Review: Reality Boy by A.S. King

Title: Reality Boy
Author: A.S. King
Year Published: 2013

Genre: YA fiction

Pages: 353

Rating: 4 out of 5

Location (my 2014 Google Reading map): USA (Pennsylvania)

FTC Disclosure: I borrowed this book from my school's library

Summary (from the inside flap of the book): Gerald Faust knows exactly when he started feeling angry: the day his mother invited a reality TV crew into his five-year-old life. Twelve years later he's still haunted by his rage-filled youth--which the entire world got to watch from every imaginable angle--and his anger issues have resulted in violent outbursts, zero friends, and clueless adults dumping him in the special education room at school.

Nothing is ever going to change. No one cares that he's tried to learn to control himself, and the girl he likes has no idea who he really is. Everyone's just waiting for him to snap...and he's starting to feel dangerously close to doing just that.

Review: I wasn't really sure what to expect with this book, but reality shows are so prevalent today that I thought it would be a good one to read. I liked it. Didn't love it, but liked it.

• Characters--I could feel for Gerald, who is now 17 and is known as Crapper based on his childhood activities on TV. His life sucks: his sister hates him and attacks him physically while his mother allows it to take place. I liked Hannah for her honesty and desire to change and better her life
• Plot--I also liked the plot: a kid who needs to take charge of his life and break away from his family. This is tough to do since he is only 17, has no skills to get a job, and can't quite pull himself away from his home.

So, what didn't quite work for me? Why isn't this a 4.5 or a 5? It seemed like too much sometimes. I can't quite explain it that well because I did like the book, it just had moments for me that I thought, "again?" or "still?" I guess it felt repetitive at times.