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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
Wow, this book is not what I was expecting.
My expectation: teenager who has grown up as part of a reality tv family feels caged in by the feeling that she can't be herself and then meets a boy who likes her for her.
Reality: story of teenager struggling with mental health issues in abusive family setting involving reality tv elements and then boy helps her try to sort her family issues out.
Lots of angst and cliches, but also a lot more depth than I was honestly expecting. With that said, it depicts such an unhealthy reaction to mental health. If someone is having panic attacks weekly and has attempted suicide, that person needs medical assistance, not just a boyfriend in high school.
My expectation: teenager who has grown up as part of a reality tv family feels caged in by the feeling that she can't be herself and then meets a boy who likes her for her.
Reality: story of teenager struggling with mental health issues in abusive family setting involving reality tv elements and then boy helps her try to sort her family issues out.
Lots of angst and cliches, but also a lot more depth than I was honestly expecting. With that said, it depicts such an unhealthy reaction to mental health. If someone is having panic attacks weekly and has attempted suicide, that person needs medical assistance, not just a boyfriend in high school.
Graded By: Mandy W.
Cover Story: We're Experiencing Technical Difficulties
BFF Charm: Ron Swanson
Swoonworthy Scale: 6 + 2 = 8
Talky Talk: Straight Up with a Dash of E! True Hollywood Story
Bonus Factors: Reality TV, Diversity, 1984
Relationship Status: High School Sweethearts
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: We're Experiencing Technical Difficulties
BFF Charm: Ron Swanson
Swoonworthy Scale: 6 + 2 = 8
Talky Talk: Straight Up with a Dash of E! True Hollywood Story
Bonus Factors: Reality TV, Diversity, 1984
Relationship Status: High School Sweethearts
Read the full book report here.
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wow, wow, wow! What an amazingly fantastic book with really awesome characters and a gripping story to boot. I am so happy to have finally read Something Real and not sure I can adequately put into words how awesome this book was. Basically it was one of those books that just has everything and leaves you feeling refreshed and cleansed when you’re done. Did I mention it was fantastic? And is also now one of my top 15 reads ever!
Something Real is about Bonnie, a 17 year old girl that has grown up on TV. Since she was born her life, along with her 12 brothers and sisters, has belonged to MetaReel and the wildly popular reality show Baker’s Dozen. That is until four years ago when an incident happened that resulted in the shows cancellation. Now living a normal life with friends, a possible boyfriend and a made up past, Bonnie is ready to have it all and move on from the mess that was her life. Until MetaReel shows up and messes up everything all over again. Now instead of trying to figure out if her crush likes her or what her and her friends are going to do, Bonnie is living life in front of the cameras once again. With her happy existence threatening to disappear she has a choice to make…fight or flight.
First I must say I learned two very important lessons from this book. 1) I’m so very glad I’m an only child. 12 siblings? That’s more than a baseball team. Holy crap that’s a lot of kids! And 2) I have never not wanted to be on reality TV so much in my whole life! I swear this book almost made me feel bad for the Kardashian’s…almost. ;-)
But seriously I am absolutely head over heels in love with Something Real. Straight up the characters rocked. From “Chloe” to Benton to Tessa to Mer to Lexi to everyone’s favorite sexy emo dude Patrick, I loved them all. Each one of these characters was a piece of Bonnie is one way or another. Whether it was someone she wanted to be, someone she was trying to be, someone she wanted to be with, each of them played a huge role in who Bonnie was by the end of her story and I loved that. And I just really loved Bonnie. She was a kid stuck between a rock and a hard place. She felt guilty for choices she made and things she thought were her fault. My heart broke for her and Benton and the vile people that were supposed to be their parent(s). But like in any good YA book watching bonnie grow truly was a delight. And watching this while she had Patrick Sheldon on her side was even better.
Patrick Sheldon. What does one say about Patrick Sheldon??!! He is the epitome of the perfect book boyfriend. He has the characteristics of all the things anyone wants in a good partner. He was unsure and sweet and adorable and protective. He was geeky and emo and just an all-around good guy. And he was exactly what Bonnie needed but wasn’t all she had which I found very important. I’ve been hearing about Patrick for months now and I finally understand the hype.
Basically I loved everything about this book and was so sad when it was done as I don’t feel like their stories are done. I want whole books on Benton and Lexi next with pop-ins from my favorites. I just want more because Something Real is one of those books you just don’t want to let go of. Bravo Ms. Demetrios. Bravo!
Something Real is about Bonnie, a 17 year old girl that has grown up on TV. Since she was born her life, along with her 12 brothers and sisters, has belonged to MetaReel and the wildly popular reality show Baker’s Dozen. That is until four years ago when an incident happened that resulted in the shows cancellation. Now living a normal life with friends, a possible boyfriend and a made up past, Bonnie is ready to have it all and move on from the mess that was her life. Until MetaReel shows up and messes up everything all over again. Now instead of trying to figure out if her crush likes her or what her and her friends are going to do, Bonnie is living life in front of the cameras once again. With her happy existence threatening to disappear she has a choice to make…fight or flight.
First I must say I learned two very important lessons from this book. 1) I’m so very glad I’m an only child. 12 siblings? That’s more than a baseball team. Holy crap that’s a lot of kids! And 2) I have never not wanted to be on reality TV so much in my whole life! I swear this book almost made me feel bad for the Kardashian’s…almost. ;-)
But seriously I am absolutely head over heels in love with Something Real. Straight up the characters rocked. From “Chloe” to Benton to Tessa to Mer to Lexi to everyone’s favorite sexy emo dude Patrick, I loved them all. Each one of these characters was a piece of Bonnie is one way or another. Whether it was someone she wanted to be, someone she was trying to be, someone she wanted to be with, each of them played a huge role in who Bonnie was by the end of her story and I loved that. And I just really loved Bonnie. She was a kid stuck between a rock and a hard place. She felt guilty for choices she made and things she thought were her fault. My heart broke for her and Benton and the vile people that were supposed to be their parent(s). But like in any good YA book watching bonnie grow truly was a delight. And watching this while she had Patrick Sheldon on her side was even better.
Patrick Sheldon. What does one say about Patrick Sheldon??!! He is the epitome of the perfect book boyfriend. He has the characteristics of all the things anyone wants in a good partner. He was unsure and sweet and adorable and protective. He was geeky and emo and just an all-around good guy. And he was exactly what Bonnie needed but wasn’t all she had which I found very important. I’ve been hearing about Patrick for months now and I finally understand the hype.
Basically I loved everything about this book and was so sad when it was done as I don’t feel like their stories are done. I want whole books on Benton and Lexi next with pop-ins from my favorites. I just want more because Something Real is one of those books you just don’t want to let go of. Bravo Ms. Demetrios. Bravo!
Finished this in PE class lol.
I think this book will stick with me forever, I also think it's ruined reality TV shows for me too?
It was a big eye opener about what goes on "behind the scenes' of a reality TV show.
There's a family of 15 and they have their own reality TV show and our main character is Chloe/Bonnie doesn't want to be a part of the TV show anymore but is forced into it and we see her struggles and how she deals with things.
I really liked all the characters they were all really quirky and nice (esp. Benny), her friends were also good. One thing I had a problem with was that there were a lot of "fights" and "arguments" that got solved one page after. But I kept it in mind that the book was trying to show the psychological impacts on a teenagers life because of being on a reality tv show rather than her relationships.
I didn't really like the ending it was too bleh for me, I don't know what ending I would've liked but that wasn't it. Things were resolved but still meh about it.
I feel like I would've enjoyed the book more if I didn't already know about how reality tv shows aren't actually completely reality but it was still good.
The book cover is superduper pretty though A+ on that.
I think this book will stick with me forever, I also think it's ruined reality TV shows for me too?
It was a big eye opener about what goes on "behind the scenes' of a reality TV show.
There's a family of 15 and they have their own reality TV show and our main character is Chloe/Bonnie doesn't want to be a part of the TV show anymore but is forced into it and we see her struggles and how she deals with things.
I really liked all the characters they were all really quirky and nice (esp. Benny), her friends were also good. One thing I had a problem with was that there were a lot of "fights" and "arguments" that got solved one page after. But I kept it in mind that the book was trying to show the psychological impacts on a teenagers life because of being on a reality tv show rather than her relationships.
I didn't really like the ending it was too bleh for me, I don't know what ending I would've liked but that wasn't it. Things were resolved but still meh about it.
I feel like I would've enjoyed the book more if I didn't already know about how reality tv shows aren't actually completely reality but it was still good.
The book cover is superduper pretty though A+ on that.
Every so often, a book is recommended to you by a lot of people all in one swoop. I was surprised that it was this specific book, but if a number of people who know me from different areas of life all tell me to read something, okay, I'll give it a shot.
Something Real is a different premise. It tells us the story of Chloe, who is better known as Bonnie Baker, one of the children of the old reality series Baker's Dozen. She has successfully avoided the spotlight following an incident that ended up getting the show pulled, but her mother (now remarried and continuing to cash in on her family's fame) has signed them up to be on television again, which is really not a great thing for Chloe's life or sanity.
There's a lot to love about the book. A lot of reviews talk about privacy or surveillance, and it might be a reason for the author to have written it, but the story itself seems, to me, to be more about how we handle things that are out of our control, how we gain control from seemingly impossible situations, coping with family trauma and depression, and so on. There are a lot of layers, enough to mask the minor flaws and sometimes annoying choices made by the author (such as using a trademark sign on the children's show names through the entire book, as if we wouldn't get the picture right away). It's refreshing to read a young adult book that handles multiple issues in a non-condescending way without showing an overt agenda in the process.
Overall, highly recommended for everyone across the board. It's a modern tale but one that has a lot of parallels in a lot of different aspects. Definitely a great read.
Something Real is a different premise. It tells us the story of Chloe, who is better known as Bonnie Baker, one of the children of the old reality series Baker's Dozen. She has successfully avoided the spotlight following an incident that ended up getting the show pulled, but her mother (now remarried and continuing to cash in on her family's fame) has signed them up to be on television again, which is really not a great thing for Chloe's life or sanity.
There's a lot to love about the book. A lot of reviews talk about privacy or surveillance, and it might be a reason for the author to have written it, but the story itself seems, to me, to be more about how we handle things that are out of our control, how we gain control from seemingly impossible situations, coping with family trauma and depression, and so on. There are a lot of layers, enough to mask the minor flaws and sometimes annoying choices made by the author (such as using a trademark sign on the children's show names through the entire book, as if we wouldn't get the picture right away). It's refreshing to read a young adult book that handles multiple issues in a non-condescending way without showing an overt agenda in the process.
Overall, highly recommended for everyone across the board. It's a modern tale but one that has a lot of parallels in a lot of different aspects. Definitely a great read.
Brisk and engaging, raising some interesting questions of how public our lives are (not just the reality-show star main character, but all of us who are living more and more "online" via FB and twitter, etc). I found the romance very swoony and lovely! And I adored Chloe's brother Ben and his boyfriend Matt. My strongest emotional reaction of the entire book was a particular (spoilery) moment near the end that involved a red T-shirt. :-)
I always love books about actors or reality TV stars, and this is the new standard for reality TV. Bonnie Baker's entire 13-child family has been on reality TV, filmed since the second she was born. She's starting to go a little crazy, living her teen years under the scrutiny, and it's terrible and fascinating to watch her try to fight her parents (and a huge corporation) for her right to privacy. Even her name is trademarked, so every time it appears on the page, it's a reminder that she doesn't own even that much of her own identity, which is mostly created by the editing team in post production.
Bonnie's ray of light in this story is Patrick, her boyfriend who is witty and a little quirky (the gum wrapper gesture was so adorable, only to be topped by the playground and the blanket fort and oh my god I love him I can't even!) He was so loving and supportive and charming that not only was Bonnie twitterpated for the entire book, so was I, and it added a lot of hope to some dark struggles.
I love the ending, how real and messy and SATISFYING it was. I also love that the author didn't end with Bonnie's big gesture, but stuck around to see how she'd rebuild a life afterwards, which was not as easy as making a big gesture. This was a 5-star read all around, with fantastic dialogue, a swoon-a-licious love story, three dimensional characters, and deeply universal themes that got me thinking about our exposure driven culture.
Bonnie's ray of light in this story is Patrick, her boyfriend who is witty and a little quirky (the gum wrapper gesture was so adorable, only to be topped by the playground and the blanket fort and oh my god I love him I can't even!) He was so loving and supportive and charming that not only was Bonnie twitterpated for the entire book, so was I, and it added a lot of hope to some dark struggles.
I love the ending, how real and messy and SATISFYING it was. I also love that the author didn't end with Bonnie's big gesture, but stuck around to see how she'd rebuild a life afterwards, which was not as easy as making a big gesture. This was a 5-star read all around, with fantastic dialogue, a swoon-a-licious love story, three dimensional characters, and deeply universal themes that got me thinking about our exposure driven culture.
5 reasons why this book made me incredibly happy:
1) The reality TV show plot - This is actually a reason that I initially passed this book by. The name branding and made up television company made me nervous at first, but I ended up getting really into what it was like behind the scenes of a reality TV show. Or rather, what it might be like. I was completely fascinated and horrified seeing how 'daily life' was manipulated for the cameras, and how almost everything was fair game for TV use. The whole process made me completely sympathize with Chloe/Bonnie™ and why she wanted to get away from that life so badly.
2) Siblings - Chloe is one of 13 children, a chaos that I can't even imagine. But she's especially close with her brother Benton™, who has his own issues going on in this story. Chloe and Benny's relationship was one of the best parts of this book. I love how supportive they were of each other. I love my sisters, but Benny made me jealous about not having a brother. I was also just as wrapped up in Benny's life as I was Chloe's. My other favorite sibling was Lexie™, who is the exact opposite of Chloe, in that she truly seems to relish the spotlight. But I really liked the glimpses we got of her and how her relationship with Chloe progressed in the book, even though they'll always be bickering sisters. I could relate to that.
3) Well adjusted and supportive friends - Chloe has two close friends Tessa and Meredith, who are another great addition to this story. They don't know about Chloe's past when this book begins, and though there is some hurt when they realize Chloe isn't who they think, it's handled appropriately and realistically, and not in an over dramatized fashion. I appreciated Chloe's relationship with them, and their present/normal families too.
4) Romance - If you read this book for nothing else it should be Patrick Sheldon. This dirty haired boy is sure to steal your heart too. I can't say enough great things about him and the romance in this book. He pursues Chloe in a very sweet way and is incredibly supportive of her. Amidst the high drama and stress of Chloe's life he is a breath of fresh air, and a very normal but also incredibly swoony boy.
5) A plot that is fresh and fun and current - Even with the wacky reality show setup and crazy scheming mom, these characters felt like they were normal high school kids. It was a combination of the supportive friends, sweet romance and sibling relationships, but I felt like I was reading about real people and not tropes or how YA high school books think characters and angst should go. I cannot wait to see what else this author writes!
Love Triangle Factor: NONE
Cliffhanger Scale: Standalone - but I have heard the rumor that the author is working on a book for Lexie™
Find this and other reviews on my blog Love is not a triangle
1) The reality TV show plot - This is actually a reason that I initially passed this book by. The name branding and made up television company made me nervous at first, but I ended up getting really into what it was like behind the scenes of a reality TV show. Or rather, what it might be like. I was completely fascinated and horrified seeing how 'daily life' was manipulated for the cameras, and how almost everything was fair game for TV use. The whole process made me completely sympathize with Chloe/Bonnie™ and why she wanted to get away from that life so badly.
2) Siblings - Chloe is one of 13 children, a chaos that I can't even imagine. But she's especially close with her brother Benton™, who has his own issues going on in this story. Chloe and Benny's relationship was one of the best parts of this book. I love how supportive they were of each other. I love my sisters, but Benny made me jealous about not having a brother. I was also just as wrapped up in Benny's life as I was Chloe's. My other favorite sibling was Lexie™, who is the exact opposite of Chloe, in that she truly seems to relish the spotlight. But I really liked the glimpses we got of her and how her relationship with Chloe progressed in the book, even though they'll always be bickering sisters. I could relate to that.
3) Well adjusted and supportive friends - Chloe has two close friends Tessa and Meredith, who are another great addition to this story. They don't know about Chloe's past when this book begins, and though there is some hurt when they realize Chloe isn't who they think, it's handled appropriately and realistically, and not in an over dramatized fashion. I appreciated Chloe's relationship with them, and their present/normal families too.
4) Romance - If you read this book for nothing else it should be Patrick Sheldon. This dirty haired boy is sure to steal your heart too. I can't say enough great things about him and the romance in this book. He pursues Chloe in a very sweet way and is incredibly supportive of her. Amidst the high drama and stress of Chloe's life he is a breath of fresh air, and a very normal but also incredibly swoony boy.
5) A plot that is fresh and fun and current - Even with the wacky reality show setup and crazy scheming mom, these characters felt like they were normal high school kids. It was a combination of the supportive friends, sweet romance and sibling relationships, but I felt like I was reading about real people and not tropes or how YA high school books think characters and angst should go. I cannot wait to see what else this author writes!
Love Triangle Factor: NONE
Cliffhanger Scale: Standalone - but I have heard the rumor that the author is working on a book for Lexie™
Find this and other reviews on my blog Love is not a triangle
I loved Choloe and Benton's relationship. This is an interesting point of view of what could be reality of a reality show. I almost feel like there could be a sequel from this since there seems to be loose ties.