Customer Reviews

The Real Real

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There are certain cliches one comes to expect after reading YA novel after YA novel: the gay best friend, the designer labels, the outcasts and mean girls. The Real Real takes a topic that is perhaps too ripe for satire (and is now getting play in real life with NYC Prep) and lends it an edge, humor and heart that makes it worth picking up and taking to the beach, Hamptons or not. There are, of course, some things I've seen before (the autistic brother, the housecleaner mother), but there's plenty here that makes The Real Real deliciously dishy.

Jesse is one of six high school seniors cast for XTV's The Real Hamptons Beach. She is not exactly classic reality TV material (she's not part of the It crowd, she has a boring part-time job at a muffin shop, she doesn't wear the latest designer gear), and had never expected to be chosen, but her and Drew are the non-wealthy cast members, lured in by the $40,000 scholarship being dangled before them. She's thrilled to have the chance to be alone with her crush, but not so thrilled when her best friend Caitlyn doesn't get cast and she quickly finds that she's signed over a lot more than the right to film her. Instead, "reality" becomes a carefully scripted fiction that McLaughlin and Kraus coyly nail, especially the sleazy, over-the-top producer, Fletch and his beleagured assistant, Kara.

The XTV overlords give these high school students the star treatment, including luxury meals and trips and glamour, but it all comes to a head on their big pre-spring break spring break. Yes, some of the characters here are little more than caricatures of high school types, like Jase, the annoying frat boy, and Trisha, the overly plastic surgeried young starlet, but they are so fun to hate that the authors are forgiven. The twists and turns of friendship, not to mention the lengths XTV will go to make their show a hit, or the lengths Jesse will go to win back her reputation, make this a winner that manages to indulge a bit in the flashy materialism of Gossip Girl and its ilk but also stand above it.

The ending is especially divine, and offered one of my favorite lines, with Nico, who starts out a spoiled brat but winds up being more than just a pretty, label-clad clone, exudes her charm. "'Oh, look!' she says, pointing at the poster like it was a kitten wrapped in puppies sprinkled with ducklings." These kinds of witticisms, mostly aimed at skewering the supposed glamour and hype of reality TV, make The Real Real a cut above the average teen chick lit. I hope there are more YA novels in McLaughlin and Kraus's future.

Jesse is a senior at a high school in the Hamptons where she sees lots of celebrities and other wealthy people drop in for vacation. Life for most of the locals is anything but glamorous, that is until TV network XTV decides to train its cameras on the students in Jesse's high school. What they want is real teens, doing real things in their real lives. Everyone at the school tries out, but Jesse is sure that she won't be among the chosen ones.

When the line-up is announced, there's no surprise that the school's hottest teens made the list--Nico, Jase, Rick and Melanie--but Jess is surprised to find that she's been picked too. While none of Jesse's friends made the list, she's excited that the guy she has a crush on, Drew, did.

While having the cameras film her every move is kind of a pain, it's also kind of glamorous and at first everything goes well. But when real teens doing real things in real life proves to be really boring, the producers at XTV decide to shake things up by orchestrating real drama. The ensuing events may make for interesting television, but the effect they have on Jesse and the other stars of the show are anything but expected

Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus, the bestselling authors of The Nanny Diaries, have written a book that should resonate with reality TV viewers, and it feels as though we really are behind the scenes of a show. The teens in this book aren't perfect, in fact it can be frustrating to watch as some of them make some pretty big mistakes. But then you realize just how much the adults in the equation fail them and contribute to the mistakes in so many ways. Recommended for mother-daughter book clubs with girls 15 and up.

THE REAL REAL
EMMA McLAUGHLIN & NICOLA KRAUS
Contemporary YA
HarperTeen

Rating: 5 Enchantments

Jesse O'Rouke is the typical average girl at her Hamptons high school. She's not the most glamorous or the most beautiful and she definitely doesn't hang out with the A-list crowd, but her and her best friend Caitlin really don't care that much about any of that. Then suddenly XTV shows up at school, auditioning every single student to be one of the stars for their soon-to-be hot new reality hit, and Jesse gets cast as one of the leads, leaving her in the bright glare of the spotlight with her best friend on the outside looking in.

I loved Jesse, finding herself thrown in with the kids who've always been more popular then her. While her and Drew are the outsiders in the group, they're forced to play friends with the others in front of the cameras, following the directions of a crazed cinematographer which results in some truly hilarious scenes. All the while, Jesse's `reality' is anything but as they shoot a Saturday at the spa in the middle of the night and her friendship with Caitlin starts to fade as the two barely have any time together. Soon, Jesse finds herself trying to wrangle a deal to get her best friend on the show...something that doesn't turn out how she expected.

Hands down, my favorite scene is when the cast is whisked away to Mexico to film the spring break episode, a week before the actual spring break and are surprised to find themselves almost the lone inhabitants of the hotel. Everything is perfectly choreographed on film, while off camera, things get chaotic, leading to a scene where a drunk Trisha brings the party downstairs up to the penthouse where things get quickly out of control, leaving the entire cast huddled together in the bathroom trying to keep the partiers out.

What didn't I love about this book? If I could have given more then five enchantments, I would have. THE REAL REAL is the perfect summer read. From the moment I picked it up, I was immediately pulled into Jesse's world and didn't stop till I reached the final page, where I seriously hoped there was going to be a teaser of a sequel. Trust me, once you get to the end, you want to know there is more of Jesse and these characters in your future.

Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus are the authors of the New York Times bestsellers The Nanny Diaries, Citizen Girl and Dedication. They live and work in New York city. [...]

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
July 2009

The book "The Real Real", in my opinion, is a great book. Its about a senior named Jesse who's life takes a total turn when she is cast on XTV's "The Real Hamptons Beach". (Think Laguna Beach, The Hills, etc.) At first everything seems to be going good, she gets a $40,000 scholorship, her crush [Drew] made the cast and they seem to be hitting it off. But then as she starts to really know what it feels like to be filmed and never get a chance alone, things start to go downhill from there. Everything thats filmed is always staged, even a date with Drew is staged until everything gets ruined. Whats a girl to do?

- I thought the book started out really rough (hence 4 stars). At many times I couldnt tell who was talking and somethings they said were just really random. But once the book starts rolling its really good and it starts to roll alot better. I would definately recommend this book! Very cute and had a great ending! Makes me hope for a sequal!

When XTV picks Jesse O'Rourke as a teen star for their new reality TV series, she can't believe it. Her best friend Caitlyn might have been expecting to get the part, but she wasn't. Suddenly Jesse's job at the Prickly Pear serving muffins and ice cream seems to be only a temporary reality, and she can actually envision herself as the first person in her family who will get to go to college. Her parents can't be more excited, but not all of Jesse's friends and classmates seem to share that enthusiasm. The other stars of the show don't think that Jesse and Drew are worthy of stardom or any sincere attention from the elites. And Caitlyn feels very hurt to be overlooked and needs the scholarship just as badly as Jesse does.

Once Jesse is thrown into filming, she finds that the whole experience is a lot of hype and hassle. Unlike the other girls on the program, Jesse isn't the type to wear four-inch platforms, furs and loads of makeup. But they want her beautiful, so the old Jesse is gone in a heap of cosmetics and used designer clothes. After a mere six hours in the XTV trailer, a whole new Jesse is revealed to the world; she doesn't even recognize herself.

On top of all that, her former life has completely disappeared, especially all the parts she really liked. She has no free time to hang out with Caitlyn anymore because she must spend every free minute being primped and glammed in a network trailer or on set in all-night filming sessions. XTV even quit her job for her without asking. The idea in the beginning that she would live her regular life and they would just film alongside her isn't the reality Jesse is living; the only reality left is what the producer picks for the show.

A major perk to the deal, though, is that Drew is also on set with Jesse a lot, and she likes him more and more all the time. One day when Drew asks Jesse out, he leaves her breathless. Could there be any other guy for her? Fletch from XTV seems to feel that Jesse has more heat with Jase than with Drew, who happens to be another star's boyfriend, and does his best to cause a spark between them. Jesse begins to wonder how on Earth she'll manage to get to know Drew, and he to know the real Jesse, in the middle of this alternate reality made up by XTV. And, even worse, is Fletch right about her and Jase?

Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus, bestselling authors of THE NANNY DIARIES, has written a fabulous book with a superb story. I loved Jesse and Drew as characters and felt that the message behind the tale was impressive and well-spoken. The novel gets into the personalities of all the teen stars and shows the consequences of their actions. It also sheds light on those who act so superior, but in the end are more insecure than Jesse ever was. It's a wonderful statement about being yourself and being real. Jesse and Drew are funny and great together, and their romance --- although tentative --- takes center stage. Highly recommended.

--- Reviewed by Melanie Smith

The Good: It's just SO creative and unique and just fantastic. The idea is very pop culture-ish, but unlike the really pop culture-ish books, readers will be able to read this book over and over again. Kudos for the authors for writing such an entertaining book!

And the reason it's so entertaining is because Jesse is an awesome main character! Not only is she sassy, she's funny, smart, and just your average teenage girl.

Sure she's made some really stupid choices, but that only makes her that more relatable. Another thing that I adore about her is that, even through all the crap that's been thrown at her, she's still the same down to earth girl that makes me want to be her best friend.

Another character that I loved was Drew. He was just so funny and sweet, and he never acts out of character just because he wants to get his own fan club or something. Another thing, the characters are just so well developed!

Even though I hated some characters, I understood them and I knew where they were coming from. And for the characters that I loved, I cheered them on and though sometimes I wanted to slap them for being such retards, I still really liked them.

One more thing, I came into the book thinking about the characters in a certain way, but when I finished The Real Real, my perspective of them has totally changed. I'll let you decide if it's for the better or worse ;)

Basically, I'd totally become a screaming fan girl for any of them (except Trisha and maybe Caitlyn). But still... FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC characters. They are definitely the real real.

The Bad: These aren't really bad things, but... some chapters that left me going, "What was that?" I've had to re-read things more than two times to get it, and it's not because I'm slow or anything. Also, the transitions to different scenes are kind of confusing. So, as exciting as it gets, read the book slowly. Well, at least in the beginning.

Overall: The Real Real is an unique and insightful book which defies what everyone thinks of reality TV.

Grade: A-

I just finished reading this and really loved it. Its such a funny idea to imagine how much your life can be edited by other people and the risks of getting carried away. Beyond being a clever idea, it is very thought provoking and is really relevant for thinking about how teens are portrayed in the media.

I would totally recommend this to teens and adults!

I am going to tell you all a secret. I am addicted to a certain reality show that features men and women who keep the bronzer making people in business. The Real Real gives a peak into what the lives of these so called "reality TV" stars might be like. Jesse is a character who has her life turned upside down by the TV industry. Her and her parents are drawn in by the money that will allow her to go to college and they are basically "owned" by the TV station until her contract is up. During this time she makes questionable decisions, but she is a teen who is thrust into these manipulative situations. Through the authors' writing it was amazing to see how quickly and without provocation people who both know and don't know these teens turn on them. I really enjoyed this book and it made me at least, kind of feel sorry for people of celebrity.

The only thing that I found questionable, or just thought didn't jive was the reaction of Jesse's best friend when she doesn't make the show and Jesse does. Maybe I hold people to a higher standard, but when your best friend in the world gets the chance to pay for college you don't hate them for their good fortune. The other thing is the lack of her parent's involvement. They seemed close at the beginning of the book, but they sort of drop off until the ...crap hits the fan. There is a letter/message that the mom writes to Jesse that I just couldn't believe. I am a huge defendant of Jesse and felt so sorry for her. I absolutely loved this book.

This book is great simply because Jesse O'Rourke is awesome! Jesse should be in lots more books - please make this happen for us!

Jesse knows that she does not have what it takes to be cast in the first ever "documentary" show. She does not lead the glamorous life like the popular girls at her school, so when she is cast as the part of the core 6 she is shocked. While she wants to turn down XTV's offer, she finds the tuition check of $40,000 too tempting to resist.

The Real Real is an intoxicating look into the world of reality television. The novel takes readers in the the glamorous (and fake) world of reality television where who you really are may not be the person that you are portrayed as. A world where even the slightest disagreement can be turned into a world class feud.

I found this novel to be incredibility entertaining by giving readers a behind the scenes look at what a reality show is really about. Every aspect of the novel has a realistic and insightful feel about it as the reader learns more about the characters and their lives. I easily found myself rooting for Jesse as she transitions from a "nobody" to a star. My only complaint about the novel is that some of the chapters felt more like filler than part of the plot. While this happens more at the beginning of the novel, these chapters left me more confused about their true purpose than being able understand what was really going on. Despite this early misstep, The Real Real was a very enjoyable read. It is definitely a book that you would enjoy cuddling up with on a rainy day.