Reality Boy
Reality Boy
By A.S. King
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Curriculum Subject:
Teen Life: Family/Personal Development
Grades: 10-17
In this fearless portrayal of a boy on the edge, highly acclaimed Printz Honor author A.S. King explores the desperate reality of a former child “star” struggling to break free of his anger.
Gerald Faust started feeling angry even before his mother invited a reality TV crew into his five-year-old life. Twelve years later, he’s still haunted by his rage-filled youth–which the entire world got to watch from every imaginable angle–and his anger issues have resulted in violent outbursts, zero friends, and clueless adults dumping him in the special education room at school. No one cares that Gerald has tried to learn to control himself; they’re all just waiting for him to snap. And he’s starting to feel dangerously close to doing just that…until he chooses to create possibilities for himself that he never knew he deserved.
PRAISE
“A.S. King is one of the best YA authors working today. She captures the disorientation of adolescence brilliantly…. Reality Boy is finally a novel about whether you are fated to the life the world expects you to have.” (The New York Times Book Review).
* “Heart-pounding and heartbreaking…. a compulsively readable portrait of two imperfect teens learning to trust each other and themselves.” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).
* “A nuanced portrayal….This is a story about healing.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).
* “King’s trademarks–attuned first-person narrative, convincing dialogue, realistic language, and fitting quirkiness–connect effectively in this disturbing, yet hopeful novel.” (School Library Journal, starred review).
* “King’s writing is tighter, more focused, and better than ever….[An] intense and incredibly fresh plot.” (VOYA, starred review).
* “King offers a compelling look at possible long-term effects of reality shows…. thought-provoking and ultimately optimistic.” (Library Media Connection, starred review).
“Put down the remote and pick up Reality Boy–it’s a showstopper.” (The Horn Book).
“The hallmarks of [King’s] strong work are there: magical realism, heightened emotion, and the steady, torturous, beautiful transition into self-assured inner peace. Like Gerald, it’s wonderfully broken.” (Booklist).
“[A] smart and sympathetic story about breaking free from the world’s expectations.” (The Bulletin).
“We all know at least one teen who needs a book like this; I didn’t know I needed it until I turned the last page.” (SLJTeen).
“A.S. King is consistently badass and unflinching in her approach to tough issues, and this one is no exception.” (Book Riot).