Booklists: YA Books about Reality TV

I don't watch much reality TV except for Bake Off (or the Great British Baking Show), but I LOVE reading about it. 

Here are some YA Reality TV books:

The Dos and Donuts of Love

Wild About You

Cuffing Game

Reality Check

With or Without You

Seyoon and Dean Unscripted

The Selection

The Escape Game

Taste of Love

People to Follow

Something Real

Never Ever Getting Back Together

Taste Test

Not Pictured:

Jasmine Project

What am I missing here?

 

Review: Seyoon and Dean, Unscripted

 

Twenty years ago Dean and Seyoon's parents competed in a wilderness reality TV show. They were both betrayed by one of the friends and lost the show. Now the show is being rebooted with relatives of former contestants. 

When they arrive at the filming site, they have a meet cute moment. They exchange words. Before too long, all the contestants are sent through a course. Seyoon and Dean end up together. She saves him. They both end up making the team after four people are eliminated. Seyoon is the last one to make the competition. 

The contestants are encouraged the team up and form an alliance. It makes sense for Seyoon and Dean to team up given their family histories. But neither of them are prepared for how quickly everything changes. One minute, they are strangers, now teammates, now fake dating to outwit their competition. But will it?

My Thoughts: I love reality TV show books. And this one was fantastic. I loved how Seyoon and Dean had different skill sets. She had survival skills and Dean had strategy skills. Both Seyoon and Dean have baggage and reasons for wanting to win the million-dollar purse. But there are plenty of misunderstandings and miscommunication. There are secrets and betrayals. I loved the behind the scene moments. I loved the fake dating moments while filming and the private moments between Seyoon and Dean. I didn't want this book to end. 

Cover Thoughts: Fantastic:

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: A must have romance book for your school and public library 

Review: Escape Game

 

Season four of the family friendly reality TV show ended with a murder. No one won the prize that season. 

Six months later, season five is kicking off. The surprise contestant is the sister of the murdered girl - the one many believe killed Alicia. 

Now Audi, Carter, and Beck have been thrown together with Sierra to create a team. While they're good at escape rooms, they're not the fastest AND another team is targeting them. Plus, someone is dropping clues about Alicia's murder. The truth will come out, but only IF Sierra's team makes it to the finals. Can Team Helsing stay in the game long enough to collect answers?

My Thoughts: I LOVED this book: for the puzzles, the friendship, the twists and turns, and the drama of reality TV. I barely watch reality TV shows, but I love reading about them. I've never been to an escape room, but it's on my bucket list. I'm scared I wouldn't be good at it. Although I have co-built a couple rooms for my library. I loved the discussion about online personal vs. person in real life in terms of Carter and Kick-it Carter. I loved how Team Helsing bonded, but still had their moments. Everyone had secrets here. I can't wait to see what happens next after that wild ending. 

Cover Thoughts: Perfect

Source:  ARC sent for Review

Library Recommendation: A must have book for your school and public libraries

Marissa Meyer was on my PLA panel (more on that later)

Review: The Cuffing Game

 

Mia Yoon wants to make a show for her college all about crushes. But her initial idea doesn't get off the ground. Instead, she brainstorms how to make it better with her nemesis. She isn't thrilled with the idea of changing the storytime about crushes to a reality dating show but...it does work.

The show gets greenlit for winter break. Mia, her crew, and the contestants (including Noah) travel to a winter wonderland. There she oversees the entire production. But what happens if she falls for one of the contestants...

My Thoughts: As they are in college - this is technically a new adult book. But it works as a YA book. I loved this book. Even though I don't watch much reality TV (Bake Off is my favorite), I love reading about it. I loved how this is from the perspective of the producer/host and not a contestant. What a fun twist on Pride and Prejudice! 

Cover Thoughts: Charming

Source: My Library

 Why I read it: retelling of Pride and Prejudice + reality TV show

Library Recommendation: Highly recommended for your school and public library

Middle Grade Review: The Truth about Triangles

 

Luca loves his family's pizza restaurant. He loves creating pizzas; he just wishes that his mother would try them and allow them to be added to menu. The business is struggling financially, and he knows he can save it. 

His family is out of sorts. His parents are fighting all the time. His twin siblings are fighting all the time. Luca is the glue that holds everyone together. 

But he's having a hard time juggling it all.

His favorite reality show, about pizza places, announces this is their last season. They invite restaurants to enter. Luca rushes to fill out an application; this could be the answer to all his problems.

My Thoughts: I really loved this book. Obviously, I craved pizza while eating it. I wanted to wrap Luca up in a giant hug. He was going through so much drama: family, friendship, romance, and job drama. His parents are separating. Luca has to babysit the twins often.  A new boy moved to town. He and Luca are hanging out, but he's lying to his best friend about it. All this drama is making his stomach hurt.

Luca has such a big heart, and he was always trying to make everyone else happy. I loved the moments where people tried to make him happy. I loved that he got to meet his hero. I loved the moments between him and Will.  A really wonderful story that I didn't want to put down. 

Cover Thoughts: Adorable

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: A must have book for your middle grade school and public library collection 

BookTok: Wild About You

Hiking + Reality TV Show

Plus Finn is from Vermont (but I don't think they say where)

Grumpy/Sunshine

 

@yabooknerdlibrarian Wild about You was such a fun read!!!! #hiking #booktok #yabook #realitytv #yabooktok #yabooks @Get Underlined ♬ original sound - Jennifer @YA Book Nerd 📚📚📚

Review: With or Without You

 

Jordan and Cindy hate each other - and so do their families. They work on rival food trucks and they're always getting into arguments.

BUT

the arguments are fake, the families are friends, and Jordan and Cindy are secretly dating. They can't be seen in public and ruin the vibe. They have one summer at home before Jordan escapes town with his new food truck. Cindy's going to travel with him as they see the sights. One more summer seems perfectly doable.

UNTIL

a reality TV show opportunity comes their way. Both families think it's too good of a deal to pass up. Old wounds reopen and soon this fake feud might not be so fake. Will the two families survive the summer?

My Thoughts: I really loved this book. Food trucks. Secretly dating. Feuds. Reality TV. What's not to like here? This book has ALL the drama and I couldn't read it fast enough. I loved the food, the families, the friendships, and the behind the scenes look at reality TV. I love that it took place after high school. This was such a fun read; I was sad when I finished it. 

Source: My Library

Cover Thoughts: Amazing

Library Recommendation: Highly recommended for your library's collection. 

BookTok: People to Follow

First Read of 2024:

 

@yabooknerdlibrarian My first read of 2024 - a page turner, a thriller about influencers, and lots of twists. #booktok #thrillers #yabooks #influencer ♬ original sound - Jennifer @YA Book Nerd 📚📚📚

BookTok: Never Ever Getting Back Together

Reality TV Dating with a Fresh Twist

 

@yabooknerdlibrarian A Twist on reality dating shows! #booktok #realitytv #datingshow ♬ original sound - Jennifer @YA Book Nerd 📚📚📚

Book Lists: Foodie and Reality TV Books

I read and reviewed this recently:

And I loved it! So, I made a book list of similar titles. Enjoy!

Review: Dos and Donuts of Love

 

Shireen is super excited to be joining the first Junior Irish Baking Show, but it's wrecking her personal life. She broke up with her girlfriend. Her best friend is away visiting family for the summer. Her parents' donut shop is struggling. Shireen could really use a win.

But the competition is intense. She isn't sure who to trust among the competitors. She's torn between her new friend and her ex-girlfriend. Not to mention, her favorite chef is a judge. Shireen really hopes to create an impression. Could she win the whole competition?

My Thoughts: I loved this book. It's half romance, half baking competition, and all together perfection. This book made me want to bake and visit a bakery. I loved the moments of the competition. I felt terrible for Shireen and Chris while they dealt with the racist online comments and comments from the other competitors.  But I love how they rose above it. I didn't want this book to end. 

Cover Thoughts: Adorable

Source: My library

Library Recommendation: Highly recommended for your library's collection! 

Bookstagram (2): If the Shoe Fits

I've been meaning to read this book for ages and I'm so happy I finally did. Because I Loved it!

What to love: 

Cinderella Retelling

Nice Stepsisters

Fashion Designer

Reality TV Show

Romance

Friendship

Drama Drama Drama

 

* GIF from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

Adult Review: Recipe for Persuasion

* Book 2 in the Rajes series *

Curried Dreams is everything to Ashna. It's her legacy and right now the restaurant is struggling badly. Ashna has to do something to save it. When her friends offers her a spot in a reality cooking show with celebrity partners, she hesitates.

Yes, it might solver her money programs. But Ashna has emotional baggage tied with cooking. She can't seem to make anything except her deceased father's recipes.

Ashna's has a complicated relationship with her parents and it's tied her up in knots. She gave up the love of her life for her family. And now, Rico's returned. He's her celebrity on the show. Immediately, their meet-cute goes viral and everyone's rooting for them- both on and off the camera. But Ashna needs to square away her past before reaching for future happiness.

My Thoughts: This is a Persuasion retelling. And it was really good. I enjoyed seeing familiar faces from the previous book. My heart broke for Ashna and her childhood. I wanted to wrap her up in a giant hug. I did love her cousins and her aunt and how they looked after her. I enjoyed getting to know Ashna's mother and the story behind her marriage. And I loved the cooking show and the fans. Of course I loved hearing about all that food too! I really hope there are more books with this family in the works. 

Cover Thoughts: Cute
Source: My Library
Library Recommendation: A must have series for your library's romance collection - a given since these are Jane Austen retellings!