Reality Boy

Do you glue yourself to the TV to see the latest and greatest reality show?  Have you ever wondered about the true side of the people on that reality show?  Do you believe everything you see? 

F KIN

Reality Boy by A.S. King makes a reader think.  Gerald was exploited as a child on the Network Nanny reality show.  The show never revealed the happy times or the triggers that would set Gerald off, so much so that he defecated on the dinning room table.  Those childhood tantrums followed him his entire life which created chaos in middle school and high school.  As he attempts to work through his anger and live a normal life, he discovers that people do not want to face reality.  His older sister Tasha rules the house keeping all of the family members living in fear.  Lisi, Gerald's middle sister, escapes to college leaving Gerald to fend for himself.  With a mother, who gives in to all of Tasha's tantrums and a father who ignores that the family is dysfunctional, Gerald escapes to his imaginary world where everything is sweet and lovely.  On a fateful day working the concession stand, Gerald meets the girl at register #1, Hannah.  Hannah has a junkyard full of her own family issues and together they work through them as only best friends could.

One can only feel compassion for the protagonist and frustration with those around him who never pay attention.  I think Reality Boy is a great novel for creating discussions on mental health, relationships, and the effects of reality television.  This was the first book I had read by A.S. King and I plan to read more.