This was a fun teenie booper read, but doesn't really share any of the qualities I liked about [b:The Nanny Diaries|228333|The Nanny Diaries|Emma McLaughlin|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312032639s/228333.jpg|221139]. As a 23 year old who hadn't read about 'high school' life in ages it was a fun change of pace. ( )

Ugh. This book was not what I thought it would be. I thought the plot sounded promising, but the execution was kind of horrible. The characters were under developed and the descriptions bland. Total disappointment. ( )

A fun read, though not for everyone. I liked it. ( )

When I found this book I was so excited about the subject matter and the fact that it was on Amazon bargain books didn't hurt. 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. ( )

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!!!

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