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Watch Me

by Lauren Barnholdt (Goodreads Author)

3.58 of 5 stars 3.58 · rating details · 1,024 ratings · 102 reviews

She thinks she has nothing to hide…

Ally has everything under control. She’s about to move into a house full of strangers and have her life broadcast to the world, but as long as she still has her long-distance boyfriend, Corey, nothing can go wrong. Nothing, that is, until Ally starts spending time with her housemate Drew, the hot and sensitive guy who always seems to be...more

Paperback, 304 pages

Published July 6th 2010 by Simon Pulse (first published June 20th 2006)

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Nov 04, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Julie T. for TeensReadToo.com

Being a college freshman is hard enough. There's homework to worry about, the dreaded freshman fifteen, guys, parties, and a lot of other things. When Ally Cavanaugh starts college she has one other thing to worry about, that most don't have to: cameras.

Ally's every move during her first semester at college is taped for the popular reality show, In the House. At first, it seems like a dream come true. Ally's show is being broadcast nationwide; she's prac...more

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May 06, 2012 Majibookshelf Juhina & Farah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Watch me by Lauren barnholdt is a reality tv show compressed in a book. You don't expect any depth from it, but it is entertaining and the brain vacation I needed. I listened to the audiobook for it and if it wasn't for the great narrator, I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much. The narrator had this childish voice that suited the college freshman Ally. The character herself was a bit on the shallow end, I mean who would apply to be in a reality tv show where the whole world sees what you...more

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Nov 06, 2011 Ree rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Reality Chick" is about a girl named Ally who makes it onto the TV show "In The House," a reality TV show about college. I'm not a big fan of these kinds of books, but for some reason I always feel the urge to read them. This was one of the few 'reality-TV-show' themed books that I actually finished.

The book was told in two different kinds of chapter formats: "Then" and "Now." This allows the author to show Ally's feelings while the show was filming, and her feelings looking back on her experie...more

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May 06, 2012 Alexis rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I hadn't listened to an audiobook in a long time and thought this one would be a good one to start with. (I usually love audiobooks that are chick lit or romance.) I got it from the library so I figured no harm no foul.

This book was just what I expected it to be. Cute, light, maybe with a couple of good plot twists. The girls are cute and the boys are cute and everyone is cute. But hey, every once and awhile you just need a book like that. The reality t.v. twist was kind of cool. I couldn't eve...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Stephanie A. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Basically an MTV show in novel form. In fact, I'm surprised there isn't a reality show that looks like this already, unless I just missed it. It's not really trashy in terms of vulgar content, but definitely counts as a "junk food" novel.

ORIGINAL/IN-DEPTH REVIEW: Once upon a time, I wrote a list called "How to Write a 21st Century YA Novel," based on several trends I had seen in all the new books. One of the top numbers was "drop pop culture references like mad. This will show your young reader...more Basically an MTV show in novel form. In fact, I'm surprised there isn't a reality show that looks like this already, unless I just missed it. It's not really trashy in terms of vulgar content, but definitely counts as a "junk food" novel.

ORIGINAL/IN-DEPTH REVIEW: Once upon a time, I wrote a list called "How to Write a 21st Century YA Novel," based on several trends I had seen in all the new books. One of the top numbers was "drop pop culture references like mad. This will show your young readers that you are just as hip and trendy as all of them, and you know what the teens these days like!"

The plot of Reality Chick in a nutshell: college freshman gets onto a reality show which consists of her and four other people sharing a special house but otherwise going about the normal routine of a college freshman. With cameras recording every aspect of their life, to be broadcast nightly on TV.

The library is full of glossy-covered books like these, and for lack of anything better I gravitate towards them because they entertain me, even though they have about as much substance as that shiny red apple that looks so nice in pictures, but when bitten into will be made of mush.

As far as the pop-culture references go, they’re usually somewhat reasonable. I wrote about TV shows and the like in my journal, so the occasional comparison is to be expected when written in the voice of a teen girl. However, in this book, I didn’t even get past page 1 before the author described how the media loves scandal by using an example with Madonna and Courtney Love on MTV. Right then, I knew it was going to be one of THOSE books.

And that's what I'll be focusing on today.

One example of "shortcut writing" in this novel is when a character in the book is describing how she and this other girl both wore the same dress to Prom. Rather than use any adjectives, the author's entire description was as follows: "To understand the seriousness of the situation, you have to know what she looks like: Picture Scarlett Johannson’s face with Eva Longoria’s body." And that was it. The character’s boyfriend is also a central figure in this book. The sum total description surrounding him? He’s an extremely talented basketball player who "looks exactly like Chad Michael Murray."

Nope, that will never get dated at all! When I mentioned this depressing phenomenon to an English teacher, she agreed and described how books are now often perceived as "disposable" rather than with the expectation that they will stand the test of time. They can hyper-focus on the "now" because there won't be a later. But why is that OK?

So I went through and I made a list of every single celebrity, brand name, TV show, etc that the author used. It's not the first time I've done this to a book, but it's always a fun game to play. This time, I decided that if the same name was used several pages apart in a different context, it counted as a separate reference. Now admittedly, some of these are perfectly acceptable (it would be more awkward to NOT just say "Oreos," for instance), but when I’m revved up, anything that requires capitalization gets on the list. And for Reality Chick, we have:

Courtney Love, Madonna, MTV, Dave Matthews, Queer Eye For the Straight Guy, Desperate Housewives, Nick Lachey (2x), Jessica Simpson (2x), Teen Vogue, The Apprentice, Dawson’s Creek, A Cinderella Story, Scarlett Johannson, Eva Longoria, Chad Michael Murray (2x), Girls Gone Wild, Nelly, Saturday Night Live, Justin Timberlake, Eminem (2x), People magazine, Teen People, Ashlee Simpson (2x), the Zone diet, Lindsay Lohan, Mean Girls, Legally Blonde (2x), Katie Holmes (3x), Tom Cruise (2x), First Daughter (3x), US Weekly, Hooters, Alias (2x), Viagra ads in email, Google.com, Paris Hilton, ESPN, the Lifetime channel, Dr. Phil, Seth and Summer (as in “Nobody goes out of their way to say someone’s a “friend” unless they’re really not. Look how long Seth and Summer were “just friends”), Mary Kate [Olsen], Brittany Murphy, “in that one movie where she played an insane girl” (couldn’t get copyright clearance for that one?), On Demand, Pay-Per-View, Creature of the Black Lagoon, the Halloween movies, Jay Z, the WB, The O.C., Seventh Heaven, Debbie Downer, Sorority Life, John Travolta, Dateline, The Amazing Race, Seventeen magazine, Judge Judy, Ruby Tuesday, Jennifer Lopez, Whitney Houston, and advertisement for Oreos and Diet Coke With Lime as well as Nike, K-Swiss, Abercrombie, and The Gap.

SUM TOTAL: 77, or an average of one reference every 3.5 pages. I'm not saying the book wasn't entertaining, I'm just wondering if there was a point to all of those. Is there a code to crack that allows you to read a secret message? (fingers crossed, because that would actually be pretty cool)(less)

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Apr 08, 2012 Judy (Geeky Reading) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

~3.5/5
I've read two other books by Barnholdt, and enjoyed one more than the other. And still enjoy that one over this one. (It was Two-Way Street, and am I excited for the companion novel? Yes!) This one wasn't bad, though. It was probably better than the second one I read, but not amazing.
Watch Me is about Ally, who is starring in a reality show with other college freshmen. She has a boyfriend of two years, who is going to a different college in another state, but believes they'll stay together...more ~3.5/5
I've read two other books by Barnholdt, and enjoyed one more than the other. And still enjoy that one over this one. (It was Two-Way Street, and am I excited for the companion novel? Yes!) This one wasn't bad, though. It was probably better than the second one I read, but not amazing.
Watch Me is about Ally, who is starring in a reality show with other college freshmen. She has a boyfriend of two years, who is going to a different college in another state, but believes they'll stay together. She starts growing closer with her roommates, two of which are girls, and one of the two boys, while growing a little distant from her boyfriend. And, of course, learning to deal with a camera always following her around and not knowing what is going to be shown on television, while also trying to make other friends.
Ally was alright. She wasn't dumb, but was a little naïve, and not one of my favorite characters. I did like her gay best friend, Grant, and I liked her girl roommates. I also liked Drew, the nice boy roommate, and thought things moved along nicely between them, especially with how things were at the end. The ending of the book was good, though, what with none of them jumping into anything, just taking it all slowly.
Her boyfriend, Corey, I think could have been nicer. He started becoming a bit of a jerk, and I don't think the cheating thing was really expanded upon as much as it could have been. But maybe that was because, at that point, it just wasn't as important to her anymore as everything else? And James, her other boy roommate. He was a jerk, and I was thinking that we would see some actual likable things about him, but we didn't. Which is alright, I guess.
I like how Barnholdt wrote out with the Then and Now parts, but feel that I would have liked having multiple points-of-view. With only being in Ally's head, it made it seem like the whole show was about her, but there were several other people cameras on them, and I would have liked to know what they were doing and taking things.
I liked seeing what Ally thought in the present, as opposed to during the filming, but it made everything seem worse than it was. For certain points, like when she was being dramatic, it was nice, but other times only made it seem more ominous than was needed. The beginning, for instance, made it seem like some big tragic thing was going to happen, but it didn't. There was some drama, but not as much as it made it seem like there would be.
And, while I do like Barnholdt's writing, which makes her books easy to get through and interesting, it's a little repetitive. She used phrases/words like 'I mean' and 'sketch' several times, which bothered me a bit. And she uses a bit of stereotypes in her stories, what with being popular and not and making that into a big deal with her characters and the people around them. She uses it in a couple of her books, not just this one, which bothers me a bit.
I did enjoy the book, though. It wasn't amazing, but it was good, and I am planning on reading her other books.
[Taken from my blog: http://geekyreading.blogspot.com/2012... ](less)

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Jul 05, 2009 Mary rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: high-school-books, realistic-fiction

This wasn't one of my favorites, but it is timely and popular with high school girls. Ally Cavanaugh starts her freshman year in college in Syracuse on a reality tv show, "In the House." She has four roommates all very different, who share an off-campus apartment. James is like Justin Timberlake playing Eminem; Simone is softspoken and innocent; Jasmine is Asian, exotic, and works at Hooters; Drew is good-looking and nice. Ally befriends Kelly in her photography class - no mean feat since it isn...more

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Apr 23, 2012 Melanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Right before starting her freshmen year of college Ally Cavanaugh tries out for In the House, a reality show somewhat like Big Brother and MTV's The Real World. What Ally doesn't want to accept is that she was probably typecast since she's cute and in a long distance relationship. As her relationship with high school boyfriend Corey (a college basketball player) goes through it's biggest challenges, her relationship with cutie-pie castmate all-American Drew seems to be heating up. Ally isn't per...more

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Feb 19, 2013 Reving rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Okay. I checked out this eaudio because I needed something to listen to and because it seemed like it would just be a quick, silly read. And it was. But it was more than that, really. The main character is really likable- not the spoiled chick I thought she would be. Also the author avoided the easy and predictable fights between the girls in the house. I thought for sure this would just be cranky, spoiled reality chick girls fighting and stealing each other's guys and all of that typical stuff....more

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Jan 26, 2011 Janelle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I quite enjoyed this book! I didn't think it would be that good when I first started, but it turned out to be really enjoyable! I was drawn to it because Aly is a freshman in college, and that's what I will be in September! The relationship between Aly and her long term boyfriend Corey was what I liked the most about it. And the fact that they both just moved on without it becoming a huge fight. I just hope that that type of thing doesn't happen to me! Haha. I reccomend this book to anyone who's...more

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Jun 04, 2009 Steph Su rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The “normal” college freshman Ally Cavanaugh auditions for a spot on the reality show that’s being filmed on her college campus. Miraculously she’s chosen and gets to live in a grand, luxurious house with her four housemates: the slutty Jasmine, shy Simone, ghetto-pimp James, and Abercrombie-hot Drew.

Everyone on the reality show seems to have a role, even her. Ally is, according to Drew, whom she thinks is full of himself, the “hot girl with the long-distance boyfriend.” Indeed, she and her boyf...more

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Apr 08, 2012 Shannon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, lmao, would-watch-if-it-was-a-movie, love-the-protagonist

Gahh, I loved this a lot. Since the majority of the books I've read lately have been on the paranormal side, it was nice to read a realistic teen book. The main character Ally auditions for a spot on a reality show. It's pretty much The Real World, but the five teens are all college students and it's filmed at their campus. I'm mega obsessed with reality shows and I thought it was cool that the story took place during one. Sure, it seems fun to live in a pimped out house and get to be on TV, but...more Gahh, I loved this a lot. Since the majority of the books I've read lately have been on the paranormal side, it was nice to read a realistic teen book. The main character Ally auditions for a spot on a reality show. It's pretty much The Real World, but the five teens are all college students and it's filmed at their campus. I'm mega obsessed with reality shows and I thought it was cool that the story took place during one. Sure, it seems fun to live in a pimped out house and get to be on TV, but you also have your whole life laid under a microscope for the nation's entertainment. You're followed constantly by camera men, who creepily watch your every move and refuse to talk to you because they don't want to get fired for breaking protocol. The life on the show was portrayed quite well, showing both the good and bad. My only issue was I wished there had been more of them in the house. After all the shows I've watched, it was weird to see only five of them, instead of six or seven. I did love all the cast though. Ally, Jasmine, and Simone made for an unlikely but close group of friends. Jasmine was hilarious and I liked the running joke about her and that Dale guy. As for Simone, for some reason, I was really rooting for her and James to date and I was a bit bummed by what happened.

I seriously wish Ally could be my best friend. Can I just say that I really loved reading about her? After reading tons of books with mindless, boring, protagonists who live for some hunky mysterious boy, it was so refreshing to read about a protagonist who was fully fleshed out. Ally actually had a personality to her and I felt she was a well-rounded character. I liked that she wasn't perfect. At heart, she was a good person, but she had her faults as well. It was hilarious seeing things through her mind. The situations she got herself into and how she dealt with them made the book for me. I found myself feeling Ally's emotions along with her. I cracked up at her crazy inner ramblings. I cringed when she embarrassed herself beyond belief. I even got pissed with how her boyfriend Corey treated her. Oh my god, I really hated that guy. The longer the book went on, the more he irritated me. I know cheating is wrong and hurtful, but I actually read the book hoping that she'd get with Drew. I'm glad with how things turned out between her and Corey. I understand that the two of them (view spoiler), but I thought that Ally should have ripped him a new one for his douchey behavior. Also, what was the true story behind (view spoiler)? Was Corey (view spoiler)? It wasn't made clear what was going on with that.

Overall, really liked this! It was hilarious and I pretty much laughed my face off during every page. The scenarios plus the writing itself were entertaining and made for a story that sucked you in. Surprisingly, there was a big focus on relationship, not just romantic but platonic as well. It gave depth to a book that could have easily been just a mindless summer read.(less)

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Mar 29, 2013 Liza Williams rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Teen Girls

This book was skillfully written with excellent quotes that speak to all of us, but mainly girls ages 13-25. I recommend this book to that demographic.

“Everyone's fake in certain situations. It's like when you go for a job interview and they ask you, "What would you do if you found one of your friends at work stealing?" and, let's face it, no one's going to tell on their friend. But of course you have to say, "I would tell IMMEDIATELY, because I don't think I could work in that kind of environme...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Keli rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: teen-romance, identity, favorites

I remember reading this book over the summer and wishing for an adventure like this. I discovered Lauren Barnholdt over the summer and after reading, 'Sometimes It Happens', became instantly addicted with her stories. I'm a teenage girl and therefore relate to nearly everything that goes on in Barnholdt's stories. This book did not disappointed. It WAS an MTV reality show summed up in a book and while I tend to stay away from those shows considering all the unnecessary drama that is composed in...more

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May 05, 2012 Juhina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

3.5/5 stars

Watch me by Lauren barnholdt is a reality tv show compressed in a book. You don't expect any depth from it, but it is entertaining and the brain vacation I needed. I listened to the audiobook for it and if it wasn't for the great narrator, I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much. The narrator had this childish voice that suited the college freshman Ally. The character herself was a bit on the shallow end, I mean who would apply to be in a reality tv show where the whole world se...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Suzanne Sullivan rated it 3 of 5 stars

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Oct 14, 2012 Jordan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Easily the best book I've ever read. I'm a huge fan of Lauren Barnholdt. I read and loved Two Way Street, so I knew reading this was a no brainer. After reading the back though, I was slightly skeptical. It almost sounded like Laguna Beach in book form...I loved the show, but would never wanna read it. Thankfully, I was proven wrong in the most wonderful way. Watch Me is witty, charming, romantic, and at times a tear jerker. I found myself relating to this book and the main character, Ally, in t...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Krystianna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, on-my-shelf

Rating: 3.5 stars

Story: Ally is about to start college soon, and she finds that one the most popular shows, In the House, is going to be shooting a season at the college she is going to attend. Because of this, she decides to audition. After her audition, Ally doesn't think that she did well enough to make it on the show... she was wrong. She made it and she is really excited.

When she starts college, she meets all the other people in her house. There are four others-Simone, Drew, James, and Jas...more

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Aug 23, 2012 Sharal Hunter rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chick-lit, teen-young-adult

Freshman year at college is hard. Trying to adjust to the new freedom and responsibilities of managing oneself while living on your own for the first time in your life is a big deal. Making a long distance relationship with your boyfriend of two years work now that he's in college down in Florida carries a lot of stress. Apparently, our protagonist, Ally Cavanaugh, laughs in the face of stress and auditions for and is chosen to appear on a reality TV show with four other freshmen.

Though the logi...more

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May 07, 2013 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars

In my opinion Watch Me was a great book. Not only very entertaining, but it also teaches a good life lesson. Watch Me was a narration with Ally, the main character, as the narrator. I believe that having a narrator inside the story made it much easier to try to relate to everyone rather than having a narrator who is outside the story. Having a narrator outside of the book makes you limited to the thoughts and feelings of the characters, making it harder to relate.

I believe the author's main pur...more

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Aug 23, 2011 Farrah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

Rating should be 4.5

Watch Me is about a college freshman, Ally, who is going to star in a reality for the fall semester. She will be rooming with four strangers and followed by cameras 24/7. Her boyfriend,Corey, is going to a far off college and she has to manage the long-distance relationship along with everything else.

At first, she has everything under control. Then, Corey and Ally begin to shift apart while Ally is drawn to Drew, one of her roommates. People she thought were friends betray h...more

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Oct 30, 2011 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lauren Barnholdt is one of my go-to authors when I am in the mood for a contemporary, feel-good book with nice romance in it. Watch Me is actually a reissue of Reality Chick (same book, but different title and cover), which was published in 2006.

I really enjoyed this book, particularly because it has a college setting and I would love to see more YA books take place during college instead of high school. This story is about Ally's first semester at Syracuse College, which is broadcast to the wo...more Lauren Barnholdt is one of my go-to authors when I am in the mood for a contemporary, feel-good book with nice romance in it. Watch Me is actually a reissue of Reality Chick (same book, but different title and cover), which was published in 2006.

I really enjoyed this book, particularly because it has a college setting and I would love to see more YA books take place during college instead of high school. This story is about Ally's first semester at Syracuse College, which is broadcast to the world because she landed a spot on a reality TV show called In The House (think MTV College Life) and therefore has cameramen following her every move and catching every life drama on videotape.

The focus of this story is on how Ally finds herself becoming more and more attracted to Drew, her roommate, even though she is in a committed relationship of two years with her boyfriend who plays basketball at another university. While the romance in this book is predictable and perhaps not all that original, it was still fun to read about and I found myself tearing through the book in under 24 hours. This book fits my idea of a "guilty pleasure" book--it doesn't have much depth, but is entertaining.

I think I've read all of Lauren Barnholdt's published books now, and one thing that I have noticed is that the narrators of each book seem to have the same "voice." I think the author does a pretty good job with making the characters speak and think like teens, though. Ally sometimes got on my nerves because she could be incredibly vain, but I still liked her story.

I am a huge fan of One Night That Changes Everything and Two-Way Street, and thought Watch Me was good, but I didn't love it quite as much as those two books (for me, it ranks next to Sometimes It Happens). The only book of this author that I didn't enjoy was Aces Up (I do not recommend that one). If you are new to Lauren Barnholdt, Watch Me would be a good introduction to her writing, but I would really recommend for you to start with One Night That Changes Everything or Two-Way Street first. (less)

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Jul 19, 2011 Amy Jacobs rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

Books by author Lauren Barnholdt are always hit and miss for me. I love some of her books, but others tend to fall flat for me. In the case of Watch Me, this is not one of my favorites. While I liked the idea of the whole reality TV show, the execution of it in this book was not well thought out.

Ally decides on a spur of the moment to try out for a TV reality show. When she is accepted as one of the college roommates for the show, she has no idea how it is going to change her life. She is in a d...more

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Jul 21, 2011 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Originally Posted on Strawberry Splash Book Reviews

The first book I read by Lauren Barnholdt was Sometimes It Happens that just came out so I thought I would try reading some of her other books. I loved this book just as much as I loved Sometimes it Happens.

I think the characters in this book were generally well developed. Ally's boyfriend from high school, Corey, really bothered me. He just kind of seemed like an asshole and I want to shake Ally and be like YOUR BOYFRIEND IS AN ASSHOLE! I like...more

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Jun 11, 2011 Lyndsey Rushby rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

After reading Two-Way Street, another book by Lauren Barnholdt, I immediately wanted to read more from her. When looking through her books on Amazon, Watch Me was the one that stood out to me the most, due to the nature of the plot.

Ally, the main character, decides to try out for a reality tv show before heading off to college. The show itself is a mix between Big Brother and something like Jersey Shore. There is no prize money and no one is locked in the house but they do all live together and...more After reading Two-Way Street, another book by Lauren Barnholdt, I immediately wanted to read more from her. When looking through her books on Amazon, Watch Me was the one that stood out to me the most, due to the nature of the plot.

Ally, the main character, decides to try out for a reality tv show before heading off to college. The show itself is a mix between Big Brother and something like Jersey Shore. There is no prize money and no one is locked in the house but they do all live together and are filmed at all times. Now, there are so many reality TV shows around and I wondered how this would translate into a contemporary book. The Hunger Games also has a similar reality TV theme but set in a dystopian world so nothing like what Barnholdt has created.

Ally’s situation, as well as her as a character, were really interesting. I’m not sure if I would have ever entered to go on a show like she did when starting college and moving away from home. Surely it would have been too much pressure to handle in one go but I have to say, I was impressed with the way she handled things to begin with. Not only does she have classes to go to but she also has to learn how to live with a bunch of people she has never met and people who have completely different personalities. The book is told through different views according to time; then and now. The start of the book states just how messed up Ally is after being on the show so right from the beginning, you know nothing is going to go smoothly and I liked this. I liked knowing that Ally was going to have to struggle and that she was going to have a hard time being in that situation.

My only real problem with this book is the fact that you know the love triangle is coming and I would have liked for it to have been a little bit more of a shock. Drew was a lovely character though even if I didn’t get to know as much about him as I wanted to. As there is so much going on for Ally, he doesn’t make a real appearance until part way through the book and isn’t in it nearly enough. Drew had a lot going for him that would have made him amazing had the time been spent on his characterisation. He definitely would have been a guy I would have gone for myself due to his depth and compassion. Then there is Corey, Ally’s long distance, high school sweetheart boyfriend. I cant say that I liked him very much really though. Being in a long distance relationship, I thought that he would have made more of an effort with Ally but he just came across as full of himself and like he didn’t care either way most of the time. Because of this, I don’t really get what Ally saw in him.

The secondary characters, mainly the other housemates, were fantastic. With such a range of personalities, forced together for a certain reason, there was a lot of humour. I loved the other girls who lived in the house and the fun they brought to Ally’s life. Jasmine is a Hooters Girl/ stripper tryout and is so outgoing and loud. Her presence cant really be missed and she comes to life on each page. Simone is the quieter of the three girls and stays to herself to begin with but it is clear that she is a good friend and only wants what is best for everyone. This book would have been quite boring without them I think. James, the other guy housemate, was terrible but I loved him. I like characters who mix things up a bit and cause chaos so here, James did his job really well.

What I love most about Barnholdt’s work is the language she uses. The teenagers are real. They do things teenagers actually do like go to parties and get drunk and sleep around at times. They swear frequently and say exactly what is on their minds. Now, while I know this sort of thing is not to everyone’s tastes and that I can see parents of younger teens complaining about it, I think it is great! I hate to see teenagers, especially 18 year olds in books, shown to be something that they’re not. I understand that it doesn’t set the best standard but I don’t see the point in shying away from the real world and that is exactly what Barnholdt portrays in her books and I have to applaud her for taking risks and showing what life is really like.

Watch Me will not be a book for everyone but I loved it and already want more from this amazing author! (less)

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Apr 06, 2011 Siti rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 11-grade-3rd-quarter, 11grade-shelf

3rd QUARTER
SITI H.M. KHAIRI

Watch Me
by Lauren Barnholdt
270 pages
Simon & Schuster $9.99
ISBN: 1442402555

It's bad enough that your parents watch you, it's even worse that the entire nation tunes in to watch you, too. No big deal, right? At least, that's what Ally thought when she decided to sign up for the top reality TV show and get in. Ally has things under control. She going to her dream college, getting tons of money for each show and has the perfect loyal boyfriend in Florida. Everything is...more

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Jul 16, 2011 Kara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, the-tough-stuff, young-adult, own, willing-to-trade

Goodreads Summary:

All-hour study fests . . . all-night parties . . .
Going away to college means total independence and freedom. Unless of course your freshman year is taped and televised for all the world to watch. On uncensored cable.

Sweet and normal Ally Cavanaugh is one of five freshpeople shacking up on In the House, a reality show filmed on her college campus. (As if school isn't panic-inducing enough!) The cameras stalk her like paparazzi, but they also capture the fun that is new friends,...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Andrea at Reading Lark rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-stars, contemporary, read-in-2011, young-adult

Review Posted on Reading Lark 9/8/11: http://readinglark.blogspot.com/2011/...

Watch Me is the type of book that satiates my literary guilty pleasure craving. This is not one of those books that makes you think or changes your life in some way. It simply is entertainment. Whenever I find myself getting too stressed out or overwhelmed I gravitate towards books like this one.

Watch Me is by far one of my favorite guilty pleasure reads. The story revolves around Ally, a college freshman, who has lan...more Review Posted on Reading Lark 9/8/11: http://readinglark.blogspot.com/2011/...

Watch Me is the type of book that satiates my literary guilty pleasure craving. This is not one of those books that makes you think or changes your life in some way. It simply is entertainment. Whenever I find myself getting too stressed out or overwhelmed I gravitate towards books like this one.

Watch Me is by far one of my favorite guilty pleasure reads. The story revolves around Ally, a college freshman, who has landed herself a role on a popular reality tv show, which is filming at her college. The show is a Real World type deal except everyone in the house attends the same college. Since we are dealing with college age characters they are dealing with some adult issues and the text is littered with profanity. This didn't bother me, but I know some readers prefer to avoid those aspects in books.

Ally's voice is a memorable one; she is such a great character. I felt a lot like Ally when I embarked on my college life so I suppose that is why I found her story to be so compelling. She also has a way with words that will keep you giggling. It is impossible to be in a bad mood while reading this book. Fans of reality tv and chick lit will love this read. I am sure my obsession with watching the Real World in my teen years contributed to my appreciation of this book.

Furthermore, I enjoyed watching Ally's character change throughout the book. We all know that no matter how many promises we make in high school to friends or significant other - we will change in college. It's just part of growing up. It's not always pleasant, but it is a necessity for most of us as we transition towards adulthood. Leaving behind the past is never easy.

There is just something about Barnholdt's writing that I love. Her characters come across as real and honest. I always get sucked into her books. There isn't anything super special about the plots, but I would still place her books among my favorites. What can I say? Barnholdt's writing is my brain's candy and like Skittles I just can't get enough.

One Last Gripe: I wasn't a big fan of Simone's character. I think Barnholdt was trying too hard to show how drastically college life can change someone.

My Favorite Thing About This Book: Ally's personality - she cracked me up

First Sentence: The question people ask me most these days is "If you could do anything differently, what would it be?"

Favorite Character: Ally

Least Favorite Character: James(less)

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Jul 24, 2011 Alexa Desocio added it · review of another edition

I liked this book a lot. It was simple and cute, yet really entertaining! I think the format (going back and forth between "Now" and "Then") was sort of unnessecary and kind of took away from the over all effectiveness of the story. However, "Reality Chick" does manage to acurately portray what the typical college freshman experiences during their first semester at school, despite the fact that the main character was on a reality sohw, making the transition that much harder. Overall i give this...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I got through this book in a night, as I do with most of Barnholdt's books because I can't seem to put them down! I just started my first year at college, and I found it very easy to relate to the things that Ally was experiencing as far as finding out who she can trust, and trying to make her high school relationship work long distance.

You can truly understand Ally throughout the book, and while I came into this book thinking that Ally would be the one that changed and got a big head when she...more

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Quotes from Watch Me

“Everyone's fake in certain situations. It's like when you go for a job interview and they ask you, "What would you do if you found one of your friends at work stealing?" and, let's face it, no one's going to tell on their friend. But of course you have to say, "I would tell IMMEDIATELY, because I don't think I could work in that kind of environment, it's not good for my morale." No one wants to look like an idiot.” — 5 people liked it

“POSSIBLE OPENERS AFTER YOU'VE GOTTEN DRUNK AND SLEPT IN YOUR GUY ROOMMATE'S BED (A LIST):
1. Hey, Drew, thanks for letting me sleep in your bed. I hope I didn't puke all over your sheets.
2. What do you mean? I slept in your bed? Really? I don't remember any of it, I was so wasted.
3. Thanks for not trying to molest me.” — 4 people liked it

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