Helpful Score: 10
I thought this book was dreadful. The premise was great - a reality show like "The Amazing Race" in which the characters had to go on a scavenger hunt across the globe. But none of the characters were very likable and the author went out of her way to sensationalize all the characters flaws or "traits". Maybe she was trying to parallel the book with actual reality shows, but this book fell flat no matter what she was trying to accomplish.
Helpful Score: 5
As an avid fan of reality t.v., I was most anxious to read this novel about a mother and daughter on a reality game show. I was not disappointed. I acutally bought this book on Tuesday before New Years, and read nearly non stop until I finished it. The characters are well written, the behind the scenes peek at producing a reality show raised some questions in my own mind. Each chapter is told from the POV of a different character, a writing style that I personally like.
Helpful Score: 5
Really entertaining book.
Development of characters is great. A fictional look at the emotions and personalities behind the "characters" you see on TV reality/game shows like Survivor and Amazing Race.
A good read!
Development of characters is great. A fictional look at the emotions and personalities behind the "characters" you see on TV reality/game shows like Survivor and Amazing Race.
A good read!
Helpful Score: 5
I thought this was a pretty good book. Thought provoking b/c of the ethical/ emotional conflicts of the characters. But, the book was not really deep. Fairly easy read... read it in about 2 weeks. Interesting characters.
Helpful Score: 3
I really liked this book! I thought each of the stories was interesting and I found myself continuing to read to find out what happened next. Also the concept of a reality show made it entertaining! Good book!
Helpful Score: 3
Clever book by an award-winning writer. Each pair of contestants on an "Amazing Race"-like show compete across the world as their deepest struggles come to light, and are eventually exploited by the show. The competition and challenges force each character to grow in relationship and self awareness. Some readers may not approve of this book as 1 pair of characters are a married man and woman who struggle with their sexual orientation despite having been "saved" by a Christian "homosexuality reversal" group. Halfway through this book, you dying to find out how it turns out for each character.
Helpful Score: 2
This is the best current fiction I've read since the last Jodi Picout novel. Great read! Especially if you love reality television.
Helpful Score: 2
This was a unique and smart premise that explored the secrets that people keep and how it affects them. The behind-the-scenes reality show was fun to read about. This was a great read!
Helpful Score: 2
Disappointing! Plastic characters with no substance and very contrived relationships.
Helpful Score: 2
I loved this book and its characters. Funny at times and painfully sad at others. Revealing emotions we often fight hard not to bring to the surface. All uncovered during a reality show competition that seems so realistic, you truly believe it could actually have happened.
Helpful Score: 2
Engaging book told from several different viewpoints. The characters are, in turns, funny, aggravating, touching and easy to identify with. Some of the end events seem a little forced for the sake of the plot, but the book was fun to read.
Helpful Score: 1
Written by the author of "The Dogs of Babel", this book follows teams that have been chosen to compete on a new reality show, "Lost and Found". Being a fan of "The Amazing Race" and "Survivor", I found this book enjoyable.
Helpful Score: 1
This book was interesting and kept me up late into the night trying to finish it. I love the way the story is told from different character's point of view. It was a great book about relationships between different people and it made me laugh and cry.
Helpful Score: 1
If you are a fan of tv reality shows (Especially The Great Race), you will enjoy this book! Eight 'couples' which includes a mother and daughter, two brothers, a husband and wife and a brother and sister who were once Hollywood child stars, all compete in a tv reality show titled "Lost and Found." The show takes them around the world in search of clues that will ultimately award the winners 1 million dollars. Each team brings with them some issues from their real lives, which makes this trek even more interesting. Picked this book up at a garage sale and was pleasantly surprised to find that I really enjoyed it!
Helpful Score: 1
This is an engaging story of a mother and daughter off on a TV reality show. Their secrets will soon be known by many. In the process, others in the show become very real to us readers as well with their quirks, and stories. I enjoyed reading this book. We get a glimpse of a number of different couples. One is a religious couple whose lives are very different from what they want it to be. The brothers also have secrets.
Helpful Score: 1
Interesting premise yields several great characters. Loved this book!
If you enjoy reality TV this book has a great story line that gives you an inside look into what goes on that we typically do not see on the slickly produced TV shows. The interactions between the wacky yet well developed characters are very entertaining. I found the relationship between the main characters mother and daughter to be both touching and easy for me to relate to. I read this book on vacation and really enjoyed it!
Lots of Drama and very predictable but a fun enough read.
A good read... subject matter may bother some people but I liked the book. Read it quickly!
The book was a good read with a unique storyline. But, from the jacket, I thought it would be more about the lives of the mother & daughter and good for my high school library. The other people were interesting but I just didn't really feel like the mother & daughter were THE main characters.
This book was not quite what I expected. I read it in two days and had a hard time putting it down. Very easy read, interesting story. I'll be looking for other books by this author.
This book was very interesting. At first I thought it was difficult when it chapter was in the first person of each of the characters, but as I read on I enjoyed they way it was set up. It was a very good book that held my attention and would recommend it as a good read.
Despite the fact that the story was interesting, well written, detailed, and moderately paced, with well-drawn characters, each of whom took turns telling their own stories, I didn't like the book. It just wasn't the story for me. I expected human relationshipe, with their problems and hopefully reconciliation. Well, there were human relationships a-plenty, but going, for the most part, from bad to worse as the game show, set up to expose deep dark secrets and for maximum conflict among the contestants, tore people down to their worst levels. Only the mother and daughter managed the beginning of a reconciliation (although, through most of the book, Mom longed for it, daughter rejected out.) For the rest of the contestants, their lives and relationships fell apart. I also didn't like a lot of the subject matter, which focused on sexual issues and identity. Another big disappointment with me was that I expected a bit of warnth and humor. There wasnt any as far as I could see. The last issue I had is minor. But, my husband and I own parrots. In fact, the cover art is what attracted me to the book. But the parrots in the book were just there as pretty props. Yes, I know. I know. This book was fiction. Certainly. But, I couldn't help being concerned for their well-being!
Great book about a relationship. with all it's good times and trying times, between a mother and daughter. If you've ever had a teenage daughter, definitely read this book. Easy read, great story.
Not bad.. a story about contestants on a game show that travels around the world via clues. The characters find out about themselves, their family and meet some new friends along the way
I liked this one. I like to watch survivor and this book gives a peek into some of the behind the scene stuff. I liked the characters, I laughed, I cried, I wanted them to be happy. The author did a great job developing their lives and I had to remind myself that this was just a novel.
This book wasn't as deep as I expected it to be. It was a page turner. I couldn't wait to see how the turmoil ended. I read it fairly quickly.
Loved. This. Book. So fun to read. Didn't really know what it was about as I started it, quickly learned it was a reality TV show setting. New take on reads, my first book like that. Interesting the dynamic it took on all of its characters. Would highly recommend; easy read.
The book is well written, and well drawn, but I would have liked more balance. The Christian characters were all hypocrits. Two of the characters were ex-gays. They were portrayed as untrue to themselves. Evidently, Ms. Parkhurst never stopped to consider there may be a reason if people decided to leave a lifestyle, and it may involve not being as happy in that lifestyle as out.
To me this was just gay propaganda with no thought to the deeper issues behind that type of lifestyle.
To me this was just gay propaganda with no thought to the deeper issues behind that type of lifestyle.
