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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
This was almost hard to read--this character has a really frustrating life. Very interesting take on reality tv and the modern era of pop culture.
Yet another great book from this author. She is becoming one of my favourites. I have missed reading GOOD YA.
I don't know about you guys, but one of my guilty pleasures is watching that tv show, 19 Kids and Counting (now Jill & Jessa Moving On, after the whole scandal, etc.). When I heard about this book, I thought it seemed quite similar, without the religious aspect. I could not have been more wrong. Something Real was so much more than a feel good, guilty pleasure. Instead, it showed how being in the spotlight from such an early age can really mess up a person, and how, sometimes, your family aren't good enough.
Something Real starts with 17 year old Bonnie, now known as Chloe, finally settling at school. Her and her brother, Benton, are starting their senior year at high school. They've had the past 4 years to reclaim their privacy and try and get some normalcy. However, they're thrown for a loop when they get home from school to learn their mother has signed them up for a new series of the hit show, Baker's Dozen, without discussing it with them. Chloe really struggled with being in the show in the first place, and now she's faced with the real possibility of a relapse.
First things first, I adored Chloe! She was one of the realist characters I've ever seen in a book. All she wanted in life was to be a normal 17 year old, is that so much to ask?! For the first 13 years of her life, she has spent every waking moment with a camera focused on her, and had to deal with her parents adopting more and more children, until, on her 10th birthday, her 'present' was a set of triplets to 'complete the family'. It's no wonder she struggled to cope with the pressure, especially when she was blamed for her parents divorce after discovering her father in the shed with his assistant. She was just learning to let people in, and had a budding relationship growing with Patrick, and is worried that when everyone realises she isn't just 'Chloe', but is in fact Bonnie Baker, that everything will go to hell.
I really want to hug Chloe for most of the book. At every turn it seemed like the world was against, mostly in the manifestation of her mother, or the producer. The whole topic of whether or not having children life on camera constituted abuse or not was dealt with really well here, and not taken lightly. Some of the children may have appeared well rounded, and not affected by the show, but for the oldest kids - Chloe, Benton, and Lexie - there were real consequences of the show. Beth, the mother, never seemed to really care about her kids, other than them being a source of wealth for her, and treated Chloe, in particular, like something she'd trodden.
The main focus of the book was on the family aspect of Chloe's reality, but the romance was really cute too. Even when Patrick discovered Chloe was Bonnie, he didn't care. He loved her, and nothing else counting. When he realised the impact Baker's Dozen was having on her, he did everything in his power to help her escape the nightmare that was her home. For Chloe and Benton, having their boyfriend's, Patrick and Matt, there for them was more than just romantic. It was moral support, and the realisation that they could escape and try and find normality. Really, the whole book was so real (just like the title says) and I wish I had read it earlier. If you haven't tried this book yet, I recommend you do.
Something Real starts with 17 year old Bonnie, now known as Chloe, finally settling at school. Her and her brother, Benton, are starting their senior year at high school. They've had the past 4 years to reclaim their privacy and try and get some normalcy. However, they're thrown for a loop when they get home from school to learn their mother has signed them up for a new series of the hit show, Baker's Dozen, without discussing it with them. Chloe really struggled with being in the show in the first place, and now she's faced with the real possibility of a relapse.
First things first, I adored Chloe! She was one of the realist characters I've ever seen in a book. All she wanted in life was to be a normal 17 year old, is that so much to ask?! For the first 13 years of her life, she has spent every waking moment with a camera focused on her, and had to deal with her parents adopting more and more children, until, on her 10th birthday, her 'present' was a set of triplets to 'complete the family'. It's no wonder she struggled to cope with the pressure, especially when she was blamed for her parents divorce after discovering her father in the shed with his assistant. She was just learning to let people in, and had a budding relationship growing with Patrick, and is worried that when everyone realises she isn't just 'Chloe', but is in fact Bonnie Baker, that everything will go to hell.
I really want to hug Chloe for most of the book. At every turn it seemed like the world was against, mostly in the manifestation of her mother, or the producer. The whole topic of whether or not having children life on camera constituted abuse or not was dealt with really well here, and not taken lightly. Some of the children may have appeared well rounded, and not affected by the show, but for the oldest kids - Chloe, Benton, and Lexie - there were real consequences of the show. Beth, the mother, never seemed to really care about her kids, other than them being a source of wealth for her, and treated Chloe, in particular, like something she'd trodden.
The main focus of the book was on the family aspect of Chloe's reality, but the romance was really cute too. Even when Patrick discovered Chloe was Bonnie, he didn't care. He loved her, and nothing else counting. When he realised the impact Baker's Dozen was having on her, he did everything in his power to help her escape the nightmare that was her home. For Chloe and Benton, having their boyfriend's, Patrick and Matt, there for them was more than just romantic. It was moral support, and the realisation that they could escape and try and find normality. Really, the whole book was so real (just like the title says) and I wish I had read it earlier. If you haven't tried this book yet, I recommend you do.
DNFed at 30% and then skimmed the last 20 pages because the shitty parents really got me pissed.
pretty good, not great. I randomly read this and Reality Boy within a few weeks of each other (same topic) and I'd say this one is better.
A house of thirteen kids, chaos and mayhem and one girl whose life is the center of it. And doesn't want it to be.
Chloe (Bonnie) and her family's life moments have been on air for all to see for years and the show cancels for 4 years. She is ecstatic and just wants to have a normal life. You know the one where there are no cameras invading your private life. But soon that comes crumbling down when the nightmare of MetaReel comes back.
Characters: Chlor is sick and tired of having her private life being filmed. She is trying to have a normal life with real friends amd a boy she likes from afar to be her boyfriend. As her tv hungry mother pushes her, Chloe finally stands up and is pushed over the edge and makes her own decisions.
Patrick: Oh my goodness, Patrick is the best boyfriend. He doesn't care whether or not Chloe is famous or not. He just loves her and just wants her to be happy. He is the shoulder to lean on when her Mom pushes her too far and that's putting it mildly.
Final Thoughts: This was a charming, lovable, family oriented, crazy charming book. (With a few characters you want to shake some sense in them.)
Chloe (Bonnie) and her family's life moments have been on air for all to see for years and the show cancels for 4 years. She is ecstatic and just wants to have a normal life. You know the one where there are no cameras invading your private life. But soon that comes crumbling down when the nightmare of MetaReel comes back.
Characters: Chlor is sick and tired of having her private life being filmed. She is trying to have a normal life with real friends amd a boy she likes from afar to be her boyfriend. As her tv hungry mother pushes her, Chloe finally stands up and is pushed over the edge and makes her own decisions.
Patrick: Oh my goodness, Patrick is the best boyfriend. He doesn't care whether or not Chloe is famous or not. He just loves her and just wants her to be happy. He is the shoulder to lean on when her Mom pushes her too far and that's putting it mildly.
Final Thoughts: This was a charming, lovable, family oriented, crazy charming book. (With a few characters you want to shake some sense in them.)
Definitely a cute, easy read. I really loved the brother/sister connection throughout the whole book.
3.5
Good things about this book:
- badass peaceful protests
- the best brother anyone could ask for
- a hot, smart badboy
- a sister who has a billion layers to her
- interesting storytelling methods such as scripts and blog posts
- a thought-provoking message
Bad things about this book:
- the main character seemed a little weakly written to me at times, like she had the least personality out of all of them (i know it was partially intended to be this way, but she didn't have many consistent traits, never mind interests)
- the love interest was a tad too perfect
Good things about this book:
- badass peaceful protests
- the best brother anyone could ask for
- a hot, smart badboy
- a sister who has a billion layers to her
- interesting storytelling methods such as scripts and blog posts
- a thought-provoking message
Bad things about this book:
- the main character seemed a little weakly written to me at times, like she had the least personality out of all of them (i know it was partially intended to be this way, but she didn't have many consistent traits, never mind interests)
- the love interest was a tad too perfect
My love for Patrick is endless right now and this book is amazing! Full review to come!
I picked this up because I loved Demetrios' I'll Meet You There and the premise sounded interesting. I'd say this is a cute, dramatic, fluffy contemporary romance. I wasn't all that invested until the last 150 pages or so. Overall, I think this will appeal to readers looking for a lighthearted romance and who don't mind a relationship that's kind of instalove-y and TONS of drama and teen angst.