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ttorisaurus's review
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Self harm, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse
Minor: Alcohol, Homophobia, and Physical abuse
emily_666's review
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
yuniesan's review
5.0
I feel like I always read a book that reflects my current mood. This book had everything, love, crazy family, School, best friends to keep you sane. The only thing that I didn't like was that I don't know the outcome of the thing that happens towards the end. Oh and that Chuck guy..... Seriously someone smack him for me please.
jennoux's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
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? No
4.0
nklosty's review
4.0
The idea, considering the plethora or reality shows, hits home. It was fun imagining the non-real ness that might be a reality show. Chloe and Benton were two strong, real characters that drove the story. 88
reddyrat's review
5.0
Are you a fan of shows like Kate Plus 8 or The Duggars? Something Real is probably the closest any of us will come to knowing what the lives of the children on those shows is like. And it's not pretty.
*I've actually never watched either show. Reality TV has never appealed to me (granted, I find a myriad of other ways to waste time).*
The family in Something Real most resembles the Gosselin family, in that there are a lot of kids and the parents had a messy split. The show was cancelled shortly after the parents divorced and 13 year old Bonnie™ tried to kill herself. Now 4 years have passed and Bonnie™ has rechristened herself Chloe. She has a happy life at a school where no one knows who she is. That quickly changes when Mom and Stepdad decide to bring the show back into their lives.
Bonnie™/Chloe is a relatable main character. It's hard to define her personality, which I think says something. She tries to stay under the radar, even to the reader, which fits with her desire to be out of the spotlight. Her internal and external struggles and how she handles them felt very real. On a side note, I thought the use of '™' after Bonnie's name would get annoying. On the contrary, it was very important in establishing the intrusion of the show onto the family's life.
Bonnie™/Chloe's brother Benton was my favorite character. Like Chloe, Benny hates having the show back in his life, but he is able to go with the flow better. He is a happy person, with a serious boyfriend, and plans for the future. But even he can't escape from the claws of the show. The relationship between Chloe and Benny is a highlight of this book. It is a sibling relationship anyone would kill to have. Two people who love and support each other through thick and thin.
The most significant side characters are Patrick the boyfriend and Chloe's mother. Patrick came off as too perfect to be believed at first. But as the story developed, he also seemed very real. He had some flaws, but I realized that I'm so used to melodramatic boyfriends in YA that I forget that many teenage boys really are nice people. Chloe is lucky to have found a sincerely good guy and it's great to have a love interest I really root for.
Somewhat similarly, Chloe's mother comes off as a cardboard villain. She sort of remained that way but there were moments where she seemed three dimensional. She selfishly let TV cameras back into her family's life, knowing the damage it could cause and that the older kids didn't want it. Her thirst for attention, fame, and drama outshined her love for her children. On the other hand, 15 mouths are a lot to feed and part of me sympathized with her attempts to provide for her family in the only way she knew.
I can't recommend Something Real highly enough. Despite the brightly colored cover and reality TV topic, this is no romp. It's a hard hitting realistic look at the downside of fame and at a severely dysfunctional family. And yet it is immensely readable. It manages to be funny, sad, touching, uplifting, and infuriating without feeling maudlin. I wanted to reach through the pages and pull Bonnie™/Chloe out of her horrific family, but I also wanted her to stay right there so I could see what fascinatingly awful thing would happen next. One of the most compelling contemporary fiction books I've read in a long time.
Rating: 5 / 5
*I've actually never watched either show. Reality TV has never appealed to me (granted, I find a myriad of other ways to waste time).*
The family in Something Real most resembles the Gosselin family, in that there are a lot of kids and the parents had a messy split. The show was cancelled shortly after the parents divorced and 13 year old Bonnie™ tried to kill herself. Now 4 years have passed and Bonnie™ has rechristened herself Chloe. She has a happy life at a school where no one knows who she is. That quickly changes when Mom and Stepdad decide to bring the show back into their lives.
Bonnie™/Chloe is a relatable main character. It's hard to define her personality, which I think says something. She tries to stay under the radar, even to the reader, which fits with her desire to be out of the spotlight. Her internal and external struggles and how she handles them felt very real. On a side note, I thought the use of '™' after Bonnie's name would get annoying. On the contrary, it was very important in establishing the intrusion of the show onto the family's life.
Bonnie™/Chloe's brother Benton was my favorite character. Like Chloe, Benny hates having the show back in his life, but he is able to go with the flow better. He is a happy person, with a serious boyfriend, and plans for the future. But even he can't escape from the claws of the show. The relationship between Chloe and Benny is a highlight of this book. It is a sibling relationship anyone would kill to have. Two people who love and support each other through thick and thin.
The most significant side characters are Patrick the boyfriend and Chloe's mother. Patrick came off as too perfect to be believed at first. But as the story developed, he also seemed very real. He had some flaws, but I realized that I'm so used to melodramatic boyfriends in YA that I forget that many teenage boys really are nice people. Chloe is lucky to have found a sincerely good guy and it's great to have a love interest I really root for.
Somewhat similarly, Chloe's mother comes off as a cardboard villain. She sort of remained that way but there were moments where she seemed three dimensional. She selfishly let TV cameras back into her family's life, knowing the damage it could cause and that the older kids didn't want it. Her thirst for attention, fame, and drama outshined her love for her children. On the other hand, 15 mouths are a lot to feed and part of me sympathized with her attempts to provide for her family in the only way she knew.
I can't recommend Something Real highly enough. Despite the brightly colored cover and reality TV topic, this is no romp. It's a hard hitting realistic look at the downside of fame and at a severely dysfunctional family. And yet it is immensely readable. It manages to be funny, sad, touching, uplifting, and infuriating without feeling maudlin. I wanted to reach through the pages and pull Bonnie™/Chloe out of her horrific family, but I also wanted her to stay right there so I could see what fascinatingly awful thing would happen next. One of the most compelling contemporary fiction books I've read in a long time.
Rating: 5 / 5
katerina_dim's review
DNF half way through
I decided to pick this up after having read I'll Meet You There by the same author last year and absolutely loving it. However, the concept of this book didn't really interest me to begin with, so I decided not to continue.
I decided to pick this up after having read I'll Meet You There by the same author last year and absolutely loving it. However, the concept of this book didn't really interest me to begin with, so I decided not to continue.
justlily's review
4.0
Loved this! Totally unique in the vast amounts of YA that I've read. A believable character in an unbelievable situation...and a romance that didn't make me want to vomit! Good diversity and humor that comes across well on paper. Good stuff!
nadmcglynn's review
4.0
This was a great book! I was in a reading slump before this but because of its simple language and engaging plot I easily got into it. The characters are so unique and this book really touches on several important subjects, including homosexuality, depression, and standing up for yourself. I definitely recommend this to anyone thinking of picking it up.
gnomecat5's review
5.0
This book deserves all the stars and Heather is winning a favorite new author spot in my book. And it kind of makes me want to reconsider my addiction to reality TV.