The Real Real audiobook

Wow, I will never look at reality television the same way again.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 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.

Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.comThe writing duo that brought us THE NANNY DIARIES have ventured out into the young adult genre. And the two have written a hit.Jesse goes through the motions of the interview that all the students at her high school have to sit through. The hot TV channel XTV wants to film a documentary of life in a typical high school. XTV wants to select a core group of students to be the focus of the documentary real-life series.Jesse knows that the A-list crowd including Nico, Jase, and their gang are the sure picks. So when XTV comes knocking on Jesse's door, no one is more stunned than she is. And when the $40,000 scholarship check is waved in front of her parents, they quickly agree to let Jesse sign on.Little does anyone in their small town realize how quickly things will get out of control. Everything that Jesse considers important is thrust aside by XTV under the guise of filming. Jesse loses her best friend. Her parents no longer know what to believe. She gets yelled at and called obscene names.When a photo spread in OK hints that Jesse may have done more with Jase then she is letting on, it's the last straw. She's lost her chance at the one boy she was truly interested in, and she'll do anything she can to just graduate and get out of there.THE REAL REAL is the perfect book for a summer read. You can easily get lost in the fancy world that Jesse is paraded around in. THE REAL REAL shows what can happen when what you think you want turns out to be a total nightmare and reminds you what your real priorities should be.

After the phenomenal success with Nanny Diaries these two ladies has a bit of a sophomore slump. But it's over. The last two books I have read by them have hit it out of the park. They have a way of allowing you to see the inside of celebrity which makes you remember that people are at the heart.Jesse is just a regular girl. When reality scouts show up at her Hampton High school for a version of The Hills & Gossip Girl combined. She assumes the popular kids will get picked. And they are. But to her surprise so is she.Jesse is always a reluctant participant - and without giving too much away Jessie soon learns the cost of participation is way more then she bargained for.This was a fun read. Just another way to view of what it might be like; to be a celebrity.

Heads up, spoilersI really loved this book. I would ave given it 5 stars if it wasn't a little slow in the beginning. But it was still a great book. I loved how well... real it was. I mean, people never wonder what the behind the scenes are like. Especially in reality TV, most people just assume that it's all real. Jesse is lost towards the beginning, especially when she found out she got to a cast and that she had to be with some of the cast... if that makes any sense. Anyway, like I said it was a little slow and there were some moments when the details didn't quite fit. But I love how they all started to bond and get to know each other. And how Jesse realized she needs to take charge of her own life. Even if it means not getting everything she wants. And i love that about this book, about how she realizes not only the people around her and what their lives are like, but how she realizes herself and realizes how her life could be. This was an awesome read thank you so much Emma McLaughlin

"The Real Real" is a Real Fun Read (Sorry). Basically it is the story of a group of high-schoolers whose Senior Year gets hijacked when they are selected to be in a reality television show. What I especially liked was the ending - Jesse finds a way to take back the power and, while she has to readjust her dreams and goals, the alternative path is a pretty good one. This is the best ending of a book that I have read in a long time.

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/

I must say, I will never look at TV the same way again.The Drama, the Love, the Hate...all fake.The Real Real shows the line where "reality" becomes a fantasy. A Made-up, perfected fantasy. With jealousy behind the scenes and every not turning out who they are supposed to be, Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus create a story which is hilarious, but also painfully real.This book is so original! That's a really big reason why I liked this book. It puts a normal teenage girl into the fake and glamorous world of Reality TV. Speaking of the main character...I loved Jesse! She's just so amazing. She's funny, realistic, smart, and the most important thing, she's a realistic character. She makes mistakes just like everybody else (even though THAT part really caught me off). She seems to get along with (almost) everyone and she just wants the money to help in funding for college. I just loved the Valentine's Day part. It was so funny, I think I giggled throughout that whole part.*Sigh*....Drew. One word. DREAMBOAT. I wanna get on that cruise. *SPOILER ALERT* God, during THOSE parts of the book with Jesse and Jase, I just felt like yelling, WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!?! He's so amazing. Another amazing guy to my amazing (amazingly long) hot/cute book guy characters list (I should totally do a post on that soon :P)!Another character I found likeable was Nico, as even though she's the popular and perfect girl *SPOILER ALERT* she's not so perfect...if you get what I mean. With her hilarious messy eating and her sad family relationship with her dad, her world isn't crystal!Jase. Not much to say except HATE HIM. I felt like screaming at Nico for actually liking this jerk. His friend (his name escapes me) seems sweet though. Like, a hilarious minor character. I also found Jesse's friend (who's name also escapes me) kinda mean and self-centered. I mean, friends are supposed to look out for each other and understand. The "friend" clearly doesn't do so. And OMG Trisha! Hate that girl so much, I think I would rather eat a whole tub of slugs then actually have to talk to that @#!^$.Overall, The Real Real is a very humorous and well-put together book. With every shooting, a new element is added in which changes the characters, in ways that you won't expect. You'll be cheering on the cast as they progress through every painful moment. One of the best reads about TV Entertainment I've ever read! Should get my hands on the Nanny Diaries one day as well. Sorry for the short review, but trust me, The Real Real shows the truth behind what's real and the real real.Rabiah @ Confessions of a Readaholic ~ http://iliveforreading.blogspot.com/2...

The Real Realby Emma Mclaughlin and Nicola KrausThis book left me feeling…way more entertained than watching an episode of Jersey Shore!Story Line:Jesse O’Rourke has just started her senior year of high school when XTV ( the fictional equivalent of MTV) decides to select the cast of its new reality TV show, The Real Hampton Beach , from amongst Hampton High’s senior student body. She is shocked when she is selected to star in the show; and as an added bonus, so is the newly single guy she’s had her heart set on. Better yet, the contract also comes with a healthy paycheck—enough to pay for the college of her dreams after she graduates—something her parents cannot afford. But when the shooting begins, Jesse realizes that stardom and XTV’s version of “reality” has its own price tag, and she must sacrifice a great deal to pay stardom’s price. Will you like it? If you like (insert name of reality TV show here) you will love this book. I admit, I occasionally peek in on Jersey Shore, the Real Housewives of (insert geographic location here), and Big Brother (who doesn’t). Reality TV is like a cheaply made dessert; one can criticize the presentation, the finesse, even the quality of the dessert, but that doesn’t mean you won’t gobble it up when it’s placed in front of you. It’s the same with this novel. The Real Real is written with all of the yumminess of Dairy Queen and all the sticky mess that comes with it. The writers take the reader into the edgy drama, and show how easy it is to manufacture a show that is not “reality” at all. It’s hard to stop eagerly flipping pages to get to the next “Real” to see how badly things are going to turn out for the seemingly moral-less, A-List cast after the film hits the cutting room floor. Perhaps best of all is Jesse’s character; she is laugh-out-loud funny, quick-witted, and flawed like the rest of us. There’s no way you won’t want to stand in her corner, even when she makes poor choices—after all it’s the poor choices that make the shows worth watching, right?

I actually enjoyed The Real Real quite well. I was expecting this trashy teen novel like Gossip Girls but it wasn't as trashy. It was actually quite good, so I'm very surprised.I enjoyed reading about the plot and the characters. Heck, even the writing style was nice.For the plot, I liked how Emma and Nicola allowed the readers (me!) to get a sense of how the real acting world works. That it's not all that glamorous and awesome like rumors say. It's actually really hard work and so much pressure. There's no sense of privacy because you never know when someone's hiding there in the bushes ready to take a picture of you doing something totally embarrassing.At first, Jesse and her castmates were pretty excited to film this "documentary" because of the popularity and the money that came with it. Little did they know that they were being used and manipulated by the producers and directors who only want them to do things that would "get high ratings". They are lied to and forced to do things that they would never do - usually.Scandals and dramas are depicted throughout The Real Real.I liked reading about Jesse because she's the typical high school girl. She comes from a poor background and needs the money which is the reason why she joined the crew but she still manages to have her morals intact. Other people, like Trisha, are too blinded by being on TV and have completely demoralized themselves into doing skanky and sleezy things.I also liked how humble Jesse is. She doesn't see her true talents and her true beauty because no one ever gave her a chance to shine. She finds new friendships and rebuild old ones. I find her extremely likable and very realistic.The cover is actually really pretty. Well, at least the girl is and it really depicts the whole bok.Overall, The Real Real is a very fun and entertaining summer read.

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 expectedEmma 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.

4.5 starsHonestly I'd been putting this off for a while but I'm so glad I finally did read it. It was fabulous.Caitlin was a horrendous best friend. Despite being happy for her friend she was relentlessly jealous, annoying and self centered. She didn't know/understand/care what her friend was going through to get her on the show and was just an over all bitch. I hated her. But at the same time she was an integral part of the plot. She was Jess's shoulder. Her responses were very human. She wasn't overly perky, annoying or fake and she took a break instead of being a fake person and a crappy friend.But Jess was a remarkable character. Even to the end she didn't loose herself—and when she did stray a little, it wasn't annoying. Just a girl losing herself. She wasn't narcissistic or whiny. And I loved that about her.I loved how Kara was flighty and adorable—and kind of like a dog on the leash. And I LOVED how she pulled out of just no where.I absolutely ADORED how Nico want the resident bitch despite being the most popular girl. And the couple thing was so confusing—but deliciously so. For a while I was pro JesDrew but then I started seeing potential in JesJace and NicoDrew. Sometimes Jase was a complete ass and sometimes a giant sweetie and I didn't know what to think. It was so perfect—the real 'real'. Jase was like our very own Chuck Bass from season one—damaged, with a crappy dad and all. I hope he finds his Blair. Oh and Trisha was a regular Georgina Sparks.Frankly, I loved this book. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. It reminded me of Gossip Girl. The drama was delish, the plot intense and the characters very true to themselves.

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.