed blind to the real problems in their kids' lives and the way they allowed the show to portray certain events was despicable.
The book was mainly set in the present but every once and again there were flashbacks, in the form of a past interview or a scene from the TV show. I loved how we saw that reality TV is still not completely reality, things get twisted and cut and edited to make it look however the producer wants all for ratings, the kids get labels put on them like bookworm, jock, sexy. There's tabloids to deal with and with twitter/facebook/instagram/etc, anyone at anytime could leak details of their day very easily. The book also brings up some really good points about the children and who's looking out for them when they're staring in shows like this without fully understanding what it means.
From the beginning to the end, I was on Chloe's side. The more she became aware of how she was treated and manipulated the first time the show was on, the more I wanted to see her take the whole MetaReel company down. The lighter moments, Chloe and Benny interactions, Chloe and Patrick, were a nice contrast to the darker ones, Chloe and her mother, Chloe and Chuck. The slow romance between Chloe and Patrick was especially nice, no insta-love, we got to see them work through issues.
I also love all the quotable moments in this book. It was full of them.
This is definitely a book I will be re-reading.
It's 3.5*
High school senior Chloe Baker is one of 13 kids in a reality TV family. Her real name is Bonnie, and that's how she was known on "Baker's Dozen." Her family's show went off the air a few years ago, and she and her teenage siblings are trying to live normal incognito lives. Chloe comes home from school one afternoon to discover her family's home crawling with cameramen and producers and PAs, and her selfish monster of a mother informs her that their show is back on the air!
This book makes a good case for reality TV people as the worst people in the world. Chloe and her brother Benny have their semi-normal lives upended, and suddenly they're being told what to say, and what to wear, and how to react. No matter what she does, Chloe is the family's "troubled" child and that's the narrative everyone knows.
The show goes back on the air with a live episode, outing Chloe and Benny to all their classmates and the rest of their town.
Although there are 13 kids, and all of them are named at one point, the only ones who really factor into the story are Chloe, 17, and twins Benny and Lexi, also 17. Chloe and Benny are close and go to the same school. Chloe and Benny are looking forward to escaping reality TV hell when they graduate. Lexi's purpose in the story wasn't clear to me--she was kind of an antagonist, but not really. Chloe's friends Tessa and Mer, and Benny's boyfriend Matt, all have much more to do than Lexi.
Chloe and Patrick, a guy she's had a crush on forever, get together, but she worries about him being hounded by paparazzi. She keeps breaking up with him to "protect" him from reality TV narratives, paparazzi, etc., and it gets tedious. He is the most patient, understanding teenage boy in the world.
The handling of Chloe's mental health/mental state was well-done. It's nice for mental health to be handled realistically in any fiction.
This was a well-done story, and the reality TV aspect was unique. I don't really watch reality TV at all, much less shows about lots of kids, and I have no idea how close this is to how a reality show is created, but it *seems* convincing.
I liked Chloe, though she frustrated me a lot--she was passive and indecisive when I wanted her to be otherwise, but that's probably in keeping with someone raised by TV producers giving orders, along with a gaslighting witch of a mom.
Chloe and Benny take action near the end of the book that might hopefully put an end to the exploitation of themselves and their siblings, but that isn't resolved in this story.
I liked it, but I didn't love it, and I probably won't continue with the series.
High school senior Chloe Baker is one of 13 kids in a reality TV family. Her real name is Bonnie, and that's how she was known on "Baker's Dozen." Her family's show went off the air a few years ago, and she and her teenage siblings are trying to live normal incognito lives. Chloe comes home from school one afternoon to discover her family's home crawling with cameramen and producers and PAs, and her selfish monster of a mother informs her that their show is back on the air!
This book makes a good case for reality TV people as the worst people in the world. Chloe and her brother Benny have their semi-normal lives upended, and suddenly they're being told what to say, and what to wear, and how to react. No matter what she does, Chloe is the family's "troubled" child and that's the narrative everyone knows.
The show goes back on the air with a live episode, outing Chloe and Benny to all their classmates and the rest of their town.
Although there are 13 kids, and all of them are named at one point, the only ones who really factor into the story are Chloe, 17, and twins Benny and Lexi, also 17. Chloe and Benny are close and go to the same school. Chloe and Benny are looking forward to escaping reality TV hell when they graduate. Lexi's purpose in the story wasn't clear to me--she was kind of an antagonist, but not really. Chloe's friends Tessa and Mer, and Benny's boyfriend Matt, all have much more to do than Lexi.
Chloe and Patrick, a guy she's had a crush on forever, get together, but she worries about him being hounded by paparazzi. She keeps breaking up with him to "protect" him from reality TV narratives, paparazzi, etc., and it gets tedious. He is the most patient, understanding teenage boy in the world.
Spoiler
For most of the book, Chloe is stressing about what she'll do when Patrick goes away to college, which...just go with him, girl. Figure it out.The handling of Chloe's mental health/mental state was well-done. It's nice for mental health to be handled realistically in any fiction.
This was a well-done story, and the reality TV aspect was unique. I don't really watch reality TV at all, much less shows about lots of kids, and I have no idea how close this is to how a reality show is created, but it *seems* convincing.
I liked Chloe, though she frustrated me a lot--she was passive and indecisive when I wanted her to be otherwise, but that's probably in keeping with someone raised by TV producers giving orders, along with a gaslighting witch of a mom.
Chloe and Benny take action near the end of the book that might hopefully put an end to the exploitation of themselves and their siblings, but that isn't resolved in this story.
I liked it, but I didn't love it, and I probably won't continue with the series.
This was a very enjoyable book about the real life of reality tv stars.
I give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.
I give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.
This book was not what I was expecting it to be at all. When got this book I thought it would be one of those cliche type of books where the famous movie star falls in love with a normal person (Ik Ik I didn't read the description when i got it. Sue me.) This is a finding yourself story with many many many twists that makes you want to scream with frustration. I loved Chloe. I loved Patrick. I loved Benny. I loved Matt. I did not love Beth (Chloe's mom) or the rest of this TV production. Full review to come on my blog.
Even though the premise is a bit unusual (the main character is a girl who grew up on a reality show about her large family), the struggles that the characters face are very real.
For me, the most poignant was the depiction of an abusive parent. Chloe's mother is capable of being kind, but even then most of her actions are calculated and manipulative. She blames Chloe for things that are not her fault, she tries to separate Chloe from the friends that Chloe independently makes, she constantly invades Chloe's privacy, goes back on her word, and tries to get Chloe to make the decisions that she (her mother) wants while making Chloe think that these decisions are hers (Chloe's). The book doesn't have to state anything outright, but instead subtly leads the reader to this conclusion.
It's not a perfect book, though. I thought the relationship was straight out of a teen romance movie (Patrick was too perfect), which was an odd juxtaposition with the other subject matter. But, whatever, it's a YA book. If I was still 16, I would have had no problem with the romance.
I was on the fence about reading Heather Demetrios' newest book (Bad Romance), but now I think I'd like to.
For me, the most poignant was the depiction of an abusive parent. Chloe's mother is capable of being kind, but even then most of her actions are calculated and manipulative. She blames Chloe for things that are not her fault, she tries to separate Chloe from the friends that Chloe independently makes, she constantly invades Chloe's privacy, goes back on her word, and tries to get Chloe to make the decisions that she (her mother) wants while making Chloe think that these decisions are hers (Chloe's). The book doesn't have to state anything outright, but instead subtly leads the reader to this conclusion.
It's not a perfect book, though. I thought the relationship was straight out of a teen romance movie (Patrick was too perfect), which was an odd juxtaposition with the other subject matter. But, whatever, it's a YA book. If I was still 16, I would have had no problem with the romance.
I was on the fence about reading Heather Demetrios' newest book (Bad Romance), but now I think I'd like to.
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt
This book was super cute! I really liked it. Review to come later!
I am so unbelievably disappointed by this book.
This is another example of a novel that everyone loved, and I sat on my couch, skimming through the last hundred pages because I was too bored to actually read it. I thought the plot had so much potential, but I couldn't get into it. There was so much drama for drama sake, not for the actual progression of the plot. That's a huge no-no for me.
This book is also the definition of instalove. I mean, seriously. Chloe and Patrick fall in love after like four seconds. And yet, I didn't read anything about this in the reviews I've read, even though if there is anything I've learned from my time on Goodreads, it's that people are very critical about instalove.
I wanted to love this book as much as I loved I'll Meet You There. But I just didn't. And it breaks my damn heart.
This is another example of a novel that everyone loved, and I sat on my couch, skimming through the last hundred pages because I was too bored to actually read it. I thought the plot had so much potential, but I couldn't get into it. There was so much drama for drama sake, not for the actual progression of the plot. That's a huge no-no for me.
This book is also the definition of instalove. I mean, seriously. Chloe and Patrick fall in love after like four seconds. And yet, I didn't read anything about this in the reviews I've read, even though if there is anything I've learned from my time on Goodreads, it's that people are very critical about instalove.
I wanted to love this book as much as I loved I'll Meet You There. But I just didn't. And it breaks my damn heart.