Reality Ends Here, by Alison Gaylin

Estella has fame that she never asked for, all because she is the older sister of quintuplets who have their own reality show.  Estella has a different father, however, a father who tragically died many years ago.  So, when Estella receives a Christmas gift from her real father, her parents accuse her of planting it herself as a way to act out.  They send her to a support group, and Estella realizes that nothing about her life is reality.

Despite the fact that this is a book geared to young adults, I was completely transfixed by this story.  The writing is clearly geared to YA readers, with a lot of pop culture references (Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, etc.) but the actual story is pretty sophisticated, which is what makes the book so engaging.  I really liked the premise of a young girl forced to grow up on a reality tv show, it makes for a realistic storyline, since reality tv is so prevalent.  I thought the characters were actually well developed, especially Estella.

The plot has a lot of layers, and I certainly did not expect all the twists and turns that occurred.  I thought I knew where the story was going, and was surprised to find myself led in a completely different place in the end.  There is a lot of suspense and mystery in the story, without it being heavy handed.  Young adult readers who are fans of suspense books will enjoy this, but I believe many adult readers, like me, will enjoy it as well.

I received a review copy courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.



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