King, A. S. (2013). Reality Boy:
A novel. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.
Gerald
Faust has anger issues. He has an anger
management coach to help him work through his anger, he boxes, and he tries his
hardest to not let his “triggers” set him off.
His family started being part of a reality series when he was five. His mother invited them to come and help him
with his behavior, when as the story continues we learn that Gerald’s eldest
sister, Tasha, needed the help. Gerald’s
other sister, Lisi, has escaped and moved to Scotland. Tasha has now moved back in the house and is
living in the basement with her boyfriend.
Gerald is in special education class because his mom put him there because
Tasha wanted it. Gerald comes to realize
that he has a future and can become someone, not just end up dead or in
jail.
King
writes this realistic fiction book and convinces us that we have entered a
world of mental illness, but then makes us question if we have. Gerald has a make-believe world, Gersday,
which he goes to when things get bad. He
created this world when he was little and Tasha was trying to drown him or
calling him gay or retard. We also think
he may be mentally ill because in the reality show he starts to poop on things
to show he is frustrated and consequently gets the nickname “Crapper.” As the story progresses we learn everything
Tasha did to Lisi and him, we learn that his mom confesses how she really never
wanted to have Lisi and him, his dad is never home and now comes home and
offers Gerald drinks, and we see the dysfunction of the family for what it
really is. This book is for grades 9
and up because of the subject matter discussed and language.
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