Review : Something Real by Heather Demetrios

Summary (from Goodreads)

Title : Something Real
Author : Heather Demetrios
Publication Date : February 4th 2014
Publisher : Henry Holt BYR
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes & Noble


There’s nothing real about reality TV.

Seventeen-year-old Bonnie™ Baker has grown up on TV—she and her twelve siblings are the stars of one-time hit reality show Baker’s Dozen. Since the show’s cancellation and the scandal surrounding it, Bonnie™ has tried to live a normal life, under the radar and out of the spotlight. But it’s about to fall apart…because Baker’s Dozen is going back on the air. Bonnie™’s mom and the show’s producers won’t let her quit and soon the life she has so carefully built for herself, with real friends (and maybe even a real boyfriend), is in danger of being destroyed by the show. Bonnie™ needs to do something drastic if her life is ever going to be her own—even if it means being more exposed than ever before.

Personal Thoughts

Something Real has been receiving some fantastic reviews from bloggers and readers. I will admit that the idea of a reality TV show did not appeal to me because I hate most reality TV shows (except for MasterChef) and every time I happen to catch a glimpse of a show like "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo", a few of my brain cells die. But of course, I couldn't ignore all the praise that Something Real has been receiving and boy, am I glad I gave it a shot.

Something Real was a lovely lovely book that focused mostly on family relationships and life as reality TV celebrities, but it also tackled important themes such as attempted suicide, depression and LGBT. I was amazed by how deftly the author managed to incorporate all these elements into her story. I love that she also portrayed the life behind the camera on a reality show so honestly. Watching the effect that the show was having on Chloe, the main character, and her siblings made me angry, but at the same time, it was eye-opening. Chloe's mom, especially, I thought was depicted very realistically. She pushes her kids to do things they probably don't want to do and forces them to be part of this ridiculous show without giving a care about their opinions and the consequences of having cameras following her kids around. I absolutely hated the woman and would have liked to shake some senses into that selfish brain of hers, but the really sad thing is, moms like Chloe's mother do exist in real life. Take that blasted show Toddlers and Tiaras, for instance. It baffles me when I think about how mothers will deliberately make their kids go through that from such a young age. Women like Chloe's mother should not be allowed to procreate or adopt.

While Chloe's relationship with her mother is undoubtedly strained and rightfully so (the woman ignored the fact that Chloe tried to kill herself because the reality show was slowly eating her away), her relationship with her brother Benny was absolutely wonderful. Their relationship was so sweet and I loved how close they were together. Benny was the rock that Chloe needed and he was always there to act as her pillar, but he also didn't mince his words and straight up told her when she was making mistakes. Their strong bond was my favorite part of the story and I also liked how thoughtfully the author handled Benny's sexuality without the use of cliches. Of course, I can't talk about Something Real without mentioning Patrick! I knew from the instant we met him in the book that he would top book boyfriend material and he did not prove me wrong. Guys, I loved him so much. He was sweet, funny, romantic and definitely knew how to bring out the swoons. He and Chloe made an adorable couple and I have to say, I was quite jealous of the Chloe for having a guy as perfect as Patrick in her life.

Something Real tells the journey of Chloe and how she finally learns to stand up for herself. Heather Demtrios executed her story perfectly and this is a YA contemporary novel that I can't recommend enough. Do yourself a favor, next time you go book shopping, grab a copy of Something Real because it's one of the best YA contemporaries you'll ever read.

Rating

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 4/5


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