The Actual Real Reality of Jennifer James

Starred review from July 17, 2006
First-time author Shields sets her energetic, hilarious spoof of reality TV in a public British school, and introduces narrator Jennifer James, the "most unpopular person in her class." A TV crew and group of celebrities cause quite a stir in Jennifer's community, when they descend upon London Road Comprehensive to document the goings-on of the school's faculty and students. To add to the fun, the producers are running a Survivor
-type competition that will result in fabulous prizes for some, and humiliating elimination for others—and in the process they will raise funds for a charity that helps terminally ill children. Much to her shock, Jennifer's peers elect her to be one of 12 contestants, eligible to win a full scholarship to a prestigious boarding school ("one with a proper uniform and 'Houses' named after obscure dead people"). The only trick will be to gain enough votes to keep in the running. Quickly winning the status of token nerd and underdog, Jennifer endears herself to the public, and her hopes begin to soar—until she grows suspicious that the contest is fixed—and worse. Jennifer's quick-witted, lively narrative gives a blow-by-blow account of celebrities teaching classes, teachers dolling themselves up for the camera, protesters chaining themselves to trees, and students one-upping each other to win votes. Whether readers love or despise reality shows, all will alternately laugh and cheer Jennifer on as she learns some lessons about fame. Ages 12-up.

June 1, 2006
Gr 7 Up -Jennifer James considers herself the Most Unpopular Person in her public high school -considered a -bog standard, - or substandard, institution by most of the residents of her British town. She wishes that her parents had the money and inclination to allow her to transfer to a more competitive academy. When her school is chosen to participate in a new reality TV program in which students will compete for entry into the prestigious St. Willibald -s College -an elite preparatory -Jennifer is shocked when she is named one of the contestants. Written as a series of diary entries and interspersed with clippings from the local newspaper and a faux British gossip rag, Shields -s first novel details the show -s -reality - from the point of view of an unlikely participant. The narrative reads much like Louise Rennison -s -Georgia Nicholson - titles (HarperCollins) -diary entries are labeled by date and time and some slang is marked with asterisks and explained in footnotes -but it takes a while to gather momentum. The plot is saved from predictability when Jennifer and her friends uncover a voting scam going on behind the scenes; some readers will have noted elements of foreshadowing prior to this revelation. This novel doesn -t pack the same punch as Tucker Shaw -s "Confessions of a Backup Dancer" (S & S, 2004) or the insight of Sarra Manning -s "Guitar Girl" (Dutton, 2004). With a glut of similar books on the market, this one doesn -t stand out." -Amy S. Pattee, Simmons College, Boston"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2006
Gr. 7-10. Take TV's " Survivor" and the 2005 movie " Mean Girls," add a self-effacing narrator a la Georgia Nicolson, and you get this delightful romp from across the pond, told mostly through diary entries. By her own account "The Most Unpopular Girl at [her] school," bookish teen Jennifer James leaps at the chance to participate in a wacky reality show that is being filmed on campus. Contestants vie for the chance to "survive" on the show, sinking into a quagmire of backstabbing and fraud that nearly brings down the school (along with a few of the show's orchestrators). Jennifer, of course, comes through with aplomb--despite challenges that include outsmarting a menacing classmate, charming the boy she loves, managing her parents' mixed emotions about the ordeal, and getting through the days amid intense publicity. Shields stretches the comic situation to a breaking point, but that won't stop the outrageous satire from triggering laughs--and nor will the frequent Briticisms, defined in a concluding glossary.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)