1. Bibliography
King, A. S. 2013. Reality Boy. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 9780316222716
2. Summary
Gerald Faust, a junior in high school who is falsely enrolled in SPED (Special Education) classes because his mom swears there is something wrong with him, deals with living in the past of being the reality boy in the reality t.v. show, Network Nanny, and the family issues that came with it. While working in the PEC (Penn Entertainment and Convention) Center, he comes across a woman who makes him feel accepted for his past, and meets his first lover, Register #1 Girl, Hannah. When the story switches between Gerald’s current life and flashbacks of episodes from Network Nanny, the reader is able to see why Gerald has the relationship that he has with his mother and his sisters, Tasha and Lisi. While Gerald runs away with Hannah to escape their reality, Gerald battles with stopping himself from getting lost in thoughts of his false reality, Gersday, stopping himself from viewing images of Snow White or himself with Lisi in the circus. However, things begin to get better when Gerald's dad leaves his house and gets a place for him and Gerald. There, they are able to put Gerald into regular high school classes to prepare for graduation, and he finally accepts the fact that he will also be seen as the little boy the t.v. show and is excited for the future he will have with Hannah.
3. Discussion
After reading this book, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. I didn’t dislike it but I didn’t really like it either; it just felt like any other read. I loved the message of growing up and learning to accept your past to move forward with your future, but the storyline was not one of my favorites. I remembered the t.v. show on Lifetime titled Supernanny, which made it easier and funnier to understand/imagine what was happening when the chapters in the book changed from the storyline to discussing episodes of Network Nanny in the book.
2. Summary
Gerald Faust, a junior in high school who is falsely enrolled in SPED (Special Education) classes because his mom swears there is something wrong with him, deals with living in the past of being the reality boy in the reality t.v. show, Network Nanny, and the family issues that came with it. While working in the PEC (Penn Entertainment and Convention) Center, he comes across a woman who makes him feel accepted for his past, and meets his first lover, Register #1 Girl, Hannah. When the story switches between Gerald’s current life and flashbacks of episodes from Network Nanny, the reader is able to see why Gerald has the relationship that he has with his mother and his sisters, Tasha and Lisi. While Gerald runs away with Hannah to escape their reality, Gerald battles with stopping himself from getting lost in thoughts of his false reality, Gersday, stopping himself from viewing images of Snow White or himself with Lisi in the circus. However, things begin to get better when Gerald's dad leaves his house and gets a place for him and Gerald. There, they are able to put Gerald into regular high school classes to prepare for graduation, and he finally accepts the fact that he will also be seen as the little boy the t.v. show and is excited for the future he will have with Hannah.
3. Discussion
After reading this book, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. I didn’t dislike it but I didn’t really like it either; it just felt like any other read. I loved the message of growing up and learning to accept your past to move forward with your future, but the storyline was not one of my favorites. I remembered the t.v. show on Lifetime titled Supernanny, which made it easier and funnier to understand/imagine what was happening when the chapters in the book changed from the storyline to discussing episodes of Network Nanny in the book.
I think this story could fall under the umbrella of realistic fiction because Gerald is an ordinary boy battling with finding who he is, his first time being in love, and other aspects that any normal teenage boy would deal with. My mind, however, did change when I struggled with finding out why Gerald was always imagining Snow White and other fictional characters when he would get lost in his mind. I am not sure if this is a symptom of some sort of mental condition, but I would say this book would be fiction rather than realistic fiction when considering that aspect of the novel.
Being that the main character, Gerald, is a junior in high school, I think high school students would enjoy this book rather than the younger, elementary or middle school readers. Even then, I think the topics of sex, and the hatred seen from Gerald to his mother and sister, may distract a younger reader. Also, they may not understand the whole storyline, and they won’t be mature enough to understand why Gerald would act out in certain ways and at various times.
4. Connections
I can see this book being used in a book club rather than a classroom setting to discuss the self-struggles Gerald deals with while trying to accept himself.
The book cover shows a quote from John Green stating that A.S. King is one of the best young adult writers today, so I may read other books by King, but this was the first one I have read from him.
Being that the main character, Gerald, is a junior in high school, I think high school students would enjoy this book rather than the younger, elementary or middle school readers. Even then, I think the topics of sex, and the hatred seen from Gerald to his mother and sister, may distract a younger reader. Also, they may not understand the whole storyline, and they won’t be mature enough to understand why Gerald would act out in certain ways and at various times.
4. Connections
I can see this book being used in a book club rather than a classroom setting to discuss the self-struggles Gerald deals with while trying to accept himself.
The book cover shows a quote from John Green stating that A.S. King is one of the best young adult writers today, so I may read other books by King, but this was the first one I have read from him.
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