Kirby's Reviews > Life Just Got Real

Although this book ended up being a tad more on the juvenile side then I was initially expecting, I really found myself enjoying it. I applaud the fact that Sadie Robertson chose to write a beautiful novel for younger teen girls that focuses on the importance of friendship, and being genuine to everyone around you. While there is undoubtedly a romance element present in the story, the majority of the focus is on Kate and AJ themselves, and the journey they embark on when the opportunity to be featured on a reality show emerges.

Kate is instantly intrigued by the idea, and since she's head cheerleader, from a wealthy family, and head of the prom committee, she seems like the perfect girl to feature on such a show. However, she's dismayed when she discovers that the weird, slightly obnoxious new girl, AJ, who wears old mechanic shirts to school, and who's peaked her brother's interest, is the girl that the network wants to cast as her co-star. Thrown together not by choice these two girls from drastically different worlds will soon discover what friendship really means amidst all the back stabbing and drama that comes with the chance of fame.

While I for the most part enjoyed AJ's character more than that of Kate, I appreciated the fact that there was more to Kate than one would have first thought. In particular, I loved the fact that the authors chose to represent Kate as someone who has a strong relationship with her siblings, as it definitely gave her character an extra depth. Kate's brother Kaden plays a fairly important role in the book, as he starts to develop a romance with AJ throughout the course of the story, and it was really endearing to see the lengths the two of them go to keep their relationship from going too fast or too far. This may have been a shorter length novel, but it still manages to dive into some pretty important issues like losing a parent, parental divorce and remarriage, peer pressure, rumors, and overall, standing up for what you believe in.

I definitely enjoyed this one, and I'm glad I went ahead and read it even though I'm most definitely not the intended age group. I wasn't quite sure what to expect going into it, but all in all, I was impressed with the way that Ms. Robertson was able to truly bring her character's to life, and make them seem "real." I'd highly recommend this to any teens looking for a clean, Christian uplifting read that focuses on the importance of friendship, and I'll continue to look forward to reading more of Sadie's books in the future.