erinlibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
So, taking a break the bleak visions of the future that I've reading lately, I decided to to read something "fun". On the surface, The Real Real is a fun, guilty pleasure book that is very similar to watching a reality tv show. Jesse and her fellow cast members get to wear designer clothes, spend the weekends shopping, take glamorous trips, and become instant celebrities. However, once you can get past the ridiculous amount of product name dropping and overblown, evil adults in this story, there's an interesting little undercurrent about how little "reality" is actually present in reality tv. What starts out as a show about the real lives of ordinary high schoolers soon becomes a soap opera as the show's producers begin manufacturing drama and turn the lives of the cast into nightmares for the sake of ratings. It (almost) makes you feel sorry for the real life stars of such shows.
I really wish that the characters were better developed. Jesse, who is supposedly the "smart and responsible" one (she gets into Georgetown University) makes several bad decisions during the story, which doesn't really make sense in the context she's presented in. Several of the minor characters (the fancy, professional cinematographer, Zachariah, brings a lot of comedy to the otherwise tedious shooting scenes) really shine while those in the core group don't come off as very interesting. And, the romance between Jesse and Drew feels a little shallow- their only similarity is that they've both been cast on the show. Pretty much all of the relationships in this story seem like plot conveniences rather than believable pairings. This really is a plot driven story, which I was okay with, but a little more characterization would have made this a much stronger book.
On the bright side, I found this to be a light, breezy read that kept me entertained from beginning to end. I would recommend it for readers looking for a sneak peek behind the scenes of reality tv. There's actually the potential for some pretty great discussion about this book in regards to entertainment, reality tv, and corporate marketing directed at teens. I could envision this being a fun, summer reading book group selection.
I really wish that the characters were better developed. Jesse, who is supposedly the "smart and responsible" one (she gets into Georgetown University) makes several bad decisions during the story, which doesn't really make sense in the context she's presented in. Several of the minor characters (the fancy, professional cinematographer, Zachariah, brings a lot of comedy to the otherwise tedious shooting scenes) really shine while those in the core group don't come off as very interesting. And, the romance between Jesse and Drew feels a little shallow- their only similarity is that they've both been cast on the show. Pretty much all of the relationships in this story seem like plot conveniences rather than believable pairings. This really is a plot driven story, which I was okay with, but a little more characterization would have made this a much stronger book.
On the bright side, I found this to be a light, breezy read that kept me entertained from beginning to end. I would recommend it for readers looking for a sneak peek behind the scenes of reality tv. There's actually the potential for some pretty great discussion about this book in regards to entertainment, reality tv, and corporate marketing directed at teens. I could envision this being a fun, summer reading book group selection.
mehsi's review against another edition
5.0
I recently finished L.A. Candy and the Fame Game and I was looking for a new book or series about reality shows and people participating in said shows. And I found this book. Let's just start with that this book isn't for everyone. Some might be off-put by the book. There is some bad language, there is drunken teenagers, there is some hooking up/hints of sex. But other than that, it is a great book.
It wasn't always that great though, there were enough parts where I was shaking my head. Where I was wondering things. But in the end I just had to give the book 5 stars, because even with some things wrong, I still enjoyed myself immensely and it was a fun psychological thing to see how our main character went from silent and mousy to cheating and drunk and then back to trying to find normalcy. There was a lot of fun drama and silly romantic stuff. There are even various love triangles. (Normally I don't like those, but they are well done in this book.) Jase has 3 girls pining for him (yes, I would also count her as she still went for him). Drew has 2 girls pining for him. Then we have Melanie and Rick who were pretty much the odd ones out. It was all a bit silly, but it brought lots of comedy.
Our main character was quite boring in the beginning, and I was worried she would stay like this for a long time. Luckily, the reality show brought another side out of her. One that I didn't entirely expect.
I didn't always like our main character. She made bad choices, she went to the wrong people when things went wrong (seriously, having (almost) sex with someone because the boy of your dream doesn't like you/acts like a bad guy is a bad thing). I also didn't think she was that kind of girl. I thought she had pretty big morals, but it seems when everything goes wrong she dives in the arms of a guy.
But I also saw a girl underneath all that. A girl that actually wants to be good, wants to get out of all the reality crap, just wants her life back. A girl who, even when they were on vacation, was studying for her tests. A girl who would do anything to get stuff to be normal again.
We also have various other characters. We got Jase (Stereotypical player who will screw with any girl), Melanie (not sure what to think of her, she was pretty boring and I didn't get why she was added to the show), Nico (Girl that everyone liked, and who had some good moments, but also a lot of bad ones, but she picked herself up at the ending), Drew (Urgh, disliked him soooo much. He was a nice guy at the beginning, but with the reality show I just disliked him. I know he had to do a lot of these things, but couldn't he have thought for himself for a bit too?), Rick (No clue, he wasn't around that much), Trisha (Urgh, stereotypical popular girl who doesn't care about relationships and the word taken and who would do anything to get on the show) and lastly, Caitlyn. And here begins my rant. I disliked Caitlyn. Or let me clarify. I liked her in the beginning, and then she didn't get what she wanted and she went all boohoo and angry on her best friend who really tried her best to get her on the show. And yes, our main character tried. She tried so hard, but all she got was no. And all we got was a sad Caitlyn who couldn't handle it. Like with a few other characters, she redeems herself, but I really disliked her. Instead of being there for her friend and trying to support her, she went full hate mode. :\ Nice friend you are.... No.
I really loved the ending. It was a bit sick (due to what happened there), but I always had my suspicions about that character. I always thought there was something shady about them. And I was right! I loved how the main character and one of the side-characters kicked ass and got what they wanted. Girl power!
The last pages were really sweet and they made me so happy. Though I didn't entirely like one of the characters, I still was happy they got this ending.
What I want now though is a sequel. There is enough material, and with this ending, there is a mountain of possibilities. I know I would buy it if it ever happens. :)
All in all, this book is one I would recommend.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
It wasn't always that great though, there were enough parts where I was shaking my head. Where I was wondering things. But in the end I just had to give the book 5 stars, because even with some things wrong, I still enjoyed myself immensely and it was a fun psychological thing to see how our main character went from silent and mousy to cheating and drunk and then back to trying to find normalcy. There was a lot of fun drama and silly romantic stuff. There are even various love triangles. (Normally I don't like those, but they are well done in this book.) Jase has 3 girls pining for him (yes, I would also count her as she still went for him). Drew has 2 girls pining for him. Then we have Melanie and Rick who were pretty much the odd ones out. It was all a bit silly, but it brought lots of comedy.
Our main character was quite boring in the beginning, and I was worried she would stay like this for a long time. Luckily, the reality show brought another side out of her. One that I didn't entirely expect.
I didn't always like our main character. She made bad choices, she went to the wrong people when things went wrong (seriously, having (almost) sex with someone because the boy of your dream doesn't like you/acts like a bad guy is a bad thing). I also didn't think she was that kind of girl. I thought she had pretty big morals, but it seems when everything goes wrong she dives in the arms of a guy.
But I also saw a girl underneath all that. A girl that actually wants to be good, wants to get out of all the reality crap, just wants her life back. A girl who, even when they were on vacation, was studying for her tests. A girl who would do anything to get stuff to be normal again.
We also have various other characters. We got Jase (Stereotypical player who will screw with any girl), Melanie (not sure what to think of her, she was pretty boring and I didn't get why she was added to the show), Nico (Girl that everyone liked, and who had some good moments, but also a lot of bad ones, but she picked herself up at the ending), Drew (Urgh, disliked him soooo much. He was a nice guy at the beginning, but with the reality show I just disliked him. I know he had to do a lot of these things, but couldn't he have thought for himself for a bit too?), Rick (No clue, he wasn't around that much), Trisha (Urgh, stereotypical popular girl who doesn't care about relationships and the word taken and who would do anything to get on the show) and lastly, Caitlyn. And here begins my rant. I disliked Caitlyn. Or let me clarify. I liked her in the beginning, and then she didn't get what she wanted and she went all boohoo and angry on her best friend who really tried her best to get her on the show. And yes, our main character tried. She tried so hard, but all she got was no. And all we got was a sad Caitlyn who couldn't handle it. Like with a few other characters, she redeems herself, but I really disliked her. Instead of being there for her friend and trying to support her, she went full hate mode. :\ Nice friend you are.... No.
I really loved the ending. It was a bit sick (due to what happened there), but I always had my suspicions about that character. I always thought there was something shady about them. And I was right! I loved how the main character and one of the side-characters kicked ass and got what they wanted. Girl power!
The last pages were really sweet and they made me so happy. Though I didn't entirely like one of the characters, I still was happy they got this ending.
What I want now though is a sequel. There is enough material, and with this ending, there is a mountain of possibilities. I know I would buy it if it ever happens. :)
All in all, this book is one I would recommend.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
tjlcody's review against another edition
2.0
*Rubs eyes*
I love how I literally just read a book where I complained about the whole "The Good Old Best Friend behaves badly but no one calls them out on it because they are the Good Old Best Friend who is not like the Bitchy New Best Friend(s)" trope. Yeah, I'm looking at Caitlyn; much like Unfriended (Rachel Vail), while Jesse did wrong too, it made my blood boil when Caitlyn said she found it satisfying that people were calling Jesse an anorexic whore because Jesse got pulled into the show.
You know, the same show that she was nasty and bitter and took it out on Jesse that she didn't get cast on?
That pissed me off. Jesse wasn't innocent, but Caitlyn was a brat and deserved a bit of a "sit down" as well.
Other than that, the book was so-so. The way the show manipulated the kids was disgusting and infuriating, and I'm reminded of Reality Check (Jen Calonita) which was ultimately pulled off a lot better, especially in the respect that the parents weren't sitting on their butts and watching as these kids got their lives hijacked. But ultimately it was all just meh.
I love how I literally just read a book where I complained about the whole "The Good Old Best Friend behaves badly but no one calls them out on it because they are the Good Old Best Friend who is not like the Bitchy New Best Friend(s)" trope. Yeah, I'm looking at Caitlyn; much like Unfriended (Rachel Vail), while Jesse did wrong too, it made my blood boil when Caitlyn said she found it satisfying that people were calling Jesse an anorexic whore because Jesse got pulled into the show.
You know, the same show that she was nasty and bitter and took it out on Jesse that she didn't get cast on?
That pissed me off. Jesse wasn't innocent, but Caitlyn was a brat and deserved a bit of a "sit down" as well.
Other than that, the book was so-so. The way the show manipulated the kids was disgusting and infuriating, and I'm reminded of Reality Check (Jen Calonita) which was ultimately pulled off a lot better, especially in the respect that the parents weren't sitting on their butts and watching as these kids got their lives hijacked. But ultimately it was all just meh.
stenann7's review against another edition
3.0
This is a rip-off of The Real World. A TV network called XTV comes to a high school in Hampton Beach to film a reality tv show. They even talk about hwo people on their roommate show come back to compete on challenges.
A fun read nonetheless.
A fun read nonetheless.
acdom's review against another edition
2.0
Was this book good? No. Did I enjoy it? Yeah, a little bit. Ridiculous teen drama is something I enjoy, I can't help it. I watched Laguna Beach and most of the Hills and I enjoyed them both (until Spencer Pratt was a part of the show and then I realized I can't handle that much douchebaggery in my life). I know they're not at all real, aside from the teens being actual human beings (and with Audrina, that's arguable as she's probably a robot), but I still enjoyed them. I wasn't shocked by the book's portrayal of how awful it is to be on a reality show. I wasn't shocked by the book's rushed and pretty terrible ending. I definitely wouldn't be shocked if they wrote a terrible sequel to the book. I'd still buy it on clearance for $3 (which was exactly how much I needed to get free shipping on amazon) and I'd still enjoy it because it's silly escapist fiction.
gothamgal's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this look at reality tv life way more than I thought I might!
subtlebookish's review against another edition
fast-paced
2.0
Why did I reread this? I was looking for an easy read, and I have a vague recollection that I liked it the first time I read it years and years ago. This was not the YA read I was craving. The premise sounds sort of interesting, a group of high school seniors are selected by a popular network (XTV) to be the basis for a new reality show. As someone who loved watching the drama of Laguna Beach and The Hills, this book could have been a hit, but I just didn't care about any of the characters, and there was no suspense at all.
There is drinking, an incidence of child abuse, the occasional f-bombs by teens and adults, and the objectification of teen-aged girls. Also, (spoiler) predatory behaviour by an adult. I would not recommend this book to anyone.
There is drinking, an incidence of child abuse, the occasional f-bombs by teens and adults, and the objectification of teen-aged girls. Also, (spoiler) predatory behaviour by an adult. I would not recommend this book to anyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Child abuse, Body shaming, Cursing, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
kassy25's review against another edition
4.0
I actually went to a book signing where I met both authors who were both so nice! This was such an interesting book and I view reality television a little differently now. Even though I rarely watch it at all. I loved Jesse the main character! She's funny smart, sassy, and very relatable because she does make stupid and incompetent decisions in the book. However, it was still very insightful into what people think of reality television.
taschima's review against another edition
4.0
You can find more reviews @BloodyBookaholic
With comedy that is sharp as a dagger this novel brings us to the other side of reality T.V. A side you wouldn't have really expected. The things that happen behind the lensses will leave you with your mouth opened, and at certain times, if not all the time, you will want to hit the director where the sun don't shine.
The Real Real is a very funny and engaging novel. I read it non stop and still wanted more by the end. Though not really intense, the novel has it's moments. It's fun, it's light, but at the base of the novel it holds a truth that will change your perspective when you are watching reality T.V.
Not only that, but Emma and Nicola really know how to take the masks off of issues and put them right on the open. First Nanny Diaries, a novel about how rich people often ignore and don't raise their children, now The Real Real, a novel where nothing is what it seems and where sometimes in order to survive you have to sacrifice what is most dear to you.
For the rest of the review, yes there is more, visit us @ Bloody Bookaholic: The Real Real Complete Review
With comedy that is sharp as a dagger this novel brings us to the other side of reality T.V. A side you wouldn't have really expected. The things that happen behind the lensses will leave you with your mouth opened, and at certain times, if not all the time, you will want to hit the director where the sun don't shine.
The Real Real is a very funny and engaging novel. I read it non stop and still wanted more by the end. Though not really intense, the novel has it's moments. It's fun, it's light, but at the base of the novel it holds a truth that will change your perspective when you are watching reality T.V.
Not only that, but Emma and Nicola really know how to take the masks off of issues and put them right on the open. First Nanny Diaries, a novel about how rich people often ignore and don't raise their children, now The Real Real, a novel where nothing is what it seems and where sometimes in order to survive you have to sacrifice what is most dear to you.
For the rest of the review, yes there is more, visit us @ Bloody Bookaholic: The Real Real Complete Review
chibereading's review
4.0
The Real Real is a great, fun, and quirky book which gives teenage girls an insight on how real the reality tv shows teen girls worship really are.
As part of my unofficial new year's resolution list (unofficial because I am a picky reader and incredible stubborn) to broaden my reading library, I am begninning my new attempt into the world of chick-lit/contemporary reads. The Real Real was the perfect first read for my journey. It had just the right amount of chicklishusness without it being so annoying I was tempted to throw it across the room *cough* The Clique *cough*.
Jesse is just your regular everyday girl. She has no desire to have the limelight or to have a camera in her face 24/7. All she wants is to go to school, go to work to save up for college, snag her crush Drew, and hang out with her best friend Caityln in between. Is that what she gets though, Nope!!! Soon she is pushed into the very unreal world of reality television and forced to try to decipher what's reality and what's real.
To be honest, the characters in this book irked me. Jesse was a likeable chracter, though throughout the book she got more and more annoying to me. In the beginning she was a nice normal girl with rational thoughts in here head, then by the middle all that rationalitly leaves her, causing her to make stupid decisions and really lose herself. All annoyingness aside, I still enjoyed the book being told from her viewpoint. Her best friend Caitlyn annoys me most of all throughout the book. I didn't know it was possibly to harbor so much jealousy towards your best friend over something that she couldnt even control. I did though enjoy Drew's chracter all the way through the book.
Although the characters were not my favorite in the world the plot kept my nose in this book from beginning to end. It really was just like watching the making of a reality show. There is always one character that I start to sympathize with because it is seems that everything is going wrong for them. That was Jesse. She is all of a sudden looking at her life from the outside. Scandals, betrayals, and plastic surgery. All the aspects of reality television.
The ending wasn't exactly as I expected it to be. I just know I was shouting "you go girl" all through the last pages. I reccomend this book to all those who love chick-lit, contemporary reads, and reality television!!!
http://blackandblueink.blogspot.com/
As part of my unofficial new year's resolution list (unofficial because I am a picky reader and incredible stubborn) to broaden my reading library, I am begninning my new attempt into the world of chick-lit/contemporary reads. The Real Real was the perfect first read for my journey. It had just the right amount of chicklishusness without it being so annoying I was tempted to throw it across the room *cough* The Clique *cough*.
Jesse is just your regular everyday girl. She has no desire to have the limelight or to have a camera in her face 24/7. All she wants is to go to school, go to work to save up for college, snag her crush Drew, and hang out with her best friend Caityln in between. Is that what she gets though, Nope!!! Soon she is pushed into the very unreal world of reality television and forced to try to decipher what's reality and what's real.
To be honest, the characters in this book irked me. Jesse was a likeable chracter, though throughout the book she got more and more annoying to me. In the beginning she was a nice normal girl with rational thoughts in here head, then by the middle all that rationalitly leaves her, causing her to make stupid decisions and really lose herself. All annoyingness aside, I still enjoyed the book being told from her viewpoint. Her best friend Caitlyn annoys me most of all throughout the book. I didn't know it was possibly to harbor so much jealousy towards your best friend over something that she couldnt even control. I did though enjoy Drew's chracter all the way through the book.
Although the characters were not my favorite in the world the plot kept my nose in this book from beginning to end. It really was just like watching the making of a reality show. There is always one character that I start to sympathize with because it is seems that everything is going wrong for them. That was Jesse. She is all of a sudden looking at her life from the outside. Scandals, betrayals, and plastic surgery. All the aspects of reality television.
The ending wasn't exactly as I expected it to be. I just know I was shouting "you go girl" all through the last pages. I reccomend this book to all those who love chick-lit, contemporary reads, and reality television!!!
http://blackandblueink.blogspot.com/