Reality Boy by A.S. King

Gerald figures he has two options for his future: prison or death. He has so much anger building inside of him, and everyone seems oblivious to all of the injustice that has been making him angry since he was just five years old. His anger is always there, and he can't seem to control it until he meets a girl. She's not perfect, and she doesn't make the anger go away, but together they dare to demand something from the world in return, and Gerald sees a third option—a tentative future of possibilities.

Reality Boy is easily King's most heart-breaking and forceful book yet. From the gut-wrenching beginning to the heartbreaking flashbacks of a childhood invaded by TV cameras and millions of viewers, Gerald's story is an intense ride. King deftly demonstrates the reality TV is anything but real, and that it doesn't matter if your family and environment expects you to fail, because you are the only one who has control over your own life and choices, and you can demand better for yourself. The characters in Reality Boy are so tangible; Gerald's sister is truly terrifying, the ketchup lady shockingly sincere and tender, and the circus members profanely hilarious. This isn't a book about finding love and finding your life through a significant other, but rather experiencing romance and in that finding the courage to demand a life for yourself and stand up to others. King will punch you in the gut and demand a visceral reaction. You won't be able to look away. Reality Boy is worth every word.

Cover Comments: I really like this cover. The cover model looks a lot like how I imagined Gerald, and I really like the effect of the colors across the cover. 

ARC picked up at BEA.

Reality Boy will be available October 22nd, 2013.