Books Like Reality Boulevard
From outdoor survival to renovation and dating, the reality television genre is as popular as ever. Many views love tuning in to watch unknown individuals compete against each other for fame and fortune. Of course, as the genre continued to rise in popularity, it also began to face backlash from some viewers who are convinced that the shows are scripted or do not accurately reflect reality. The popularity of reality television has seen it influence other forms of entertainment, too, including books. One of these books is Reality Boulevard by Melissa Jo Peltier. Melissa is a veteran when it comes to film and television writing, producing, and directing, so her novel offers an inside look at the sleazy underbelly of reality television. Whether you enjoy the genre or think it is all fake, here are a few books like Reality Boulevard that uses reality television as the basis for their stories.
The Favourite Sister
by Jessica Knoll
The Favourite Sister by Jessica Knoll is the story of Brett and Kelly Courtney, stars of the hit reality TV show called Goal Diggers. The Courtney sisters compete against three other hyper-competitive women on the show, where everyone is determined to reach the top by whatever means necessary. Jessica and Brett have built a blossoming business together to help disadvantaged women in Morocco but harbor bitter jealousies and dark secrets behind the scenes. The public can't wait to tune in every week, and the show's producers know exactly what it takes to keep the masses enthralled with their finely-tuned scripting. The shows' fourth season promises to be the best yet, but even the producers didn't know that it will end in murder.
Dead Famous
by Ben Elton
Dead Famous by Ben Elton is another reality television-themed novel that ends in murder. A group of ten unknown and unremarkable people participate in House Arrest, a show where they must live together in one house as thirty cameras, and forty microphones capture everything. The public expects the usual amount of drama as they anxiously wait to see who will crack first and which contestants will end up sleeping with each other. What they did not expect is someone getting murdered without any of the cameras capturing footage of the killer. Everyone in the house is a suspect, and the show continues as the ratings soar while viewers watch to see who is next.
Watch Me
by Lauren Barnholdt
Ally, the protagonist of Watch Me by Lauren Barnholdt, is about to start college when she discovers a popular reality television show is shooting a season in the area. She auditions for a part despite and is surprised when the producers actually pick her as a contestant. The prospect of living in a house full of strangers as everything is broadcasted to the world sounds daunting, but Ally believes that she has nothing to hide. Ally is determined to remain faithful to her long-distance boyfriend, Corey, but finds herself drawn to one of her housemates named Drew. However, Ally soon discovers the pressure of living her life in the private eye begins to doubt if she can trust anyone, including herself.
For Real
by Alison Cherry
For Real by Alison Cherry is based around a reality television show called Around the World. Contestants compete in a race around the world with a price of one million dollars on the line. Claire convinces her sister Miranda to participate in the show after discovering that Miranda's boyfriend, Samir, has been cheating on her. Since the fame-obsessed Samir is already scheduled to compete, the two are determined to outshine him on the show as revenge. It all sounds simple enough, and Clair is sure that they will be able to race around the world faster than Samir. However, the last thing Claire expected is to find herself in the middle of a reality-show romance that may be just for the cameras.
Reality Check
by Jen Calonita
Sixteen-year-old Charlie Reed discovers just how cut-throat the world of reality television can be in Reality Check by Jen Calonita. When Charlie is offered her own reality television show by a media executive scouting her small town, she is understandably very skeptical. However, her friends, Keiran, Brooke, and Hallie, quickly convince her to accept since they will be signed up too. Unfortunately, the teens soon find themselves followed everywhere by cameras, and the surreptitious scripting by interfering producers also begins to take a toll on the four best friend's relationship. From Brooke trying to hog all the screen time to Keiran getting written out of the show for not rating well enough, live in the limelight is not quite what Charlie expected. However, when she discovers what's really going on, she plans to give both the studio and viewers a much-needed reality check.
Lost and Found
by Carolyn Parkhurst
Lost and Found by Carolyn Parkhurst is a novel about the titular reality show where players compete in a race across the globe. The contestants are teams of two consisting of a suburban mom and her troubled daughter, divorced brothers, former child stars, born-again Christians, and young millionaires. A million-dollar prize is on the line, but the contenders don't know that they were all specifically chosen by the producers because they all have personal secrets that can boost ratings if they spill them on the air. It doesn't take long for the bonds between partners to begin to strain and unravel, while the cost to capture the final prize might be more significant than some contestants bargained for.
