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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
I am torn in my enjoyment of this book. Overall, it was fun and different. I enjoyed the concept, but I'm not sure if the book really lived up to what it was trying to do.
I could so deeply feel for Chloe and Benny and Lexie and all of the younger children. Their mother, Kirk, their father, Chuck - these characters were written with such clarity to make them absolutely despisable. They would have flashes of kindess and love but then - nope - it's gone. I thought that the pacing was a little slow; I would be absolutely starved for some type of action on Chloe's end. When she finally decided to take control of her situation, I was so happy. I also loved the character changes in Benny and Lexie.
Probably my biggest problem with this one is how it deals with the big issues. It takes on things such as depression and a suicide attempt but I think it really just touches the surface on these ideas. We hear time and time again that Chloe gets panic attacks and she took pills at 13 and this and that but nothing ever really comes of it. Yes, she does finally come to terms with the fact that she tried to kill herself; however, I'm wondering if that's enough. The point of this book is for Chloe to take back her life and move on from the TV show, right? I just felt like there should have been more done to address her mental health - is moving out and travelling with her boyfriend going to fix everything that has been going so wrong?
Another thing that bothered me, and I'm sure this is just a personal quirk (maybe?), was the constant use of the trademark symbol after all of the names. I get it, these people are reality stars and they are famous and they are part of a bigger brand but, really?! It just got so annoying so quickly. I don't really understand why they were there, to be honest. How can names of people be trademarked just because they are on a reality show? Is that a thing that happens? Wouldn't it be the entire name that is trademarked and not just the first name? So many questions.
I could so deeply feel for Chloe and Benny and Lexie and all of the younger children. Their mother, Kirk, their father, Chuck - these characters were written with such clarity to make them absolutely despisable. They would have flashes of kindess and love but then - nope - it's gone. I thought that the pacing was a little slow; I would be absolutely starved for some type of action on Chloe's end. When she finally decided to take control of her situation, I was so happy. I also loved the character changes in Benny and Lexie.
Probably my biggest problem with this one is how it deals with the big issues. It takes on things such as depression and a suicide attempt but I think it really just touches the surface on these ideas. We hear time and time again that Chloe gets panic attacks and she took pills at 13 and this and that but nothing ever really comes of it. Yes, she does finally come to terms with the fact that she tried to kill herself; however, I'm wondering if that's enough. The point of this book is for Chloe to take back her life and move on from the TV show, right? I just felt like there should have been more done to address her mental health - is moving out and travelling with her boyfriend going to fix everything that has been going so wrong?
Another thing that bothered me, and I'm sure this is just a personal quirk (maybe?), was the constant use of the trademark symbol after all of the names. I get it, these people are reality stars and they are famous and they are part of a bigger brand but, really?! It just got so annoying so quickly. I don't really understand why they were there, to be honest. How can names of people be trademarked just because they are on a reality show? Is that a thing that happens? Wouldn't it be the entire name that is trademarked and not just the first name? So many questions.
I loved the way this was written, the character development and the friendships that grew in this book.
"Do you have any idea how this is going to affect our family? All you had to do was wait until graduation, but no, of course not, Bonnie™, you only think of yourself."There is no one quote that describes the protagonist, Bonnie Baker, more accurately. She is selfish, whiny, and immature, and thus made Something Real very difficult to read.
Empathizing with Bonnie was next to impossible. There is nothing more frustrating than watching a privileged person constantly bemoaning their situation when in fact there is little to complain about. Bonnie spends the entire novel complaining about one thing or another, and does not take into account how her actions might affect others- Bonnie is so self-involved that she thinks of no one but herself.
As a result of Bonnie's egotism, the rest of the characters in the novel are all one dimensional. They are either Bonnie's personal cheerleaders with little personality of their own, or they're villains, existing solely for the purpose of ruining her life. There are times when the characters are a little fleshed out- the best example of this is with Bonnie's sister, Lexie, who is given more emotional depth than Bonnie herself. Even Bonnie's parents hint at times that they are complex and interesting people, far from the pure evil that Bonnie makes them out to be, but these dimensions are sacrificed in order to further victimize Bonnie.
The writing isn't weak only in plot and characterization, but also in style. Demetrios's prose is supposed to reflect the way teenagers think and talk, but first, teenagers don't actually sound like that, and second, maybe that kind of writing is better left for television. If I add the cloyingly sweet and over-dramatic romance, and the slut-shaming, I think I've covered all my reasons for disliking this novel.
Going into this book, I was hoping for an intricate look at a child star's life and emotional state after being exposed to celebrity and fame at a young age. Instead, I got an MTV exposé about reality television ... oh, the irony.