The Real Real: By Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

Jesse O’Rourke is just like any other high school student. Her life is turned upside down though when national music station, XTV, decides to film a new series documenting high school life, called The Real Hampton Beach, at Jesse’s school. She is selected to be one of the six stars of the show along with Nico, Melanie, Jase and Rick – the popular kids – and Drew, her crush.

Suddenly, Jesse finds herself engulfed by a world of cameramen, makeup crews and product placement while the producer of The Real Hampton Beach begins to control and direct the lives of the cast to heighten the drama and make reality a little bit more marketable. Jesse is soon caught up in a whirlwind and loses sight of what really matters: her friends and family. As things turn from bad to worse, Jesse struggles to separate her real life and her life on the reel.

This novel was very engaging and the reader can really connect with Jesse and her tribulations. McLaughlin and Kraus, who are also the authors of The Nanny Diaries, entertain with witty remarks that always lighten up the mood. The book is filled with laughs, tears, heartbreak, scandals and surprises, making it the perfect summer read! Teenage girls can kick back with The Real Real and experience the fame and adversity of becoming a hit TV star through this loveable and charismatic protagonist.