With her BFF (and secret crush) Leo off the market, Dakota is forced to start interviewing network-approved models and actors to be her date. On top of that, Koty tries to help Leo save his family’s struggling Japanese restaurant and earn enough money to pay for their school trip to Japan. Will Dakota finally get her prince charming, or will her love life turn into another viral moment? Faking Reality is a coming-of-age story dealing with themes such as empowerment, desire to escape, appearance versus reality, fame, family, love and heartbreak, wealth, culture and race, social media, and gender identity. This book really emphasized the importance of family, being true to oneself, and going after what you want. It also reenforced the fact that “reality” tv isn’t always real and isn’t always as glamorous as it seems. Faking Reality uses the friends to lovers trope and is geared towards teens and young adults. This book would be perfect for fans of Just Listen by Sarah Dessen, The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han, Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson, and Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean as well as fans of HGTV shows like Fixer Upper, Good Bones, and Home Town. It would also be a great fit for fans of Sweet 16 by Kate Brian and fans of the reality tv show My Super Sweet 16. Firstly, since I don’t speak Japanese, I found that the inclusion of Japanese words (e.g. foods) and dialogue, which weren’t always translated into English, interrupted my reading experience. I also could have used some more information when the characters were discussing Japanese traditions and locations. Another critique is that the book could have been longer; I would have loved to read about Koty and Leo’s Japan trip! It also would have been fun to read about what happened to Koty (and her “Prince Charming”) after the conclusion of the book and the finale of Koty’s HGTV show. Lastly, I didn’t enjoy reading about Dakota’s awkward “auditions” for her network-approved sweet sixteen date. On the upside, I thought that this book was unique, and I loved the inclusion of the HGTV show! I thought that it was cool to get a behind the scenes look at a famous family; including all the scandals, invasions, compromises, and schedules that the McDonald’s needed to navigate to make their show a success. It was also fun to read about Koty’s elaborate sweet sixteen plans, which included a tiara, a celebrity musical appearance, a cake fit for a wedding, a choreographed dance, a massive guest list, expensive giveaways, and last-minute changes! Overall, I thought that this was a cute, fun, and unique teen/ YA read that is best suited for those who enjoy HGTV and the friends to lovers trope. I gave this book a rating of 8 out of 10. This review was written for "The Nerd Daily". Click here to view this article on "The Nerd Daily's" website or copy & paste the following URL into your web browser: https://thenerddaily.com/review-faking-reality-by-sara-fujimura/
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Go to Reviews from:
February 2024
|